Is SEO Dead…Again?
Is SEO dead? Have Panda, Penguin and social media put the art of manipulating code and content to increase page ranking to rest for good? That’s the question Pace Lattin asks in a recent blog posting on Performinsider.com titled, “Expert Says SEO is Dead.” But a better question might be, “When will bloggers stop asking if SEO is dead?”
In a very informative, and amusing, piece titled, SEO is Dead: A Fun Romp Through the ‘SEO is Dead’ Graveyard, on the blog Portent.com, SEO strategist David Portney points out how often this phrase is used. Google rolls out a new set of rules and Chicken Little (and link-baiting) types begin screaming that SEO is dead. But before throwing themselves off of a cliff, these pundits should ask what’s really died?
It’s Called Change
Lattin’s point, it turns out, isn’t whether or not SEO is dead, he knows it’s alive and well. What he’s really asking is whether the increased emphasis on social shares has changed the rules of the game for good?
On that point, he’s absolutely correct; the rules of the game have indeed changed. But this is hardly the first time Google has called a foul on an SEO technique they’re not crazy about.
It’s also not the first time that webmasters have had to radically readjust their methods. Yes, it’s true that unnatural (paid) link networks are no longer a useful SEO tools. And though it’s frustrating for anyone with a substantial investment in link networks, it’s just time to move on. In the same way that webmasters moved on from banner ads and dozens of other, now outdated, methods they need to leave link networks behind, too.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t things that can be done to increase page rankings, it just means they’re more likely to involve paying someone to create valuable content instead of creating link networks.
Change has always been a part of SEO. Learn more by reading: Top 10 SEO Revelations.
Social Shares Matter
When it comes to his thoughts on social shares, Lattin hits the nail on the head – social shares matter a lot. That’s because Google is doing everything they can to keep webmasters from artificially manipulating search engine results.
Let’s face it, article directories, paid link networks, content farms and a host of other dead and dying SEO techniques never added much value to searches anyways
Social shares, however, carry a legitimacy that’s hard to beat. Sure there are paid social share sites like SocialRewards.com that pay users points for Tweeting hotel offers but that’s a far cry from a link farm.The big difference is that no one has figured out how to manipulate social shares in bulk, yet.
When they do, expect the rules to change again.
What are your thoughts on the current state of SEO? Is it dead, or just changed? Tell us on our SEO Forum.
Tags: Facebook, Google, Twitter
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SEO will never be dead, as they need to have some sort of criteria for ranking websites, and our task is to figure that out as best we can and optimize for it. It’s a moving target though
Exactly! About one year ago I wondered if small individual websites were a thing of the past. With the success of twitter and facebook it appeared that indivudal domains were losing their value and I considered using just those two free systems. But domains still have their value because you can do things with them that you cannot do elsewhere. You are in total control of what you can and cannot do on your own site. Even zynga is realizing that. However, a primary purpose can be to support your social media efforts. In that respect, the value of SEO is limited and any natural search engine results are a bonus.
‘Is SEO Dead’ will always be passed about from one search engine site to another. As people summize about the demise of SEO. The fact is the look of the beast may change, and will take on new forms but it will always be around so long as people use search engines. FACT.
We think so too! Thanks for the comment.
I guess we should follow Google Webmaster’s Guidelines
really liked the post brian
i find that what helps me stay balanced is methodological seo reports-they help me get back up whenever the update hits. been using rankranger for this purpose for a while now
not dead, but becoming more and more useless. look at PG 1 for a very high competition term