By on July 30, 2010

Google Confirms That SEOs Are Smarter Than It Is

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I’m not going to add any context to this quote from a Google employee–it would totally ruin the buzz you’ll feel for the rest of the day!

I can assure you that the last thing we want is for the business who hires the best SEO to win a better slot. But, the SEOs are, unfortunately, pretty good at what they do, and so sometimes they out smart us.

And that, my friend, is something you should send to the next prospective client that asks, “can you really figure out Google’s algorithm?” ;-)

P.S. If you want context, head here.


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23 comments on “Google Confirms That SEOs Are Smarter Than It Is”

  1. NEPD Says:

    July 30th, 2010 at 9:44 am

    What a very candid response from Google. SEO’s are smart, but the constantly changing algorithm is a definite challenge.

    David Reply:
    July 30th, 2010 at 10:28 am

    Outsmart is one word. I’ll chalk this up to stating the obvious though.

  2. Jaan Kanellis Says:

    July 30th, 2010 at 10:58 am

    Who was the employee and what department? That would make a difference in the overall context f the quote.

    Andy Beal Reply:
    July 30th, 2010 at 11:02 am

    Like, I said. Not context! Just enjoy the moment! :-P

    Jaan Kanellis Reply:
    July 30th, 2010 at 11:11 am

    I guess it was Jeremy Sussman, a Google Local Product Manager.

    HelpALocalBusiness Reply:
    August 3rd, 2010 at 4:08 am

    Yes, its Jeremy. The reply was: “@jwservs I hear you when you say “Trying to make it through these tough times”. The deeper I get into these forums, the more I read about honest business people who see maps search as the main way to get business, and therefore get frustrated when they feel it does not do the right thing.
    So … as you said, we don’t give away the ranking algorithm. But, it takes into account a number of different factors, including physical location/distance, relevance to the query topic, and the reputation/importance of a given business. A simple answer like “the closest to you” is not always the right answer. But, all things being equal, the closest to you is the right answer. Figuring out the relative weights of the different factors in the rankings is one of the most difficult parts of our algorithm.
    I can assure you that the last thing we want is for the business who hires the best SEO to win a better slot. But, the SEOs are, unfortunately, pretty good at what they do, and so sometimes they out smart us (hopefully, only temporarily).
    My hope is that over time, as we continually improve our ranking algorithms, you see results more in tune with what you think is the right order.”

    What I want to know: WHO ARE THOSE ” pretty good at what they do (seo)”?

  3. woakin Says:

    July 30th, 2010 at 11:25 am

    I love how you write “Google Confirms” lol

  4. S.E. Troll Says:

    July 30th, 2010 at 11:58 am

    Oh, this was just too exciting to pass up!

    I knew it! I scoffed when they said “content is king” or “branding” or to make attractive sites. They scoffed back at me for scoffing at them. But now who is scoffing?!?! ME!

    Today is a day of vindication for every weary-eyed code crusader who has sacrificed man years seeking the perfect nuanced blend of white space, keyword density, bold, italics and header tags to gain that coveted #1 spot. Don’t work with the system. Don’t rip the system. GAME the system!

  5. Shawn @ McConnell Group Says:

    July 30th, 2010 at 12:02 pm

    Their just saying that SEO’s like us do a good job. A nice pat on the back for a Friday… I’ll just leave it at that : )

  6. Gerri Says:

    July 30th, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    That may be true but I think Google will eventually catch up with them.

  7. Katie Says:

    July 30th, 2010 at 9:09 pm

    Kind of meaningless whether Google confirms or not. They are the kings of dis-information. A good portion of what they say is what they would like to be true, but just isn’t. Too many folks listen to what Google says, instead of evaluating what actually is.

  8. Gabriella Says:

    July 31st, 2010 at 6:05 am

    Err it wasn’t that long ago Google said SEO’s were evil. Actually at the You & A conference with Matt Cutts, Cutts admitted that Google profiles SEOs! So am I surprised they are at it again. thanks for sharing funny stuff actually gave me a good chuckle… now let me go and bask in the love!

  9. Snooples Says:

    July 31st, 2010 at 11:44 pm

    SEO gurus need to change with time cause the SEO that worked 20 years ago does not work today. This is a bold statement from google but true cause SEO expert always trying to find a way to out smart google bots by ranking # 1 with their keywords.

  10. andro Says:

    August 1st, 2010 at 8:24 am

    There is a fierce competition between Google search algorithm and SEOs- who will win ultimate? Actually both Google and SEO are contributing to the development of a ultimate search algorithm.Both are winners.

  11. Ryan @ Linkbuildr Says:

    August 1st, 2010 at 12:40 pm

    Well when most of your algo is just links it isn’t too hard to outsmart them. The blackhat link spammers still dominate the top of the serps.

  12. John Says:

    August 1st, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    What an awful load of nonsense. Saying something can outsmart you sometimes is not tantamount to saying it’s smarter than you are.

    Tabloid style hyperbole at its best.

  13. BUDI MAN Says:

    August 1st, 2010 at 7:39 pm

    We proud of this admission, There is a fierce competition between Google search algorithm and SEOs- who will win ultimate? Actually both Google and SEO are contributing to the development of a ultimate search algorithm.Both are winners.

  14. Funkf00t Says:

    August 2nd, 2010 at 3:13 am

    Taking quotes out of context makes for great comedy.

  15. Andy @ FirstFound Says:

    August 2nd, 2010 at 6:53 am

    Anyone think they’re trying to lull us into a flase sense of security?

    “Oh yeah. SEO’s are really smart. They’ve outsmarted us. Except for…

    THIS SECRET GOOGLE PROJECT! Bwahahaha!”

    I can see that happening. I really can.

  16. Dj Mac @ wristbands Says:

    August 2nd, 2010 at 5:13 pm

    Nice info and I hope it’s really true! Since I’m doing the SEO process on my website.. I just really need to find out what are the best strategy :)

  17. free coupons Says:

    August 5th, 2010 at 3:33 am

    That is some statement from Google! I think Google likes to make people believe that they are smarter than Google but at the end of the day, no matter what, Google rakes in the millions:p

  18. Kim Says:

    August 15th, 2010 at 10:28 am

    Google has to go by certain heuristics, because no computer can (so far) approach the human brain, and even the human brain couldn’t work out what is the best result to bring back for “greatest news”, for example.
    So they employ heuristics. And people clue in on what these heuristics are and thus can get to the top of the search engine more easily. I really don’t see that changing in a hurry.

  19. sam Says:

    August 27th, 2010 at 8:05 am

    I read the article and i think that seo is good than Google but seo is not constant whereas seo need google to go up other wise SEO work as an average other. both Google and SEO are contributing to the development of a ultimate search algorithm.Both are winners.