According to Shoemoney, SEO has no future. I do not always agree with him, but in this case, he is dead right. Let me pull on my flame retardant suit before I explain why.

First, understand that the only reason SEO has ever worked is because search engines were not advanced enough to always show relevant information. I remember when I started selling online. At the time, I had only a few competitors in my industry and it was easy to beat them in the SEO game. It took only a few metatags and such, and within weeks, I was dominant.

That went on for years. Back in those days, a monkey could have dominated search engines rankings. We moved from metatags to inbound links with the right anchor text and continued our domination. How easy was it? I basically knew during that period how many inbound links we needed to achieve top three rankings, and the results were uncannily consistent.

Eventually, the search engines got smarter, and ended the concept of guaranteed SEO dominance. Some people are still in denial. I still have SEO snake oil salesmen calling me trying to sell me link trading services.

Here is why SEO as we know it is going to continue its death spiral. Search engines are too smart and they have a different agenda. They do not want to reward crummy companies that play SEO games–they want to give the top listings to the best companies. And they are quickly gaining access to the information they need to do exactly that. They will use traffic and buying stats to figure out who the top companies are.

Take my industry of health supplements. Do you think Google wants to reward the SEO contortions of unknown companies and affiliates with lots of free business? Of course not–they want to send their visitors to the top supplement sites in the industry.

Within a year or two, they will be good at it. I can predict what supplement companies will be showing on the first page of Google soon. They will be the companies that have strong brands and lots of business. If you are not in the top ten of your industry, you had better find a way to get there in a hurry if you want to be on the first page of Google.

Yes, this means that the rich will get richer and the poor will starve for SEO traffic. If you are not in the first category, you had better find a way to get there quick. The middle class is about to disappear.

In my last article, I wrote about the importance of branding on the conversion rate. If you want a long term SEO strategy, guess where your focus should be? Yes, your branding. Forget the typical SEO tricks; focus instead on building your brand to a position where Google WANTS you on the front page of results.

If you absolutely have to hire an SEO expert, hire one that understands this truth. I think, however, that you would be better served by largely forgetting about SEO and focusing instead on building your brand.

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Is SEO a Dying Industry?

Here’s a headline from a new Reuters article:

“Facebook users willing to let employers see profiles”

Reuters looks at a new report on Canadian Facebook users and pretty much declares that they are now happy to let employers see their profiles.

But look at the data:

Almost half of 1,200 people questioned in an online survey said they would be comfortable sharing their personal profile with their current employer, while two in five would consider letting prospective employers look at their Facebook account in addition to their resume.

Huh? “Almost half” would share with their “current” employer? Only 20% would share their Facebook profile with a “prospective” employer?

How does that match-up with the headline? Maybe Reuters was influenced by the report’s author who says, “The days of getting drunk and getting all your pictures posted online, that’s gone.”

Since when? Last time I checked, even responsible school teachers are posting content that could cost them their job.

While I believe social networking users are starting to realize their profiles can have a negative impact on their reputation–and careers–we’re certainly not at the point where everyone has the message.

Reuters is normally such a reliable news source for me, but I just can’t stop shaking my head over this gaff.

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Failed: Reuters Gets it Wrong About Facebook Transparency

According to sources close to the company, for example, Microsoft’s bankers had been putting out subtle signals to Facebook to see if it would be open to a full buyout.

Wow! What do you say about a rumor of that magnitude?

“On the rebound” comes to mind.

Remember when you were 13 years old–some of us need to think hard–and you had a crush on someone? It felt like a love that would never, ever go away. Then two days later, you had a new obsession.

Yeah, Microsoft’s that 13 year old looking for love.

I know, I know. I just flew back from Redmond, so you’d think I’d cut Microsoft some slack–and I will before I end this post–but, if true, how can you not compare the company to a teenager with puppy-love angst?

Facebook is already wearing Microsoft’s ring–the company recently invested $240 million in the social network–but the timing is just too strange. Ten minutes ago, Yahoo was the company that was going to solve all Microsoft’s problems. Now it’s Facebook?

OK, a reminder. This is just a rumor, and Microsoft has promised us it plans on staying single for the near future.

Despite my own personal sense that Facebook has already peaked, Microsoft could at least earn some “cool” points by acquiring the company. And Facebook–by selling a share to MSFT already–has shown that it at least feels some synergy with the company.

What do you think? Would a Facebook acquisition be a good move?

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