SEO Secret

SEO is an interesting field, filled with interesting characters. They sleep by day and come out at night, like ghouls in the pumpkin patch. But there is one characteristic common to most: they know themselves. Independent, strong-willed, and able to resist the status quo. But can they resist themselves? Can they defy fate? The avatar gives it away. Check it out... when they define themselves via their avatars, they give away their self image. Destined to follow the rules, get along, or wreak havoc... it's evident in the avatar. This is me, this is what I really am, or this is what I am warning you I really am, or that hopefully, I will someday be free to be.

Matt Cutts has been the face of Google's "SERP Quality Control" for almost as long as SEOs have been following Google. Matt watching is not sport, but business. What Matt says reveals clues, and as Google becomes more judgement-oriented in it's tactical efforts to control the SERPs (for quality and/or commercial reasons), Matt's opinions have become ever more important to SEOs. So many follow Matt. What would it have been like if Matt were a woman? And how will things change as other Googlers like Vanessa Fox step up to the public plate and become interesting to Google watchers? Showered with attention, Matt's fans are Cuttlets, but Matt's watchers are not "stalkers". Are they?

There are many Dirty Bastards™ out there looking to sabatage your website in order to get above you in the SERPs. Google seems to want to penalize websites, and publishes a set of guidelines that raise more questions than they answer for webmasters. What is ok? What is not ok? And when Google drops your site, it doesn't even tell you why. Even if you ask nicely.

This past year I have seen a serious uptick in the frequency of hooligans stating publicly how they report competitors as spam and click their competitors ads to death, hoping to get them dropped. Google pleads for webmasters to rat out each other. And it's not just Google. GoDaddy has earned a reputation for its Draconian responses to spam reports, taking down websites and locking domains until a cash ransom is paid. According to reports, sometimes a single report of one unsolicited email (such as a link request, or an invitation to consider listing your site in a new directory) can trigger GoDaddy to shut down a domain. Just think of how easy it could be to cause your competitors grief. It's getting rough out there. Play safe.

Sometimes is seems webmasters visit the online forums or info blogs just to gripe, whine, and complain. After reading posts like this, don't you just want to send over a PM saying "Sounds like someone's got a bad case of the Mondays!

Matt Cutts probably thought it was an amazing opportunity to be Google's spokesperson to the SEO community. There's no doubt it's been...shall we say "interesting", but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't call it his ideal job. The Google millions probably make up for any downside, though. A while ago it seemed Matt really cared about earnest webmasters. But once it became clear he was learning the propaganda game and getting all political with that big WebMasterUniverse site, I felt pretty sure he wouldn't be there when Google eventually pulled the rug out from under the little guys. His blog is very popular, but the comments are either from righteous whiners, black helicopter conspiracy theorists, or webmasters so ignorant of commercial webmastering you have to wonder how they survive...until you suddenly realize why Google makes so much money from their contextual advertising program. Lately it seems the Black Hats are winning the game in Google.

When you see a notice that you got an email from the "AdSense Quality Team", does your heart sink into the pit of your stomach? Me too. I thought this sketch by Amir Khella expresses how I would feel if my entire financial empire went down from a Google ban.

Soooo many webmasters have come to enjoy a monthly commission check from Google's AdSense program. Despite the fact that Google is known to shut down sites for "invalid clicks" with no explanation and virtually no notice, with no opportunity for discussion, and despite the fact that Google retains webmaster commissions for 30-60 days before sending a check, and then *keeps* any funds that might be pending payout when an account is closed, people still depend on Google for their income. The webmaster forums are full of horror stories from shocked, overwhelmed and fightened webmasters who have been "shut down" or "dropped" by the Monster. It's scary, really. Sad, and also scary to think so many are trusting a for-profit, soul less corporation despite it's continued demonstration of greed and predatory business practices. A single multimillion dollar Lottery winner can fuel years of profitable lottery ticket sales to John Q. Citizen dreaming of a better life. Ditto for a big check from Google. Listen. Diversify. It's not just smart; it's necessary. Do it for the kids.

Can a salesman sell a product he loves? Sure he can. Can an SEO promote a product she would never use herself? Of course. SEO is all about words. Coffee or tea, makes no difference to me. It's strange to have client swag on my desk promoting something I would never use. It would be such a waste to throw it away (but I really want to).

Some people live a dream life, paid for by amazing success online. Others live in a dream world, nothing like their real, sometimes harsh physical reality outside the computer and the network. Still some others live multiple lives, with multiple on line personas nothing at all like the face they show their real world. Which is reality? And perhaps more importantly, which is reality to them?

Some people ridiculed the StarWarsKid. Others, celebrated him. Some people get lots of fame, while other's would kill for their 15 minutes. Is the SEO world deserving of a SuperHero? Aren't RockStars enough? What is it about SEO and shoes? Anyway, Bling Bling KatCHING, Essy O! rockin' da howz.

I decided I should post the original SuperMoney SEO secret, because it's more honest than the previous, edited version. I started with this one... TheMan, TheMyth, TheLegend because, well in SEO world you never really know what to believe. I watched as a senior SEO rockstar abandoned the independent life for a job, claiming he needed more stability to support a family, buy a minivan, etc. WTF? If he was such a "rockstar" before, why does he need a paycheck now? Then Shoemoney jumps on the scene flashing SEO cash. Can you say ringtones? One hit wonder? I don't know if he's got staying power, but then neither do you. If a site earns $5k per day profit, does that make it valuable? Nope. It might require $100k per day in PPC spend to earn a $105k return. With that kind of risk, a $5k/day profitable site is basically worthless. Welcome to SEO world...