Google's Danny Sullivan said that Google does and did provide "transparency and guidance" around its core updates. He said on Twitter "my response is that we're giving a lot of things to consider. That page doesn't guarantee doing all these things somehow equates to improve ranking."
This is in response to a Russ Jones post that said that "core updates provide no actionable advice discourages those working in good faith and emboldens those who don't."
(P1) IMHO, when Google is transparent about its ranking factors, the Internet wins.
— Russ Jones (@rjonesx) December 8, 2020
- Mobile Friendly
- SSL
- Core Web Vitals
But "core updates" which provide no actionable advice discourages those working in good faith and emboldens those who don't cc: @johnmu @searchliaison
Danny took issue with that and said "there were over 20 specific questions we've suggested sites consider in relation to core updates, and that's only part of an extensive page of things to consider." He linked the core update advice blog post they named What webmasters should know about Google's core updates.
IMHO its a catch22 situation where in many cases even having this level of guidance can distract/misinform many businesses. I have had numerous clients send me a link to that article claiming they have done it all... I do an audit, and find 10 pages of best practices not touched
— Joe Hall 🦡 (@joehall) December 8, 2020
If multiple pages all do these things, they obviously all cannot rank first. Our systems change to try and show what we think is most useful. It doesn't mean, as we've repeatedly said, that the other pages are somehow bad or need to improve... pic.twitter.com/sMTat0t5a0
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 8, 2020
Yes you are right... but "all the SEO" isn't on that page. And I understand you've stated it isn't. But using catchy acronyms for abstracted ideas, distracts most business owners from the bigger picture. IMHO documentation should be boring & less appealing to nonprofessionals LOL
— Joe Hall 🦡 (@joehall) December 8, 2020
The bigger picture is pretty straight-forward. It's right in the post: "We suggest focusing on ensuring you’re offering the best content you can."
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 8, 2020
Our non-technical advice for a site looking to do well would be have the best content you can for your users. Not "Gosh, make sure you have links and technical architecture!" Indeed, that's the opening from our guide to SEO: https://t.co/zjvjWismrV
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 8, 2020
After that..... pic.twitter.com/FG0VEl3c1J
As for links, sure -- the guide acknowledges them, but it's really focused on if you did the foundation right, the content right, then the good thinks like that should follow. pic.twitter.com/fUeLVZW9tr
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 8, 2020
Business owners would like to succeed. With search, that typically means getting visitors that they hope to convert in some way, at no or low price and effort, especially since they have businesses to run. Or am I off the mark here?....
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 8, 2020
Now if you're an SEO that a business owner has hired, and they're saying "But I want more!" or "Why has my traffic changed," your perspective is understandably "How do I explain all this" or "How do I fix it." And so back to our post....
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 8, 2020
Search is about providing the most useful information we can to those searching. It's impossible that's going to align with every business that thinks it should be first. And we're certainly not perfect. But it does align and help huge numbers of business overall, all the time.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 8, 2020
What do you think of these responses from Danny Sullivan of Google?
Here are some reactions to it so far:
Seriously though. Imagine you’re a newspaper that is a global institution, renowned for its defining journalism and world class reporting. Your paper sets political agendas. You make or break careers with your work. What you publish today is discussed around the world tomorrow.
— Barry Adams 📰 (@badams) December 8, 2020
I mean, seriously, Google doesn’t even pass many of these. I mean, do I trust the question answered by https://t.co/KHACAMOAyZ, written in 2015, and updated with a new Amazon affiliate link every month? https://t.co/wSzInjBb6i
— JR Oakes (@jroakes) December 8, 2020
It’s kinda fun because it’s almost like an SEO was told to write 1,000 words based on Cutts saying “just make great content”. https://t.co/HKRbxNQX2u
— Conrad O'Connell (@conradoconnell) December 8, 2020
Forum discussion at Twitter.
