The Only Real Hoax is that Google Treats Everyone The Same
Posted on May 27th, 2008by Michael Gray in Google
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Lately there’s been quite a bit of brouhaha over a fairly popular bit of hoax marketing involving a teenager, stolen credit cards, and prostitutes. I’m no stranger to hoax marketing in fact I advocated it back in 2006 and have been debating it with Matt Cutts for at least as long. While I don’t expect either of our viewpoints will change, I have to say I find the disclosure that Google will now be taking steps against hoax marketing an amusing bit of hypocrisy. What we have is another in long list of double standards and selective application of Google justice especially when it involves internet marketers or SEO’s. Don’t believe me read on for some examples …
When Michael Arrington of Techcrunch wrote a bit hoax marketing about suing facebook did google remove the 1200+ links, since techcrunch ranks #1 for [techcrunch sues facebook] I’m going to say nope those links still are working as usual.
When Engadget was duped into posting a hoax about the iPhone being delayed did google pull the 1400 links, since engadget still ranks #1 for [iPhone Delayed] I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
When Pocket Lint leaked the Steve Jobs 2008 Keynote did google go back and put the kibosh on the 800 links to that page since it ranks #2 for [steve jobs keynote] what do you think?
There are hundreds of other hoaxes out there with intact links that still rank for their desired terms, the difference is there wasn’t an internet marketer claiming to be pulling the strings. Have we reached the stage where Google publicly says they are OK with SEO, but really has a shoot on sight mentality. Has it gotten so bad that Google advocates viral marketing unless it comes from an internet marketer in which case they terminate with extreme prejudice. Or is Google just flexing it’s market dominating muscle and acting like an absolute monarch who is above it’s own rules. If you don’t think Google plays by a separate set of rules try searching for any of the Google Hoaxes.
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May 27th, 2008 at 4:44 am
If Google’s going to fight hoax marketing, what’s going to happen to the Onion!?
May 27th, 2008 at 4:55 am
Interesting how people seem to think it has only just started.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:02 am
cry more
May 27th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Wow this post is on the dot
May 27th, 2008 at 10:20 am
>Interesting how people seem to think it has only just
Not true, IMHO. But it is an obvious public example people can point to…whereas in the past it was not so easy to point out a specific example.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Doesn’t Cutts always post an april fools message each year?
May 27th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Yeah… like, if an SEO took 8 of the top ten spots for “keyword” with 8 diff domains owned by the same company, that would be spam. But, when a big company like RIM does it, it’s called “branding”: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=blackberry&btnG=Search
May 28th, 2008 at 1:56 am
Some guy emailed me about my blog and I ended up offering to do a review of his site, including dofollow links. His SEO turned it down for fear that Google should know they’re doing SEO. Still seems a little nutty, but less-and-less so as Google’s attitude towards SEO remains as negative as it is.
May 28th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Michael, keep Google honest!
Speaking from the Heart brings Respect!
Everyone knows a Phony! Ask the Puppet!
May 28th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Well as all Tabloids just make shit up if it suits them will Matt be banning The SUN if the did a repeat of the “Liverpool Fans Stole from Dying Fans” story http://www.anfieldroad.com/dont-buy-the-sun/
And I thought that he was one of the samrt kids at google
May 28th, 2008 at 10:56 am
you could start an entire blog about google being unfair, dont even get me started how google treats hacked blogs differently. if you have a public well-read blog (aka you can cause google pr trouble) you can get a fast manual reinclusion otherwise you are screwed
May 28th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Have a read this! It should make you feel better.
http://www.igorthetroll.com/blog/matt-cutts/
It has been Stumbled already, but never hurts to Stumble it more, or give it a nice Sphinn..:)
May 30th, 2008 at 3:54 am
@aaron, I agree with you, my point was that only “some” people think it, something I should have made clear.
May 30th, 2008 at 4:12 am
Lyndoman, stop being defensive! What do you care what people think!
You did it, you did it! You are a Link Baiter!
Now go Feed some Friends on FF!
Tired watching you cry!
June 4th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Briliant.. though its concerning that they have become so confident in their domination of the industry they no longer feel the need to keep their “hoaxes” under cover
June 5th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I think the main problem with this is that Google have been caught on the hop.
Here is my only cynical view on it.
Everyone knows the story was a fake, which means that they have to take a public stance through Matt, letting us all know how bad it is for the community blah blah blah.
Guess what?
They haven’t found a reliable way to deal with this kind of spam. How do you determine truth with a search algo? Measure how many *FAKE* words appear? I dont think so. The future is going to lie in social search, and if this was happening in combo with algorithmic search this kind of story would (by now) not be receiving traffic. I thought the piece was brilliant by the way, and have respect for Lyndo for it, even though his motives were “immoral”.
All is fair in love and SERPs in my book.