| Tuesday, March 06, 2007 |
| Google Sucks |
A vocal minority of webmasters largely agree with me that Google sucks.
Pursuant to my post on why Google sucks, I conducted several polls online. The stunning result that I came across was that, in spite of frequent close-minded Google defences, a vocal minority of webmasters hate Google.
Digitalpointers to the tune of one third said Google sucks.
About 10 percent of SitePointers think Google Sucks.
Somewhere in the middle, initially reaching as high a fraction as one third, Earners' Forum members to the tune of 20% said Google sucks.
Unfortunately, many of the people polled who had the courage to criticize Google, did it mainly based on the narrow picture of search and ad publishing. The critiques I levelled at Google were not considered in the debates.
In any event, if you weren't sufficiently convinced by my previous post about Google's suckiness, look at these two searches (the second one concerns a potential client I'm courting).
Do you see that both result sets have duplicate content? No? Visit Larry Bodine's Legal Marketing Blawg. Now, Larry is a friend, and I asked him for some promotion on his blog for that post. His post essentially duplicates my ten reasons. And you know what? Since he paraphrased me, his post ranks. Try handing your friend's essay, paraphrased, to your English professor and see what he thinks of it. For all its talk of imitating human beings, Google still has some pretty obvious shortcomings.
(Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry that Larry paraphrased the post or that it ranks - good for him if it's pulling traffic - my point is just to show the mediocrity of Google's results.)
Second, do you see Chetday.com's charisma.php in Google's SERPs? Well, it just so happens the page is essentially a clone, featuring different copy, of personalcharisma.com. Interestingly, while I'm sure the same owner owns both sites, personalcharisma.com says it's charisma infoproduct is being promoted by Jenny something, not Chet Day.
Anyway, by the use of paraphrasing and some internal link spam (scroll to the bottom), two otherwise identical (and spammy) pages are ranking in Google for the same keywords. (Notice also that the Jeannie Crabtree's whois email is Jeannie health-doc.com, which site is themed on alternative and natural health. Which is coincidentally Chet Day's topic too. ;) )
On a related note, you might care to see what these people have to say about how Google sucks, and their alternative to it. Google Sux, Alternative Search Solution
Incidentally, look for a follow up post as I analyze how the spammy sales pages are ranking in Google. On some forums I read and participate in, I asked about getting landing pages to rank in the organic search results, and this seems like the opportunity to find out. Stay tuned. And remember: if anyone asks, Google Sucks!
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Labels: duplicate content, Google, Google sucks, seo research, spam
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Google Sucks posted by Bookworm SEO @ 11:14 AM   |
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| 4 Comments on this SEO article: |
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Hi, Jeannie Crabtree here. Thought I would drop by and see what the comments were about my site. Just to clear some things up:
No, Chet and I are not the same person. No one else paid for all my holistic training but me. LOL
We belong to a membership site that offered that ebook.
In addition, both of us have been in the natural health niche for quite some time.
It all comes under the self help theme in the end.
Health and Happiness.
Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac.
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Well, Google may suck, but here is a funny little argument between Allsux.com and Google-sux.com about whether it is really better than the alternatives: http://allsux.com/2007/03/08/57/
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Jeannie, you're a "natural" ;). Sure you are...
Allsux, I'm going to have to check out that link and perhaps even spam back a link here :p hehe ;).
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(Kidding about the spam ... if I leave a link, it'll be a useful one.)
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Hi, Jeannie Crabtree here. Thought I would drop by and see what the comments were about my site. Just to clear some things up:
No, Chet and I are not the same person. No one else paid for all my holistic training but me. LOL
We belong to a membership site that offered that ebook.
In addition, both of us have been in the natural health niche for quite some time.
It all comes under the self help theme in the end.
Health and Happiness.
Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac.