Under fire Google launches a series of blog posts proving SEO works

Under fire search engine Google has launched a series of blog posts featuring case studies from SEOs who have achieved significant success in improving their traffic from Google.

But, we already know that SEO works, right?

Well, we do, but this is a bit left field from Google who have historically stuck to the line of "just build a great website and leave the rest to us" (without ever being specific about what makes a site great).

The first example sticks exclusively to Google's own tools; Search Console, Lighthouse audits, etc. and basically boils down to "this SEO did what we said and it worked". Despite this, it's managed to be controversial.

Firstly, this may be the first time in a long time (if ever) that Google has published anything about a specific site or a specific SEO provider. Some agencies have been up in arms that Google has named an agency and praised their work. Others are busy climbing over each other to be the next in line for a pat on the head and a "good boy" moment of their own.

It's certainly unusual for Google to do this. Google has a love/hate relationship with the industry; SEOs are a necessary leveller to help smaller businesses rank well and keep up the quality of the index and are also often Google's "front line" sales people for cost per click advertising whilst at the same time constantly working to unpick Google's algorithm and give their clients (and themselves) and edge.

But there's that word again. Algorithm.

If there's any reason behind these blog posts I'd suggest it was this - Google need to prove that it's possible to rank a site in their index using free tools and their own advice. Right now, Google are fighting court cases in the UK High Court and through the EU that threaten to expose the inner workings of Google's precious algorithm or force the company to cop for exercising an unfair advantage over competitors. In order to protect its intellectual property, Google may have to lose these court cases, whether it is guilty of the alleged malfeasance or not.

Maybe I'm just being cynical, but a sudden burst of SEO-positive messaging from Google right at this moment seems strangely timely - especially as it's also asked for others with good case studies to step forward and share their work.

What do you think? Is Google just being a good company here and using its platform to highlight the work of others or is this a deliberate move to generate a groundswell of evidence that you don't need to know how Google's algorithm works in order to rank a site well?

Original article at Search Engine Journal: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-launches-a-series-of-blog-posts-highlighting-the-value-of-seo/360228/