Comments on: SEO is Something We’d all Rather Live Without, Like Accountants on Tax Day http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252 Won't you read it? Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:55:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: kapauldo http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-44 kapauldo Fri, 01 May 2009 16:07:13 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-44 I agree that the tax paradigm is the same, but not the mechanic. A tax system does not, by it's nature, *have* to be so complex as to require an expert. It could be very simple. It could be something like "enter your gross income here" and "here's what you owe." It could be done on a website, it could take 30 seconds. But instead, it's a giant boondoggle, so an expert is required. But that expertise is artificial, because it's not an inherently complex idea. The implementation is just bad so as to require an expert. Same for search. It doesn't *have* to be so complex as to require an expert, someone could come along and make an SEO-proof search paradigm. SEO is just gaming, so the system is flawed because it's game-able. Google has no incentive to do that because they're making a lot of money, but the necessity for an expert is not inherent to the problem space. A car, on the other hand, is an inherently complex system that requires an expert, much like the body requires a doctor. You can't avoid hiring someone to fix your transmission, or at least most of us can't. If someone can come up with a game-proof search paradigm that caters to us lazy people, they'll be rich, and all of the lazy and non-lazy searchers will benefit. I agree that the tax paradigm is the same, but not the mechanic. A tax system does not, by it’s nature, *have* to be so complex as to require an expert. It could be very simple. It could be something like “enter your gross income here” and “here’s what you owe.” It could be done on a website, it could take 30 seconds. But instead, it’s a giant boondoggle, so an expert is required. But that expertise is artificial, because it’s not an inherently complex idea. The implementation is just bad so as to require an expert.

Same for search. It doesn’t *have* to be so complex as to require an expert, someone could come along and make an SEO-proof search paradigm. SEO is just gaming, so the system is flawed because it’s game-able.

Google has no incentive to do that because they’re making a lot of money, but the necessity for an expert is not inherent to the problem space. A car, on the other hand, is an inherently complex system that requires an expert, much like the body requires a doctor. You can’t avoid hiring someone to fix your transmission, or at least most of us can’t.

If someone can come up with a game-proof search paradigm that caters to us lazy people, they’ll be rich, and all of the lazy and non-lazy searchers will benefit.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-43 Andrew Fri, 01 May 2009 12:16:46 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-43 The paradigm you describe is no different to either of those I gave in my initial example though. Getting my car fixed still "requires" a mechanic (unless I learn and find the time to do it myself - same goes for SEO). I am annoyed I have to pay my taxes, the paradigm "requires" that I pay them though for the continued governance of my country, grah! Once again the system has been gamed by gaming experts! Seriously, this is a tired and silly argument that has been directed at numerous industries by individuals frustrated by their own laziness and lack of results/capabilities. The paradigm you describe is no different to either of those I gave in my initial example though. Getting my car fixed still “requires” a mechanic (unless I learn and find the time to do it myself - same goes for SEO).

I am annoyed I have to pay my taxes, the paradigm “requires” that I pay them though for the continued governance of my country, grah! Once again the system has been gamed by gaming experts!

Seriously, this is a tired and silly argument that has been directed at numerous industries by individuals frustrated by their own laziness and lack of results/capabilities.

]]> By: kapauldo http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-39 kapauldo Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:28:08 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-39 hushdaddy- your point is valid. but, i'm not claiming that google doesn't work, only that the paradigm requires SEO. and the fact that it <em>requires </em>SEO is what i am annoyed by because it means google is completely gameable and that the gaming experts, not the cole slaw experts win. hushdaddy- your point is valid. but, i’m not claiming that google doesn’t work, only that the paradigm requires SEO. and the fact that it requires SEO is what i am annoyed by because it means google is completely gameable and that the gaming experts, not the cole slaw experts win.

