Hamsterdam Part 30: SEO News Recap from 10/30 to 11/5
By Ethan Lazuk
Last updated:
A weekly look-back at SEO news, tips, and other content shared on social media & beyond.
Quote source: Google Search Liaison
Opening notes:
Two quick programming notes:
1) I’ll be attending BrightonSEO this week in San Diego. Hope to see you there!
2) It’s my wife Dania’s birthday today. She’s been by my side since we were in college together in 2011 in Missoula, Montana. Want to wish her the happiest of birthdays!
*Feel free to jump down to the recap, or keep reading for an introduction and summary of the week’s news!
Introduction to week 30: “That’s me in the Lam”
So, there was a noteworthy article this week about SEO, written from outside the community.
It’s included in the articles section below (if you haven’t read it), along with related commentary (which I’d suggest reading in full lol).
The article was published by The Verge. It’s entertaining, for sure.
It included a lot of reputable names from the SEO industry. It could have been great.
But here’s another thing.
I have an email folder labeled “Hucksters,” where I add messages nearly every day. These are pitches from people who, in my estimation, have little-to-no interest in improving the quality of the web and are just trying to make a quick dollar.
That’s not the industry I’m a part of.
From the outside looking in, “SEO” may just seem like it’s “SEO.” Isn’t it all the same thing?
From the inside out, however, there are many different niches, philosophies, and levels of professionalism.
This is much deeper and more nuanced than the stereotypical (and dated) white hat vs. black hat SEO description.
Here’s one quote from The Verge article that I felt made some sense, although I don’t totally agree with the word choice:
“The algorithm is just too opaque, too complicated, and too dynamic, making it easy for scammy SEOs to pretend they know what they’re doing and difficult for outsiders to sort the good SEOs from the bad.”
– The Verge, The people who ruined the internet (It’s nofollow)
I encounter this scenario often working in digital marketing, where a person, well-intentioned, shares SEO-related content, and it’s promoting a concept I wouldn’t personally use or endorse.
Does that make it less legitimate? Who’s to say I’m more right than anyone else?
That’s a value judgment.
But I will say this, having a little knowledge can be dangerous.
It’s called the Dunning-Kruger Effect:
“The Dunning-Kruger effect effect occurs when a person’s lack of knowledge and skills in a certain area cause them to overestimate their own competence. …
Not only are these ignorant people extremely resistant to being taught—since they believe they know the most—they are also guilty of sharing the most information (read: misinformation). …
At its core, the Dunning-Kruger effect preys on just that: not a lack of information, but rather an abundance of misinformation. We know when we know nothing, but it is information that is wrong that causes us to think we know everything, and absentmindedly press ‘share.‘”
– The Decision Lab, Why can we not perceive our own abilities?
Ok, that’s a funny sentiment coming from someone who is literally sharing a page of information lol.
But if you look at how I describe myself in the world, it’s always as “SEO professional” or “SEO practitioner.”
I never refer to myself as an SEO expert.
In fact, I don’t even have that word in my vocabulary.
I had a conversation on TikTok with a very smart SaaS founder recently. She went to MIT and knows way more about AI than I could ever hope to.
She referred to me as an “SEO expert,” and then proceeded to say she thought SEO was “black magic.”
That’s a problem.
It’s also not wholly her fault for thinking that way. But I felt it was my responsibility to discuss where that sentiment comes from, and why it doesn’t fit. It became a productive conversation.
That’s partly why I directly include the social media posts of thought leaders and practitioners in Hamsterdam recaps, versus paraphrasing them in my words.
It’s also partly the reason I put these together in the first place: not to “sort the good SEOs from the bad,” but to help make the internet a better place.
Buckle up for a full week’s recap, and enjoy the vibes:
Summary of the week’s SEO news and content
- A lot was said about The Verge article. The buzz lasted about 48 hours, and then we all kind of moved on. Though, “content goblin” shirts and “alligator” memes will likely live forever lol.
- More importantly, we had another core update this week (November 2023), and a planned reviews system update next week.
- Google shared an updated Q&A page related to this core update. It’s worth reading, particularly the parts about this being a different core ranking system than was updated in October and notifications of reviews system updates no longer being given.
- Some notable internal documents from Google were released as part of its antitrust trial. There’s a good summary article of those documents from Search Engine Land included in the Top Posts section below.
- Ammon John shared some interesting screenshots about SEO from 2003. They’re included in the SEO fundamentals section.
- We also had some reminders from Google about the machine learning component to the helpful content system, and that schema doesn’t play a role in rankings.
But don’t just take my word for it! All of this info and more is contained below in the weekly recap.
Notes:
- If the article times out on mobile, my apologies. Please try viewing on a desktop or WiFi.
- I’ve cut back on the amount of info I include; if you’d like to see more, scrolling through my likes on X or following the people in this recap is probably the best place to start. 😉
Missed last week’s recap? Don’t worry, I got you! Read Part 29 to catch up.
Okay, time for (home)work.
Jump to a section of this week’s recap
- Top posts
- News, Google updates, & SERP tests
- SEO tips & tidbits
- Fundamentals & resources
- Articles, videos & case studies
- Local SEO
- Technical SEO
- Content marketing
- SEO tools, AI & reporting
- Humor section
- Miscellaneous & general posts
Enjoy the recap below! And please support content you find valuable with a like or follow. 🙂
Top posts
These are key news items, tips, or other content I felt were relevant to highlight for the week, particularly if you just want a quick glance.
7 must-see Google Search ranking documents in antitrust trial exhibits – Search Engine Land
SEO news, Google updates, & SERP tests
These are newsworthy events in the SEO world from the last week or SERP tests to be aware of.
SEO tips & tidbits
This section has actionable tips, cool tidbits, or other findings and observations that can be teaching moments.
SEO fundamentals & resources
If you’re new to SEO, this section includes essential information, concepts, or resources to learn more about.
Articles, videos, case studies & more
These are longer-form content shared on social.
Local SEO
If you’re into local Search, this section is for you!
Technical SEO
Yep, it still matters. 😉
Content marketing
What’d SEO be without content?
Tools, AI & reporting
Here’s a recap of updates to tools, and new tools, along with tips for reporting on data.
Humor
Humor is subjective; hopefully, you find these funny as well!
General Marketing & Miscellaneous
This is for great content that isn’t necessarily SEO (i.e., PPC, PR, dev, and content friends check it out!) or even marketing-specific.
Great job making it to the end. You rock!
Understanding Google’s ZMOT: The Zero Moment of Truth Model – Mohsen Semsarpour
Vector databases vs. traditional databases – startuppm (Watch on TikTok)
Show your support for creators: If you liked any of the content shared above, please support that person by liking their post or following them. 🙂
Hungry for more? Check out the past weeks of Hamsterdam.
Or sign up for the newsletter! (Until I get the form back up and running, feel free to shoot me an email to get added to the list.)
Want to work together on your brand’s SEO?
I’m currently taking clients for SEO and content audits and strategy consulting, and soon training. You can learn more about me on my about page.
Get in touch: hit me up on social at @EthanLazuk, by text or call at 813-557-9745, or via email at ethan.lazuk@gmail.com.
Cheers!
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