Some People Start Building E-A-T With the Content Of Donts or Things Not to Do

Mark
I find it unnerving that people still seem to glean some kind of personal kudos from the masses by writing blog entries which talk about things "not" to do.
Such as.
"don't use hidden links – so don't put a black link on a black background"
"don't use the same anchor text on all your links"
"don't use automated directory submission tools".
You know the kind of thing.
How in the universe can people actually be writing these things and getting people to think – ohhhh – something new, I must share it.
Its as though they think people don't know these things? I dunno – maybe they don't?
I find it unnerving because all this old hat stuff from 20 years ago still seems to be popular to write about.
So I am left wondering things like this…
"is there nothing more to it than all this old stuff?"
"would people find *me* interesting if I wrote about all this old stuff?"
"are there more people out there who know nothing than I realize – thus this old stuff is somehow more valuable than I think?"
I could write a bible about the "donts" – I really cant be bothered though, because I just cant see how it could be interesting for anyone?
I dunno.
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Ader
What we take for granted is news for many. Everybody wants to avoid SEO mistakes and many have been burned by hiring SEO users who have not delivered.

Mark
Yes I think I am not understanding just how many people don't know these things. It must be VAST numbers. Yet I still think "surely not"????
Ader
Majority.

Shayto
Do it.

Mark
Sooo many have already done it over and over – so I am reluctant to spend the time, even though people still churn it out.
Ader
Professional's trap. You're inside your own little world and know this inside out 🙂
Most (small) business owners I've worked with are the same in their niche. They see their stuff as boring, it's just how things are. Why would anybody ask about that? It's been told and written ad nauseam. And now I'm talking to them, saying we need to write about that to create pages that will rank in search. They're not exactly happy to tell the same things once again.
But outsider's view is very different and almost everything is interesting. Even if business owner has been telling that 50 times a day for 5 years and is tired of it.
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Mark » Ader
Very well put Silver – I couldn't agree more – with the exception that I **DO** actually try and factor this in when forming my views. I try to subdue my own opinions and base them on what I am seeing out there. Thus here I am questioning myself as a result of the very nature of examining what you just said – before you said it. Hence my unnerving of myself!
Am I "there"?
Ader
Yup. You'll get "there" after 5+ customer interviews with SEO clients. That'll be an eye opener to say the least 🙂
Mark » Ader
I have seen that – a lot with my clients, yep. They literally know NOTHING. Honestly its shocking. But at the same time – they don't WANT to know – they just want to rank. So its leaving me with thoughts of "well who is reading this old stuff then"?
Mark » Ader
If I wrote my bible, I would have to choose who I am writing it for. Non-SEO users, SEO Noobs – me thinks two bibles are needed.
Ader
Noob might be a strong word but one bible would cater both these audiences. Can't assume that someone new to SEO understands how everything comes together, even if they might know one aspect (usually keyword placement) fairly well.
Mark » Ader
Write a paragraph – right here – on "Keyword Placement". I'm curious. Please… 🙂
Ader
"SEO us about keywords, right? It's a must that keyword is in title, meta, H1, …, right" And lights in Yoast are green.
Ader
Ignoring that title and meta should actually make sense, create interest and invite user to click. That content and copywriting part usually is more important than repeating keywords.
That's a "mind blown" thing for many already 🙂
Mark » Ader
See what I mean right? Who in the universe wants to know that other than a learner at Search Engine Optimization (SEO). My clients don't know that stuff, and 99% of them couldnt care a bean.
Ader
Yep. Guess that then it makes sense to write listicles of 9 SEO mistakes you must avoid, showing that you understand the topic and then be ready to land clients.
Ader
I've been mentoring newcomers to SEO for a while now and explaining basic keyword usage, Yoast is about 2 hour session.
For selling service simple content articles (on SEO mistakes etc) and few local success stories are enough.

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Meakin
Sadly I've encountered plenty of SEO users who seem to think these are still legit SEO techniques. So, yeah, I guess it needs repeating.
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Mark
I have to admit – one which gets me looking with incredulity at my screen are the log stats spammers. You couldnt make it up – they're still at it with their stupid bots!!!!!!!
Meakin
I think Gary Ilyes went out to India fairly recently to meet with the people that did this. He explained that they don't actually have a clue what they're doing or what the service is they're offering. But to them, if they can make even a small amount of money it's worth it.
Mark
its bizarre to me that people would even pay for it. The last bot/crawler I coded to do this was back in 2003 I think – and at that point I am fairly sure I had missed the boat anyway.
Mark
Its like "wtf???" lol

Scott
So your saying, We should not write blogs about things we should not do?
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Mark » Scott
Yawwnnnnnn

Gorden
Most anything created by businesses is done because there's demand for it. I've always seen the large number of 'don't' SEO posts as a result of 'guru' Making Money Online (MMO) sellers who promise to give people the '10 mind blowing secrets to SE0 billionaire status!!!!' for only $39.99 with a $990 course up-sale and a $10,000 retreat at the end of their sales funnel.
These guys generally push crap strategies they scrapped from BlackHatWord (BHW) or some other forum many, many years ago. They learn a little, then get the Dunning Kruger effect, and start 'teaching'. And they teach people to sell this crap like flying monkeys. It's basically a pyramid scheme style business.
On the flip side, the reason these gurus do well is that the reality of SEO is that it is a single marketing technique among many that businesses use, and it's very complicated and generally interdisciplinary in the sense that a good SEO needs to know copywriting, CRO, technical, public relations, statistical analysis, etc.
Most people won't have the temperance for this. It also takes a while to master, and knowing it won't make you 'a business'. I'm sure you know this, but business involves many points that need to be mastered: marketing techniques, accounting, retention, sales, understanding competition, delegation, finding talent, supply and demand, etc. A successful small business owner is someone who has to know a million different, very diverse things, if only enough to delegate.
The flying monkeys from the gurus, find silly business owners who want people to essentially work for free. I've seen posts of business owners wanting to hire an SEO with a masters in Business Administration, has 10 years SEO experience and they want to pay $11/hours or some other ridiculous number. Is it any surprise they end up getting scammed?
What I'm getting at is that the demand for don't articles is there because gurus and that's there because silly 'I want to MMO' attitudes that equate SEO with owning a business and that's there because of silly business owners who want to pay peanuts. They all feed into each other, making a circus ring.
It's the same reason that the magic diets/diet pills industry exists. There's a way to lose weight, but it involves a commitment of resources and effort. SEO is not a 'business'. An SEO provider has to work hard. The business owner has to value the SEO provider enough to pay a reasonable amount. And the business owner also has to have a viable business model in order to do this, which many don't.
Silly people want unrealistic solutions because reality is tough, inflexible, impersonal and complex and they will shy away from it in favor of self serving narratives.
That's my take on it, but then I have been known to read WAY too much into things.
I might just write a blog post on this now. lol

Stephanie » Gorden
I would read that blog post! You are right on! 💯
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