A Look Back at 2011

Let Me Explain..

I hate scrambling to remember everything of note as the year draws to a close. So this year I’m starting my ‘farewell to 2011′ post in the middle of October. I will continue to update the post over the coming weeks so that as the New Year advances, I will have a post worthy of 2011 already up.

Expectations–Did 2011 Live up to Them?

2011 has not been the year we all hoped it would be. But then can any year live up to the hopes and expectations we experience as we sail through January 1st? We have seen a lot of banks go south, quite a few businesses have closed their doors, but paradoxically, the Internet marketing field, or Digital Marketing as I think it’s better to call it, has blossomed. I will get to that later. Let’s take a look at the big news of the year:

• As far as the Web is concerned, I think the passing of Steve Jobs was probably the main event of the entire year. He will be missed–brilliant guy.
• Of course the Panda updates have been the main focus of SEO folks this year. We even talk about being ‘Pandalized’! I wonder what the 2012 updates to Google’s algorithms will be called?
• Sweeping changes have occurred all over the world, from the Arab Spring which is chasing out a lot of bloodthirsty old dictators, to Occupy Wall Street which threatens to unseat the Western system of capitalism that has reigned supreme for hundreds of years. Interesting times indeed.

Update December 25, 2011:

• Panda seems to have stabilized somewhat over the past couple of months. Some sites have reverted to earlier ranking, despite doing nothing at all–not even posting. And some have even improved their ranking. Others remain lower than their pre-Panda position and I think it’s true to say that Panda has established a very definite priority for great content. It is now difficult, if not impossible to rank for your targeted keyphrases if you do not provide valuable content for your readers.

Google rigging results? Can it be true?

Google Rigging Results?

Although the first time I had suspicions that Google is rigging results was way back in 2007 (another story that I’ll save for another time), I was still shocked when I read today of the revelations about the accusations being leveled at Google at the Senate Antitrust Hearing.

There has been precious little on the Web about this. And that in itself is a scandal. Google again? This story actually broke on 21 September. Why wasn’t it front page news? It’s important enough–most certainly.

The thing is, we rely on Google to serve up the best matches for our search queries. That’s how Google got so big. It has always proven itself best at doing just that. An institution (for that is what Google has become) this big, and this important, absolutely must hold to its core values, core ethics, and core reason for being. If it’s not, then it’s simply no longer Google.

That takes a few seconds to sink in, doesn’t it?

Think of the implications. Not just for business, though Lord knows that’s bad enough. But for science, politics, and Heaven help us, war.

If these accusations are true, and I for one believe they are, then it’s time we all started looking for alternative search venues. But more than that, it’s time we, collectively, started doing something to ensure that our Internet cannot be manipulated. The consequences would be just too damaging for all stakeholders.

Anyone with me on this?

What could be done, all you geniuses out there?

Earlier today the first phase of Search Engine Journal’s long-awaited total overhaul, a result of Search Engine Journal Inc.’s merger with Search & Social, went live.

I must say that so far I’m very impressed. I was discussing the new look with ArabCrunch and I mentioned that the new Search Engine Journal layout has elements that convey the same sort of atmosphere as the hugely successful SEOmoz. Seconds later someone else online was expressing the same opinion–so I guess it must be true.

This is good because as Loren says, they are planning to expand user-participation and the social aspects of the site. The right look and feel will go a long way to facilitating Loren Baker’s goals for SEJ I feel.

Loren tells his own story about his reasons for the new color scheme and other aspects of the new design.

I particularly like the new SEJ blogroll arrangement. Loren said this about the change:

I also found the blogroll to be restrictive, limiting the roll to only a handful of the hundreds of magnificent search blogs out there, personally I felt as the smaller blogroll was doing an injustice to the “search-o-sphere”.

With the new arrangement five blogs will be displayed at any one time in rotation.

I look forward to seeing what else Loren has in store: he assures us this is just the beginning!