NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] The "Heroin Drip" of S.E.O. (Search Engine Optimization)
The "Heroin Drip" of S.E.O. (Search Engine Optimization) Web Words That Lure the Readers" http://j.mp/dLWagy (New York Times) - - - This is a very big topic, but just a few quick thoughts here for now. I have this rather old-fashioned view that ultimately, the most effective way to achieve high search engine rankings is to publish quality content. This tends to have the significant advantage in the long run of not being ephemerally tied to "gaming techniques" that try to manipulate search engines based on their algorithms at any given moment in time. Search engines are continually tweaking their search ranking algorithms, sometimes including major changes. Some S.E.O. firms may view this as a continual revenue stream opportunity -- as their customers keep returning for additional S.E.O. "fixes" (you can use that term in both the technical and narcotic senses) to try adjust to changing algorithmic factors. This points out, by the way, a key reason why keeping the details of search engine ranking algorithms proprietary is completely reasonable -- public knowledge of such algorithms' details could tend to make them much more easily gamed, to the detriment of overall search quality. The article referenced above includes a quote arguing that search is "old hat" and that what matters now is what "your friends" recommend to you in a social networking environment. Social networking is fine -- but if you wanted an example of how it can create an "echo chamber" effect, you needed to go no further than today's major headline. I must have seen hundreds of folks chiming in with "Mubarak resigned!" But only a few provided references to quality materials discussing the topic in depth. For that, I went to Google News to scan the available media reports. There may be a simple truth here relating to both S.E.O. and broader areas of concern. In technology matters, like in many other facets of our lives, "shortcuts" rarely bring long-term benefits, and often invoke negative collateral effects that we may well come to regret down the line. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org Founder: - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org - Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein Google Buzz: http://bit.ly/lauren-buzz Quora: http://www.quora.com/Lauren-Weinstein Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com