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The rant of the SEOer and the forever changing Algorithm

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by Tutors_UK, Nov 19, 2008.

  1. #1
    If we look into the past, we gain insight to the future….

    I’m going to start this rant with a little story, this is based on my opinion, and how I’ve seen changes to Search Engines strategies in the past, and how they’ve moulded the SEO methods we’re using today.

    I once new a young fool SEOer,
    - He new some tricks, some of his earliest methods to get to the top would be to cram keywords meta tags.
    - In time, many people followed this method, with a steady success rate, more a more people learnt such tricks. To say the least, the spammers quickly exploited this method too
    This wouldn’t do at all, people complained that the quality of content from searches was poor, so the Search Engine had to change things around, rendering the whole meta tags trick useless

    The SOEer was upset, he had wasted so much time optimising the meta key tags, now it was all useless. He stood back and thought for a while.
    On fooling around, as only a fool would do, he found some new tricks.
    - He found that keyword stuffing the bottom of his page, and hiding the text, resulted in new fantastic SERP results
    - Once again, in time, many people followed this method, with a steady success rate, more a more people learnt such tricks. To say the least, the spammers quickly exploited this method too
    And once again, people complained that the quality of content from searches was poor, so the Search Engine had to change things around, rendering the whole keyword stuffing (and hiding text) trick useless

    The SOEer was once again upset, since he had once again wasted so much time.
    On fooling around, as only a fool would do, he found some new tricks.
    He found that links to his site resulted in new fantastic SERP results, and an easy way to fake this was to offer reciprocal links, (including linking with link farms..he was a fool!)
    - In time, many people followed this method, with a steady success rate, more a more people learnt such tricks. To say the least, the spammers quickly exploited this method too
    This wouldn’t do at all, people complained that the quality of content from searches was poor, so the Search Engine had to change things around, rendering the whole reciprocal link trick useless

    The SOEer was once again upset, since he had once again wasted so much time.
    On fooling around, as only a fool would do, he found some new tricks.
    He found that buying links to his site resulted in new fantastic SERP results,
    - In time, many people followed this method, with a steady success rate, more a more people learnt such tricks. To say the least, the spammers quickly exploited this method too
    This wouldn’t do at all, people complained that the quality of content from searches was poor, so the Search Engine had to change things around, rendering the whole buying links trick useless

    The SOEer was once again upset, since he had once again wasted so much time and money this time!
    The SOEer was distressed to say the least, he confined in a friend who told him that he could get free links form such places as directories. Learning from his mistake, the young fool looked into this, he didn’t want to waste his time or money now.
    On fooling around, as only a fool would do, he found some new tricks.
    He found that he could design a script that could submit links automatically to the directories.
    - In time, many people followed this method, with a steady success rate, more a more people learnt such tricks. To say the least, the spammers quickly exploited this method too
    This wouldn’t do at all, people complained that the quality of content from searches was poor, so the Search Engine had to change things around, rendering the whole automated trick useless

    Now the young fool, didn’t know what to do. He started to do as his friend, but feeling so far behind he needed to catch up fast. He started to pay many people to submit to directories manually for him.
    - This resulted in new fantastic SERP results
    - In time, many people followed this method, with a steady success rate, more a more people learnt such tricks. To say the least, the spammers quickly exploited this method too

    This wouldn’t do at all, people complained that the quality of content from searches was poor, so the Search Engine had to change things around, devaluating the whole directory trick

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If we now look at the present and look at:
    Blog links
    Directory links (already de-valued)
    Forum links
    Social book marking links
    Even article links

    And then ask, can people ‘fake’ their way to the top using these methods? Can people pay other people to do this work? Can spammers do this to? Are people doing this?

    Unfortunately yes, the future looks grim, and all this hard work/money/automation can also be done by spammers

    To Summarise:

    - There are many ways to ‘fake’ your site to the top of the SERPs
    - Almost all of these ways, even the current white hat, will in time be de-valued
    - The only constant is Quality

    We all currently believe links to be important, but it’s so easy for spammers to fake this, or large companies to pay people to do this. With this in mind, should you be spending all your time building links, or writing articles on other sites to gain links?

    Or is it more important that you forget about these links, and concentrate on the quality of the articles/content/tools and ensure that they are of the highest quality, but added to your own site instead?

    SEO doesn’t start with trying to cheat the algorithm, its starts with knowing what the public want and what the Search Engines expects to see from the results. Build a quality site with quality content that is both useful and an (or the) informative site of its particular niche, and you will stand the test of time.
     
    Tutors_UK, Nov 19, 2008 IP
    tattoos and Jim4767 like this.
  2. vansterdam

    vansterdam Notable Member

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    #2
    Is this a forum or an article directory???
     
    vansterdam, Nov 19, 2008 IP
  3. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #3
    Quality links are not easy for spammers to get.
     
    dcristo, Nov 19, 2008 IP
  4. Jim4767

    Jim4767 Prominent Member

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    #4
    That pretty much says it.

