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 This is my first trip to Silicon Valley and the first thing that struck me as I approached the hotel was that I am certainly in one of the foremost tech havens on the planet.
On the way down Great America Pkwy towards the hotel I passed buildings owned by Sun Microsystems, Yahoo!, Citrix, Foundry Networks and much more. I thought that Herndon, Virginia (a suburb of Washington D.C. and also where the iEntry servers live)...
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Tuesday, April 24, 2007 |
A week after Google's Matt Cutts set the SEO world ablaze by asking webmasters to report cases of link-buying, his area of the Googleplex is decidedly silent – and so is the media relations department regarding a double-dipping Google executive's association with a questionable made-for-AdSense company.
Editor's Note: That a senior-level executive at Google co-founded a content network (seemingly) designed to game Google traffic is raising eyebrows in Searchtown. That Google (or a representation of Google) would penalize webmasters for doing what its own employee seems to be doing is cause for a cyber riot. You weren't shy about the link-buying topic, so keep the conversation going in the comments section.
Is there are connection between Cutts' standoffishness and Google's unwillingness to return comment from vice president of advertising sales Tim Armstrong, and co-founder of Associated Content? Who knows? Nobody's talking.
Equally hard to know is how spamming the company you work for fits in with that company's Don't Be Evil corporate philosophy (well, as of recently, it's more of an evolving, refinable concept).
Let's review. Cutts opened up a can slithering with worms, more worms than he could have possibly anticipated (and the can may be getting bigger), by doing what a few webmasters had asked of him: make it easier to report cases of link-buying.
That link-buying was a (potentially) punishable offense came as news to the entire SEO world, sparking heated comments on Cutts blog, which kept him glued to his home computer chair responding all weekend, as well as a neat little squall in our comments section.
Initial contact with Cutts after this was promising, as he seemed quite willing to address the numerous concerns with this apparent change in policy, and though "swamped," he would take the time to chat.
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And then, silence – the textual kind of silence that comes in the form of automated email responses just when we need answers most. A month's vacation is on the horizon, it said, and "swamped" transformed into "unavailable" to prepare for the coming absence.
While that could be just what it is (Occam's Razor would demand we assume so – career before the press, a responsible employee prioritizing his commitments), the timing of Cutts' silence is either unfortunate and coincidental, or just enigmatic enough to be interesting.
His silence matches corporate's silence in the face of questions regarding Armstrong, who has made a fair bit of cash through "content recycling" and whose other company, Associated Content, until recently, regularly bought (rented) text link ads.
Armstrong's affiliation with the company was spotlighted by ClickZ weeks ago, and not many paid attention. Then, it was more about the dubious quality of Associated Content's "content," which seemed keyword dense for search engine (Google) gaming. That article should have gotten more attention.
But recently, it has gotten more attention, especially as Google's (new) distaste for link buying comes to light via Matt Cutts. Suddenly, the silence from within the Googleplex is deafening.
At ThreadWatch, Aaron Wall posts an indignant pair of questions:
This is how Google's ad executives are moonlighting? In a market that corrupt (where Googlers own many brands, pay third world rates, and do not follow their own advice), what chance is left for the average webmaster or freelance copywriter, especially if they mistakenly trust Googlers?
Online marketer Preston Wily wonders, too, what response Cutts got from Armstrong:
I wondered when Matt Cutts flamed the whole SEO community for link renting what AC would do - I mean, here you have a senior Google exec practicing the very thing that an outspoken engineer rails on. There are many, many questions to be answered. Unless Google opens up, the world may never know, but the world will be free to speculate, or worse, theorize.
About
the Author:
Jason Lee Miller is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.
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SES: Robert Garcia on How WebProWorld Forums Changed his Life
The topic of forums raises a lot of issues. Because a certain amount of risk is involved with forums, it brings up a credibility issue. In an interview with WebProNews at the SES conference, Robert Garcia of WebProWorld, talks with us about forums. Being a forum user himself, Garcia has a lot to say about forums. He is in favor of them, but he does offer mindful advice to users.
Garcia got his "big break" in our very own WebProWorld forums. WebProWorld includes forums for eBusiness, technology, and Web professionals. They are designed to initiate a common bond among subscribers in a way that allows them to connect with each other and share information. Garcia began by posting a site review.
Garcia has a few recommendations for first-time forum users. He suggests watching and waiting in order to see all the comments, before taking part in the discussion. Utilize the search engines on places such as WebProWorld and Google. If a discussion hasn’t been started on a topic, start one and cover all the bases. Thoroughly research your topic and relay your information in an understandable manner. Be careful not to be rude when entering a forum. Look for an inconspicuous way to incorporate your information.
Experience is key when deciding on whom to listen to. Check your sources and check their sources. Some may be more knowledgeable on the topic than others. SEO and search marketing is neither black nor white, there’s a lot no one knows for certain. People speak from their own experiences or the experiences of others. According to Garcia, you should take other opinions and bring them all together with your own, and then present it.
Garcia credits WebProWorld for the launch of his career. He considers forums to be a valuable resource, especially for new people. As a result of forums, Garcia is now in a position in which people ask his advice and hold it as an authority. |
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SES: Google Base Tips from ToolBarn.com’s Brian Mark and NeO1SEO’s David Brown
Google Base has become a very interesting and popular topic, especially for retailers. Google Base is an online database in which any user has the ability to add almost any type of content. As of this year, Google Base is available to the public as a beta version. Users can simply describe their items online in order to assist people when they perform searches.
In an interview with Webpronews at the SES conference, ToolBarn.com’s Brian Mark and NeO1SEO’s David Brown spoke with us about Google Base. This online database is another opportunity to get listed in Google, which in turn, generates a lot of traffic. |
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