S-E-Woes

mlns='> What in the name of search is going on? [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( [Content Marketing Institute]( [Content Marketing Institute]( Daily News and Alert 3.11.24 Connect with CMI Hi there, I’m curious what you think: Who’s at fault when Google Search returns lousy results — Google’s algorithm or the content creators (brands included) behind the content? I’ve been mulling that question since I read this essay by [Search Engine Land]( managing editor Danny Goodwin a few weeks ago. Danny argues that many brands and content creators complaining about Google overlooking their work “just can’t admit their content babies are ugly.” Consider the often-decried problems with recipe pages, and you can see how people’s (well-intentioned or not) attempts to apply SEO “best practices” go awry. When some analysis pointed out that longer articles seemed to rank better, people assumed a longer word count alone would help. That’s why you often have to read hundreds of words about what the writer was wearing the first time they tasted a version of the dish, conflicts or crazes it caused in history, the health benefits of eating it, or whatever tangents they can think of to hit some imaginary word-count target before they ever show you the recipe. Is that content helpful to someone who just wants to make dinner? If not, why does Google show those kinds of pages? Danny Goodwin suggests it might be because, eventually, everyone starts emulating what they think Google wants to see: “We seem stuck in a repeating cycle where people mimic sucky content because it’s successful, and then expect it to rank because that’s what Google ranks, only to be annoyed when that content is unsuccessful,” he wrote. The rise of cooking videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels may be the corrective action that changes bloated website recipe pages. And Google is now cracking down on content that uses spammy and manipulative SEO practices through [algorithm updates]( and [manual actions.]( I [wrote about SEO mistakes]( and misunderstandings last week. But Google’s recent actions make me think I should have added this: You can’t game the system (for long, anyway). I’ll give the closing argument to Andy Crestodina, whose Content Marketing World presentation inspired my article: “If you make a crappy page and try to get it to rank, there are 2,000 math Ph.D.s trying to stop you. That's scary. If you make the best page on the internet, there are literally thousands of math Ph.D.s trying to help you focus on quality. Make the best page you possibly can.” How are you struggling or succeeding with SEO these days? [I’d love to hear your thoughts.](mailto:kim.moutsos@informa.com?subject=S-E-Woes&elqTrackId=895779836593AB3D2184C78370DA48EE) Here are some resources to help you plan, create, and showcase the best content you can this week.  Kim Moutsos Vice President of Editorial Content Marketing Institute [Share your feedback](mailto:kim.moutsos@informa.com?subject=CMI%20content%20feedback&elqTrackId=64550BB2B7DCF779B66C47D5721093C2)  ICYMI: [Uh-Oh! Is This the End of SEO?]( This Chief Content Officer article explores the cataclysmic forces shaking the search landscape (and what they mean for your SEO strategy).  Thursday: [The End of Domain Authority]( | March 14, 1 p.m. ET Domain authority is an often-misunderstood SEO concept — and one that might not matter as much as you think it does. Ryan Brock, DemandJump’s chief solution officer, explains how websites with low domain authority can topple even the stiffest competition by following a pillar-based marketing approach in this webinar. [Register today]( to save your seat or get the recording on demand.  Start Your Entry Now: [Show Off Your Best in the 2024 Content Marketing Awards]( Creating great content is hard — and you deserve recognition for it. The Content Marketing Awards recognize the best in strategy, content creation, and visual and audio storytelling. But you can’t win if you don’t enter. [Submit your entry by April 14 for early bird pricing.](   To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [preference center.]( Copyright © 2024 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]