Earlier this month, an article in The Verge set the SEO world on fire, reshaping the stereotype of SEO professionals as “the image of the hustler: a content goblin who shuns rules, morals, and good taste in exchange for eyeballs and lots of cash.” ” he explained. . He is a thrill-seeking nihilist and a mischievous child who takes great pleasure in getting things done. ”
There is truth to that stereotype. “In any situation where there's an opportunity to make a lot of money, absolutely SEO has been there, it's been there before, there was the Wild West, there was the Gold Rush, people are going to take advantage of it. ,” said senior Lily Ray. He was interviewed in the Verge article by Amsive Digital's Director of SEO and Head of Organic Research.
But there are ways to avoid these “content goblins” with the help of a good and helpful SEO expert.
Why are good SEO practices so important now? With the advent of ChatGPT, Google Search Generative Experience (SGE), and search habits shifting to Amazon and TikTok, SEO is once again entering the wild west, says Will Reynolds, vice president of innovation at Seer Interactive. .
“The value of SEO is decreasing,” Reynolds says. “It's not zero. But it's not what it was five years ago.” In other words, brands need to do more than just drive the next click, especially as the places people search for them change. This means you need to work with an SEO expert who thinks about the longevity of your brand.
Red flag: As the Verge article suggests, bad actors who “ruined the internet” do exist, and your brand should avoid them.
Ray suggests keeping the following in mind:
- Guarantee regarding ranking
- Guaranteed revenue to drive
- Link building. Unless it's organic PR, it generally violates Google's guidelines.
- Use AI tools to replace human work — AI is not completely bad from an SEO perspective, but automatically and quickly creating content can negatively impact rankings
SEO professionals also need to avoid practices that negatively impact the internet in general, Ray says. These include:
- Reputation management for problematic figures
- political misinformation
- inadequate medical advice
green flag: Good SEO professionals focus on people, value, and brand building, not just rankings, algorithms, and links, says Reynolds. “Just doing the latest and greatest tricks doesn't help.” [websites] Ranking on Google is a balance between what Google wants, what people want, and where your brand wants to go. ”
Reynolds also talked about how SEO professionals need to be forward-thinking, especially as generative AI and chat-based search gain a foothold. A good SEO expert should focus on how SGE changes her client's ROI and explore how to take advantage of new tools.
Ray said good SEO professionals tend to follow Google's guidelines. “We've been in this game for so long that we understand that not doing so, or trying to go against them, can and will cause problems. It's just a matter of time.”
Before working with an SEO professional, Ray suggested asking for case studies of past work to ensure past work has not been subject to manual actions or penalties.
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