Why Modern SEO Requires Almost No Technical Expertise

This article speaks about some of the topics we discussed in class around what makes a good SEO strategy. However, it brings up the provocative concept that we really have no understanding of SEO from a code level. Digital marketers and coders don't have access to Google's algorithm, which determines the articles that soar to the top and those that get lost on page 2. For that reason, digital marketers are basically flying blind when they pull together a basic SEO strategy as they have no technical understanding of how this strategy will play out.

I found this to be a very interesting concept as more and more technologically advanced codes and algorithms are introduced for companies to take advantage of. At the end of the day, a digital marketer at a company might be in charge of many ways that the company reaches out to consumers and interacts with them in their daily lives. However, they have no idea how they are reaching them-- they are heavily relying on the strength of the algorithm they have decided to put their marketing dollars behind. Unlike with TV, Print, or Radio, digital is still considered an ambiguous space to many marketers. Rather than invest the time to understand as much as they can in terms of the inner workings of the code behind their successful digital strategy, many marketers just take the results at face value. If the campaign does well, they invest more in that medium like a Google or Buzzfeed. If the campaign does poorly, they move on without any true understanding of the algorithm behind the performance. Overall, I found this to be both interesting and a little scary!


Article Link: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248266

Google and the opacity of its organic search algorithm

The algorithm employed by Google on its organic search is a well-kept secret that it is constantly evolving. Although the main factors affecting the position of a page on a given search are widely known (quality links, keywords, etc.), many claim that the opacity behind the composition of the ranking in the search results is used by Google as a way to favor some businesses.

A few countries, like Germany, are already demanding Google to reveal its algorithm for the sake of transparency and in the interest of customer protection. With 90% of the web searches in Europe and 68% in America, the case is seen as an antitrust issue.

The interesting article “Does Google REALLY Discriminate Against Some Businesses?” describes how Google gives a special treatment to webs that use specific tactics, and analyzes the reasons behind why many businesses fail to rank high in the organic search despite its good SEO practices.

Source: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-filters-transition-rank-linkspam-google-really-discriminate-businesses/117146/