SEO Inc. has been a mainstay in the number one position in Google for the coveted search term “search engine optimization” for as long as I can remember. Now SubmitExpress has taken over that position. So, one can view this as normal search engine fluctuation or variation, and yes, this is possible.
But with the recent Google update just a couple of weeks ago where some pages from SEOGuy went south after a long run in the north, one has to wonder if Google is indeed becoming more democratic. Outside of Google’s recent internal cloaking and keyword stuffing debacle, it looks like they are making moves that will give other companies a chance at top positions rather than having a few companies grabbing and holding all of the top spots for themselves.
I’m not going to make any statements of whether or not SEO Inc. deserves to be in the number one position, since I do believe they are about one in ten who would fit that position nicely (the other 9 being the ones on the same page). Ironically, though, three out of the top 10 for the search term are actually search engine submission websites.
Not to name names, but one company has not only disappeared from the top 10 but off the map as well. This company advocated using SEO tricks such as building hidden doorway pages and using invisible text in order to gain top rankings and guided you through the process of building this system. This was bound to happen though as Google has been cleaning up these kinds of sites from their SERP’s within the past 6 months.
Perhaps a truly democratic Google experience is right around the corner. Or perhaps the only thing that is really important is that we keep taking steps in that direction.
One thing Google has done is send it’s employees into internet marketing forums such as digitalpoint as well as they communicated with the owners of many forums. Google has been working hard on dealimg with unethical seo practices and Adsense TOS violations. Remember, some forums are full of members sharing advice on how to trick the SERPs. It has become very clear to me that Google has learned and finally penazlized many who choose not to work with them and rather try to get something past them.
Mike Dammann
Site Tutor, Inc.