News Source: http://www.huomah.com
Published: Mar 10, 2008 - 11:05 pm
Story Found By: SpostareDuro 1539 Days ago
Category: SEO
8 Comments
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News Source: http://www.huomah.com
Published: Mar 10, 2008 - 11:05 pm
Story Found By: SpostareDuro 1539 Days ago
Category: SEO
8 Comments
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Comments
"They are not working too hard at programming bots to look for KW stuffing, hidden text and other minor infractions."There’s no logic to this. Keyword stuffing and many "minor infractions" should be several orders of magnitude easier to look for than increasingly sophisticated link spamming patterns - and an equally useful signal of a spamming attitude.Webmasters are users as well, numbering in the millions. They know their SERPs better than average users do. And they are usually much more aware of blatant, primitive spamming techniques like hidden text, KW stuffing etc. than of intricate link schemes applied by their competitors.So it would actually make more sense for Google to go on a hunt for the most obvious, most visible, most irritating kinds of on-page spam, as it would not only provide useful signals about spam-inclined players but also improve the public perception of SERP quality in the bargain.
Actually there is logic in it. Most folks don’t go past page 3 and so quality control is more about the viable SERPs. There is NO logic in spending time and money playing whack a mole with every little kw stuffing, hidden text scenario. When you run a search engine that is heavily skewed towards backlnks (PageRank) then you can focus most of you energies on link spammers. No links, no rankings… you HAVE TO link spam to rank if yer a black hatter or other rule bender.As you mentioned the webmasters and site owners are surely going to do much of the work for you as it is in their nature to protect themselves by reporting competitors that are breaking the TOS. What the average site owner doesn’t necessarily understand is link spam (as U have mentioned), so they are suited to the job of reporting the minor infractions. Unless things have changed drastically over the last year, I can’t see the web spam teams focus having changed much on this end.My main point anyway, is that people need to stop worrying about it… if you come across it, report it, blog about it and move on. There are even cases where NO visible action will be taken and the Google Slap (on the wrist) is a private affair that will never see the light of day. Stop complaining and get on with the business at hand – ranking.
Ironically, your post is supporting my argument.You say people shouldn’t be complaining about obvious spam in the top ten. But they do. And regardless of this post and a hundred similar posts, they are still going to complain.And what is it they complain about most? Not off-page spam, but on-page tricks.This is the aspect of SERPs that really concerns a lot of people. That’s why, on a cost-benefit basis, tackling it should be a priority for Google in terms of public perception.Sure, it’s the kind of stuff webmasters spot easily, so Google might save resources by indirectly outsourcing its policing, as you imply. However, this is the kind of stuff that Google could also spot rather easily, without resorting to the "help" of angry webmasters.Because, make no mistake, those webmasters will not only be angry about their competitors. They’ll be angry about Google, too, for allowing keyword stuffing and the like in the top ten.By ignoring this relatively "easy" kind of spam, Google is actually letting the visual appeal of its SERPs go down the drain (along with the goodwill of webmasters who feel cheated) every time it shows a "keyword keyword keyword keyword keyword keyword cheap keyword great keyword" snippet for a top ten result.
[To be clear, I’m not contesting the "message" of your post. I actually agree with it. I just don’t agree with the "Google-is-smart-not-to-waste-resources-on-fighting-visual-spam" notion.]
I regret that I have only one sphinn to give.
There is no justice in this world and currently it is nearly impossible to beat the ones who disregard the rules with white hat. On page factors are irrelevant.
This post, at least, begins to recognize that the system is broken. The author chooses to accept that do what’s needed to "play the game." In my view, SEO shouldn’t be a game. It should be an integral part of any overall marketing strategy. In the end, the "link-centric ranking process" is deeply flawed and, I believe, will one day go away. Until then, the games will continue.
A bit harsh in the title, but a good read none the less. My co-workers and I have been fighting over a ranking for over 3 months now. We all said we’d keep it fair, but if you look at "content writing advice" and some of the backlinks we’ve all gotten... well its been fun. Compition really helps to fuel the fire of motivation.