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Google Guide to Optimization
By Julie | November 12, 2008
Now, I know that one of my ‘issues’ is that I don’t necessarily drink the Kool-Aid, but I am underwhelmed by the Google SEO Starter Guide released today.
Some of it is nice, especially for novice webmasters/small business owners. A lot of it is the basics of developing a site that meets a basic standard of ‘does not suck.’
But there are two limiting factors, for me. The first is that some of it is going to get some of these small business owners fussy about things not worth fussing about. How flat is the directory structure? What kind of keywords are in page paths? Sure, it matters… but not so much so in many cases as to get upset about what exists. Renaming a page to use a ‘better’ term, even using proper page-level redirects? Isn’t nearly so important as some of them would have it be. It becomes something to ‘blame’ perceived underperformance on that may not merit such a badge. But it’s simple and obvious.
The second, of course, is Google’s regularly-scheduled push of self-interest. And, sure, self-interest is perfectly ok. But the need for an XML Sitemap, and the push to use Google Analytics, is really all about self-interest. A good small business site is unlikely to need an XML Sitemap if the page structure and hierarchy is built properly in the first place; using an XML Sitemap to make up for such a shortcoming is lame. The usability factor in such a case is a negative factor. And insofar as Google Analytics is concerned, I just don’t like the trading of business data for the tool, and reliance on a third-party over whom you have no contract with is always dodgy.
I anticipate mad hijinks for many who work with small business owners with websites. Not that we didn’t have said hijinks before, but it’ll be a new flavor.
Topics: SEO, analytics, business management, dumb techniques, education, found objects, google, marketing, the road to hell, tinfoil hats, usability, white hat |
