Why SEO is BS

[TheMenace]

"glengara, if you're suggesting that an SEO with no understanding of IA, usability, accessibility, Web standards, design and best practice (and the practical application of these) is somehow a valuable asset to this industry, then you're more deluded than I thought you were." So why are you flogging his SEO Book?

Hasn't Aaron Wall produced quite a few commercially successful sites? Definitely an authority on SEO first and foremost but I wouldn't have thought a bandwagon jumper.

Here's a prediction, the SEO bandwagon will shortly become even more crowded

Good for you. Go get 'em tiger!

 

[glengara]

I know Aaron from his awall19 days, if he's "produced" successful sites he'd have bought-in the necessary expertise.

You must have finished the book by now, when are you launching your SEO services?

 

[TheMenace]

Ah yeah, the old awall19 days.

I do basic on-site SEO for my clients as part and parcel of the Web design/development process. If they want to go and pay an SEO consultant to do the rest, they can be my guest.

When are you launching your tangible, measurable results and/or creative/development services?

 

[Cormac]

glengara, if you're suggesting that an SEO with no understanding of IA, usability, accessibility, Web standards, design and best practice (and the practical application of these) is somehow a valuable asset to this industry, then you're more deluded than I thought you were. There are quite a few SEO's out there who are multi-skilled and they'll probably do well as a result but someone working in a professional capacity as an SEO with no other knowledge or industry background (effectively jumping on the bandwagon) actually invites resentment. If you don't know why, then I'm not going to explain it to you.

Those guys are the cowboys. The "I will SEO your site for 100 dollars, here is my paypal a/c" brigade who you trip over at sites like DP. They're the bull****ers but I wouldn't consider them to be SEOs.

SEO isn't bull**** but that doesn't stop bull****ers calling themselves SEOs. It's the same in nearly every industry.

 

[mneylon]

Those guys are the cowboys. The "I will SEO your site for 100 dollars, here is my paypal a/c" brigade who you trip over at sites like DP. They're the bull****ers but I wouldn't consider them to be SEOs.

SEO isn't bull**** but that doesn't stop bull****ers calling themselves SEOs. It's the same in nearly every industry.

And of course we've NEVER seen anyone in the web design / development industry make those kind of promises, have we?

 

[TheMenace]

And of course we've NEVER seen anyone in the web design / development industry make those kind of promises, have we?

Yes, but the question of whether Web design and development are fundamentally or ethically flawed practices isn't in question. If I had a penny for every time I heard an SEO use the excuse that there are so many cowboy Web designers out there in order to justify their existence. Of course there are, but it doesn't necessitate an entire industry to come along and fix one of the holes that these incompetent designers have left behind them. In order to better the Web, a holistic approach is needed.

I'm getting a bit tired of arguing my point and this has obviously turned into an SEO vs Web design debate which is, quite frankly, missing the point entirely. I'm not against SEO per se, I don't even think that it's ethically flawed like some people (although the practice of it often is). I'm just skeptical of one-trick-ponies who have jumped on the Web bandwagon and consider themselves some kind of high-level consultants. That is all.

 

[glengara]

Stop flogging his book then

 

[TheMenace]

Stop flogging that dead horse and we have a deal Speaking of one trick ponies...

 

[glengara]

FWIW it may help to know Ken and I have some "history" from back when I was the lonely waver of the SEO flag on Creative Ireland, suffice to say that with Ken it's not business, it's personal

 

[TheMenace]

FWIW it may help to know Ken and I have some "history" from back when I was the lonely waver of the SEO flag on Creative Ireland

How does it help anyone to know that? You want your 'SEO homies to get your back' or something? Grow up.

suffice to say that with Ken it's not business, it's personal

You know nothing about me in fairness. Other than the fact that I think you're a blagger.

 

[glengara]

Q.e.d.

 

[TheMenace]

 

[glengara]

<title> Web Design Ireland | Consultancy, Project Management and Information Architecture | Web Standards and Accessibility | Flash and Multimedia Development | On-line Marketing | Microsites - Ken Stanley.com</title>

On-line marketing?

From you?

I think I hear spurs jangling...

 

[TheMenace]

Care to elaborate on that?