Over the past few years popular marketers have realized that the SEO crowd is a) pretty easy to stir up and b) ready to link to anything at a moment’s notice.
That combination makes them ripe for link bait, flame bait, hate bait, whatever you want to call it. The easiest (read as: laziest) method is stating that SEO is dead, worthless, a scam, etc. If that sounds familiar it’s because there’s a long list of people that have used this method recently.
Jason Calacanis, Robert Scobel, Derrek Powazek and Jeremy Schoemaker (aka Shoemoney) have all gone to this well at various times with decent results if measured in terms of link bait. Today it seems, Shoemoney is back for seconds with his post saying 2009 Sucked for Most SEOs.
Now, Danny Sullivan, Lisa Barone, Jill Whalen, Aaron Wall & just about every other SEO blogger has taken on this issue at some point in the recent past. To be honest, nothing much has changed. The usual sequence of events is that a popular personality claims SEO is dead, they are beaten into submission by the SEO masses, admit that SEO does have it’s place and explain how that’s not QUITE what they meant.
Whatever. The cycle bores me. So, rather than rehashing the same old song & dance, I simply tweeted my thoughts. Unfortunately it sounds like Shoemoney doesn’t like it when people disagree with him or ask him to backup statements he claims as facts.
Don’t worry, Shoe. Calling me a dipshit definitely makes up for the fact that you have absolutely NO support for the statements you make in the post.
But hey, at least you maintained your reputation as the classiest guy around.
About Skitzzo
It does get old. Then again, so do those Final Destination movies, but they keep rehashing them, too.
Shoe, find something new.
But the most recent Final Destination movie was in 3D!
Yawn. The dipshit bit is classic (and I appreciate it for its craft…like I might appreciate oil painter’s use of the trowel).
The sad part is yet to come.. the “you’re with me or against me” part of it that lingers out of public view. Who’s friend are you? Where is your loyalty? Who did you “defend” or “back up”?
IMHO that’s where the community falls down, and the ones who draw such lines are to blame.
A friend once told me, after I expressed concern over such a disagreement that happened among a group of friends, “don’t worry. We’re all men, and we all have long lives to live out together”. If only there were more men like that…
Ah John, you know me. Every one of my best friends would agree that I’m a dipshit, but there are so many better reasons to call me that than simply disagreeing with a post or asking him to back up his statements.
I rarely need, expect or even want people to defend me, I just thought the episode encapsulated the whole “SEO is Dead” meme quite well.
You are a dipshit. This is true. But to call you one without personally having lived the experience is what I find offensive. That some mere stranger would claim that they know you well enough to say this when all your friends and family have had to endure the years to know the truth, that is the the injustice.
+1 to Podjah!
Yawn.
How many “Radio DJ profession is dead” posts have all of these bozos written? How about “Librarian’s are yesterday’s news” ?
I guess neither radio DJs nor librarians link that well.
Branko, the ridiculous thing is that they’ve been saying it for years. Shoemoney write in 2007 that SEO had no future… it’s still kickin in 2010 so…
Same with Scobel. He said search engines were dying or already dead in ‘97 & then said SEO is dead in ‘09 lol.
Quote Google, “Results 1 – 10 of about 8,850,000 for seo is dead”
Interesting post. I’m an absolute newbie at SEO so I certainly try and read up on what the “gurus” like to say. That being said…I think it’s quite petty when they a) attack anyone that disagrees with them b)only attack with names and idiotic insults rather than advance the discussion with ideas or facts.
But I do admit…I enjoy rustling some “guru” feathers. It’s funny to see people react at the drop of a hat. Nice post.