]]> By: HushDaddy http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-38 HushDaddy Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:12:46 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-38 funny, i just typed "cole slaw" into google and the weirdest thing happened. the first result that came up gave me 11 recipes for cole slaw! if it ain't broke don't fix it. google still continues to provide the most relevant search results. if you didn't have the ability to search for "cole slaw" on google where would you have gotten your information from? library cards are out Kapauldo... funny, i just typed “cole slaw” into google and the weirdest thing happened. the first result that came up gave me 11 recipes for cole slaw!

if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. google still continues to provide the most relevant search results. if you didn’t have the ability to search for “cole slaw” on google where would you have gotten your information from?

library cards are out Kapauldo…

]]> By: kapauldo http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-37 kapauldo Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:34:01 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-37 "The Emperor" analogy is dead on. But how can publishers embrace "organic SEO" with all the SEO experts gaming the system? The paradigm needs smashing, don't you think? I mean, you're right about "lazy searchers," but I'm a lazy searcher and searching should be organic too. Organic just means game-proof. But, other than that, I totally agree with your point. “The Emperor” analogy is dead on. But how can publishers embrace “organic SEO” with all the SEO experts gaming the system? The paradigm needs smashing, don’t you think? I mean, you’re right about “lazy searchers,” but I’m a lazy searcher and searching should be organic too. Organic just means game-proof. But, other than that, I totally agree with your point.

]]> By: Brian Bradley, Content Editor http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-36 Brian Bradley, Content Editor Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:20:45 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-36 The Emperor (search-engine paradigms and "optimization") is wearing no clothes, and people are beginning to notice. Searchers who submit an undifferentiated phrase (e.g., "cole slaw recipe") to a search engine opt-in to the current paradigm and receive the targeted, hyped, and manipulated results that the paradigm produces. Web users must invest a little time to learn and use structured search techniques that produce more useful results. Publishers must embrace "organic SEO" by providing rich, well-written, semantically correct content that lends itself to being selected by structured queries submitted by savvy searchers. Let lazy searchers and SEO "experts" have at their game. Neither are asking for much -- and both are getting exactly that. Brian Bradley, Content Editor DishiWiki.com The Emperor (search-engine paradigms and “optimization”) is wearing no clothes, and people are beginning to notice.

Searchers who submit an undifferentiated phrase (e.g., “cole slaw recipe”) to a search engine opt-in to the current paradigm and receive the targeted, hyped, and manipulated results that the paradigm produces. Web users must invest a little time to learn and use structured search techniques that produce more useful results.

Publishers must embrace “organic SEO” by providing rich, well-written, semantically correct content that lends itself to being selected by structured queries submitted by savvy searchers.

Let lazy searchers and SEO “experts” have at their game. Neither are asking for much — and both are getting exactly that.

Brian Bradley, Content Editor
DishiWiki.com

]]> By: kapauldo http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-34 kapauldo Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:49:41 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-34 I want someone to fix the tax code because the expertise is an artificial and arbitrary (although necessary) one, just as SEO is. If they fixed search, we wouldn't need to hire experts who know how to play the system. I want someone to fix the tax code because the expertise is an artificial and arbitrary (although necessary) one, just as SEO is. If they fixed search, we wouldn’t need to hire experts who know how to play the system.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252&cpage=1#comment-33 Andrew Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:36:11 +0000 http://www.kapauldo.com/?p=252#comment-33 You have just described the same issue people should have with any type of service industry though? I resent having to pay a mechanic to fix my car when, if I really wanted to, I could learn how to fix what is wrong and do it myself. You pay for the convenience of not having to use your own time to do these things. Have you ever paid a painter to paint your walls? A builder to build your home?! We'd all rather live without paying anyone for a service but then how would you make money to live your own life? What a stupid blog post. All you have done is either admit that you are lazy and won't do it yourself because it would take the time to learn (in which case why are you even complaining?), or just having a moan because you feel you needed to, which is it? You have just described the same issue people should have with any type of service industry though? I resent having to pay a mechanic to fix my car when, if I really wanted to, I could learn how to fix what is wrong and do it myself. You pay for the convenience of not having to use your own time to do these things.

Have you ever paid a painter to paint your walls? A builder to build your home?! We’d all rather live without paying anyone for a service but then how would you make money to live your own life?

What a stupid blog post. All you have done is either admit that you are lazy and won’t do it yourself because it would take the time to learn (in which case why are you even complaining?), or just having a moan because you feel you needed to, which is it?

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