All the factors that contribute to a high search ranking have been the object of much research, debate, speculation and reporting over the past few years. With the amount of data that has become available over that time, however, have we reached the saturation point of SEO knowledge?
Has SEO Jumped The Shark?
”What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 1:9 (Holman Christian Standard)
Jason Lee Miller posted an article earlier this week that highlighted the top ten items that search algorithms are looking for when crawling a site, according to a panel of SEO experts. This is no doubt valuable information for anyone who is new to the search optimization realm, but how much insight is offered to veterans in the industry?
This comment seemed quite telling, “I go over the article but it’s the same thing again and again. There was not a single thing that was new.”
When you really stop to think about it all, can you really pinpoint any major innovations that have significantly impacted what the engines are looking for when indexing a site’s content? Let’s be honest; it all still comes down to two factors: 1) links and 2) keyword density. Every item on that list is related to one of these two fundamental aspects of search optimization.
Should SEO even be part of the conversation anymore? The technical aspects have been quite well established and covered ad nauseum. What new information is being offered anymore that truly goes above and beyond the general consensus of knowledge across the board?
I would be interested to know how the search community feels when they come across that new blog that offers “inside tips and tricks” to improving search ranking.
Perhaps it’s time to really stop and assess the value to the search community in continuing to wax poetic about topics that, quite frankly, have been bludgeoned to death.