    Too many are trying to "game" the system. It's so much more professional to focus on adding quality to the system. Otherwise, why bother?
     
    Jim4767, Nov 19, 2008 IP
  5. Tutors_UK

    Tutors_UK Peon

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    #5
    sorry its a long one, but hey it's a rant :D

    I couldn’t agree more, and they’re not easy for SEOers to get either. However, show me one link that you think is quality (and easy to get by SEOers) and I'll show you a link that can just as easily be bought by a spammer (if the price is right).

    That’s why all that will be left are the links that both SEOers and Spammers find it near enough impossible to get. They're the only links that will survive in near future algorithms (IMO)

    Thanks Jim.. Quality is essential, and will be the only thing standing as the algo shifts around.

    SEO doesn’t start with trying to cheat the algorithm, its starts with knowing what the public want and what the Search Engines expects to see from the results. Build a quality site with quality content that is both useful and an (or the) informative site of its particular niche, and you will stand the test of time.
     
    Tutors_UK, Nov 19, 2008 IP
  6. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #6
    Paid links is not a big concern for google, because G knows its not cost effective to buy lots of quality links on a large scale.
     
    dcristo, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  7. Matt1611

    Matt1611 Peon

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    #7
    Your first major point is factually incorrect.

    I dont think i will bother reading the rest of this. It is too long and you haven't got off to a very good start.
     
    Matt1611, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  8. T_Media

    T_Media Peon

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    #8
    Yeah, there's quite a few things in there that sound like you haven't actually tested it out.

    Paid links still work, directory submissions still work, I've seen keyword stuffing the top of the page still working - saw a site yesterday which appeared to be ranking well with hidden text.

    Yes, in an ideal world there'd only be quality sites ranking well, but the fact is Google will never be smart enough to catch out all forms of manipulation and so the SEO industry will survive for many years to come.
     
    T_Media, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  9. tattoos

    tattoos Prominent Member

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    #9
    Never say never, because never is a very long time! :D

    The OP is quite correct, we should always be aware of past mistakes, so we can avoid them in the future.

    I believe the best SEO is done "on site" by adding quality content, The majority of the tricks done "off site" is Search Engine Manipulation, and may have some influence on the SERPs now, but The future is not guaranteed.

    Sharing my opinion,

    Cheers
    James
     
    tattoos, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  10. BigJuicy

    BigJuicy Peon

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    #10
    I think I speak for most SEO (whether they'll admit it or not):

    screw the system gimme my $$


    xD +feedback pls


     
    BigJuicy, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  11. Tutors_UK

    Tutors_UK Peon

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    #11
    Cost effective depends on what it is you're trig to spam (and how much income you can generate by being at the top).

    - If you think of something like 'online medication Medication', it might be worth spending a few hundred dollars to fake you're way to the top


    The point’s not that they do/don’t work, the point is they are less effective, and as time goes by these temporary 'tricks' will be even less so.. So why waste time for short term gains?

    Why not spend almost all of your efforts where it counts, the quality of your site.
     
    Tutors_UK, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  12. Wiki King

    Wiki King Guest

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    #12
    Wouldn't this be the same as a company paying to optimize your whole site for certain keywords?
     
    Wiki King, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  13. T_Media

    T_Media Peon

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    #13
    Because not everyone can create the best site in their niche and in the short term (and I'm talking years here, not weeks) you'd get a better return on investment by using "tricks" to manipulate search listings to your favour.

    And that's why the SEO industry exists, you just can't deny the reality.
     
    T_Media, Nov 20, 2008 IP
    Tutors_UK likes this.
  14. maxerg

    maxerg Peon

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    #14
    If i had a PR 6+ site, i would easily find people who'll supply quality content for FREE.
    So SEO is the King!:p
     
    maxerg, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  15. Tutors_UK

    Tutors_UK Peon

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    #15
    and what about when page rank becomes less and less significant as part of the algorithm? A PR6 seems an awful amount of wasted effort for a short term gain

    ((and in this context what do you mean by quality, and why will having a relatively high PR make people supply this, unless you intend on becoming a niche article site [which I've already mention, I think these too will also be de valued in time]))
     
    Tutors_UK, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  16. maxerg

    maxerg Peon

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    #16
    Quality content doesn't always mean written things. Just think of starting some video sharing site with a PR 7-8 domain with lots of backlinks. Or photo sharing or any sort of Web 2.0 concept where people create content for you.
    And articles are no exception if you think about it.
     
    maxerg, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  17. xander1083

    xander1083 Banned

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    #17
    pretty nice story and seo evolution but i really do believe that quality content is the best way for the search engine to rank websites.
     
    xander1083, Nov 20, 2008 IP
  18. COBSolutions

    COBSolutions Well-Known Member

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    #18
    Nice compilation...

    But hey almost all of them still works, if you are prudent in the way u use them and not spam
    Spamming links and building links can be differentiated even by a kid learning keyboard...do you think G find it difficult and need to devalue the whole thing

    My take...all those still works...but if done the way it is to be done
     
    COBSolutions, Nov 20, 2008 IP