After spending a lot of time at various SEO forums and groups I am struck by how many beleaguered webmasters come for advice about why their site is penalized or not ranking well and simply dismiss the advice they get out of hand. It is especially prevalent in the Google Webmaster Help Forum. It has become almost comical in in some situations when EVERYONE in the forum is telling a webmaster the same damn thing and he/she refuses to believe what they are being told. I have resigned myself to the fact that they can’t be convinced so I just let them wallow in their own crapulence and continue to enjoy their crappy search engine presence. Others are more persistent but I refuse to exert any more effort for someone who refuses to accept reality.
This is how it usually goes
Clueless Webmaster: My website was ranking well for some obscure but semi-competitive keywords but they have disappeared and I can’t even rank for my own name.
SEO Guy #1: What is the URL? Have you made any changes to your site recently?
Clueless Webmaster: URL is mfa-spam.info. I have not made many changes to the site besides trying to build some links. I heard that you need a lot of links to rank well so I have spent a lot of time doing that.
SEO Guy #1: OK, I took a look at your site. Looks like you have a huge link exchange scheme. All you seem to have is a bunch of reciprocal links from questionable websites.
SEO Guy #2: Yeah, SEO Guy #1 is right. Also, it looks like you have some keyword stuffed hidden text in your footer. You should clean up the hidden text and get rid of the link scheme.
Clueless Webmaster: Well, that hidden text has been there for a while so that is not the problem. As far as the link exchange goes I have heard that you need links to rank well in Google and I see all kinds of sites with link exchanges ranking for other semi-competitive terms. So I don’t think that is why I am having issues.
SEO Guy #2: Well Google updates their algorithms all the time and they may have just found the hidden text. It has always violated their guidelines but they have just caught you. I would clean it up right away and file a request for reconsideration.
SEO Guy #1: Yeah, and as far as the link exchange goes that may have also just been discovered. As far as other sites with reciprocal links still ranking well it could be a case where they have enough strong links outside of the exchange to keep their rankings for the semi-competitive terms they are targeting or Google simply has not discovered it yet. I would clean the links and the hidden text right away and file a request for reconsideration.
SEO Guy #3: I agree with SEO Guy#1 and SEO Guy #2. Clean that stuff up and file a request for reconsideration.
Clueless Webmaster: I don’t think that any of you know what you are talking about. I see that stuff all the time. I think that Google has it in for me and they downgraded my site manually to get back at me.
Google Employee: No, Google does not have it in for you. The advice you have been given is good. Please take the advice and clean up the hidden text and the link scheme and file a request for reconsideration.
Clueless Webmaster: No Google hates me and wants to ruin my business.
Don’t ask for advice if you don’t want it
In the end some of the agrieved webmasters look like they just come to forums to rant against Google and refuse to believe anything anybody tells them. No matter how many other SEOs and Googlers agree with the advice given. They simply refuse to believe that they are at fault for their shitty rankings and traffic. I simply refuse to participate in it anymore. If you want advice it makes sense to at least be open to the advice you are given, especially when everyone tells you the same thing. If you want to rant start a blog or hop on Twitter and rant away otherwise STFU and listen. You may actually learn something.
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