Comments on: You Can’t Automate Search Engine Optimization http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/ SEO and Internet Marketing Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:23:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: I Khan http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16817 I Khan Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:10:13 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16817 <p>Lisa - SEO Analyst - I am happy deciding on seotoolset with you at the back of it. </p> Lisa – SEO Analyst – I am happy deciding on seotoolset with you at the back of it.

]]> By: Colm @ Search Engine Optimisation http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16816 Colm @ Search Engine Optimisation Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:35:29 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16816 Search Engine results are automated the likes of Google might have 1000's of experts putting all there skills in designing the perfect system but at hte end of the day everything is automated. So to know it 100% I dont agree with Search Engine results are automated the likes of Google might have 1000′s of experts putting all there skills in designing the perfect system but at hte end of the day everything is automated. So to know it 100% I dont agree with

]]> By: Sept 6 2007 - Can SEO be automated http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16815 Sept 6 2007 - Can SEO be automated Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:55:13 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16815 <p>Thought you'd be interested in my post on the topic, written a little earlier and not in the ecommerce360 context, but in a more general SEO context. Goes into why networking is key to SEO, and how you can't network automatically. http://seoroi.com/seo-faq/can-seo-be-automated/ </p> Thought you’d be interested in my post on the topic, written a little earlier and not in the ecommerce360 context, but in a more general SEO context. Goes into why networking is key to SEO, and how you can’t network automatically.
http://seoroi.com/seo-faq/can-seo-be-automated/

]]> By: Alan Bleiweiss http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16814 Alan Bleiweiss Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:47:16 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16814 Hot topic! In the late 90s I invented a solution that allowed joe blo to automatically create a full featured web site with over 50 components using software. Within six months Microsoft and a dozen other mega-companies came out with their own version. It was all hyped the same way Commerce360 is hyping their offering. It's the same reality. There's a great advantage to automating some aspects of the web development arena, including SEO. Without human intervention and participation, no matter how sophisticated it is, no matter how good it does the things it starts out to do, it's destined to grab only a portion of the market, because the web changes too often and in too many complex ways. Heck - the shear need such a solution will face in having to continually be changed to meet the changing algorithms will be a major downside (and thus the argument that this is like building cars is way off. And trying to say that tax software is so evolved that it's replaced human participation is completely untrue. Sure, it may have replaced some (mostly those who go after the very low end of the client market) - but in any industry that requires complex thinking, continually shifting methodology, and true "analysis", there will always be a need to very high quality human participation. Hey - did any of us even mention how ridiculous the notion is that software can properly evaluate a client's competition? Hot topic!
In the late 90s I invented a solution that allowed joe blo to automatically create a full featured web site with over 50 components using software. Within six months Microsoft and a dozen other mega-companies came out with their own version. It was all hyped the same way Commerce360 is hyping their offering. It’s the same reality.
There’s a great advantage to automating some aspects of the web development arena, including SEO. Without human intervention and participation, no matter how sophisticated it is, no matter how good it does the things it starts out to do, it’s destined to grab only a portion of the market, because the web changes too often and in too many complex ways.
Heck – the shear need such a solution will face in having to continually be changed to meet the changing algorithms will be a major downside (and thus the argument that this is like building cars is way off. And trying to say that tax software is so evolved that it’s replaced human participation is completely untrue.
Sure, it may have replaced some (mostly those who go after the very low end of the client market) – but in any industry that requires complex thinking, continually shifting methodology, and true “analysis”, there will always be a need to very high quality human participation.
Hey – did any of us even mention how ridiculous the notion is that software can properly evaluate a client’s competition?

]]> By: Bob Weber http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16813 Bob Weber Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:20:19 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16813 <p>Susan, Matt may be at conferences calling for more human editing at Google, but I bet there are brilliant engineers at Google feverishly working to make sure that doesn't happen. From a business standpoint a human layer is incredibly expensive and inefficient, and we all know Google is about the business. <br /> Ben, my point is I think those who will be out of a job are the individuals that don't think they can ever be replaced. I hope to stay employed by never having that attitude and finding new ways to take advantage of the automation rather than having it taken away from me. <br /> Again, I'm not advocating that anyone move to automation yet, or that technology is significantly advanced to make that even feasible. I'm just saying that dismissing the concept out of hand as being something that cannot be done may be a bit shortsighted.</p> <p></p> Susan, Matt may be at conferences calling for more human editing at Google, but I bet there are brilliant engineers at Google feverishly working to make sure that doesn’t happen. From a business standpoint a human layer is incredibly expensive and inefficient, and we all know Google is about the business.

Ben, my point is I think those who will be out of a job are the individuals that don’t think they can ever be replaced. I hope to stay employed by never having that attitude and finding new ways to take advantage of the automation rather than having it taken away from me.

Again, I’m not advocating that anyone move to automation yet, or that technology is significantly advanced to make that even feasible. I’m just saying that dismissing the concept out of hand as being something that cannot be done may be a bit shortsighted.

]]> By: BenPotter http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16812 BenPotter Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:33:34 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16812 I compleletly disagree with the point made above that 'someday there may be no such thing as human SEO'. There will always be a role for humans in SEO as in every walk of life. If you truly believe that the future is all about automation, you are sorely mistaken (and I presume you are planning your pension because you'll be out of a job!!). I compleletly disagree with the point made above that ‘someday there may be no such thing as human SEO’. There will always be a role for humans in SEO as in every walk of life. If you truly believe that the future is all about automation, you are sorely mistaken (and I presume you are planning your pension because you’ll be out of a job!!).

]]> By: Anthony Kuhn http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16811 Anthony Kuhn Fri, 21 Sep 2007 01:36:28 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16811 <p>Lisa:</p> <p>Hear, hear for English majors! I think balancing automated SEO processes with a human touch allows a small business to maximize their Internet marketing dollars for better effect. Using both at the the same time is a great synthesis of technologies used in a new way: the very definition of innovation. I cross-posted on your piece to http://blog.innovators-network.org. The Innovators Network is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing technology to startups, small businesses, nonprofits, venture capitalists and intellectual property experts. Please visit us and help grown our community! Best wishes for continued success,</p> <p>Anthony Kuhn, Innovators Network </p> Lisa:

Hear, hear for English majors! I think balancing automated SEO processes with a human touch allows a small business to maximize their Internet marketing dollars for better effect. Using both at the the same time is a great synthesis of technologies used in a new way: the very definition of innovation. I cross-posted on your piece to http://blog.innovators-network.org. The Innovators Network is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing technology to startups, small businesses, nonprofits, venture capitalists and intellectual property experts. Please visit us and help grown our community!
Best wishes for continued success,

Anthony Kuhn,
Innovators Network

]]> By: Susan Esparza http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16810 Susan Esparza Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:02:17 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16810 Wow, Lisa, I go away for a couple days and look at all the discussion you stir up. That's my girl. Jill, we're all about using tools to assist with our job, yeah, but that's different than what's being proposed, I think. I think our analysts would definitely agree that our toolset is just that, a set of tools that help measure, align and slice a Web site. You can't just push a button and turn off your brain. Our tools help us optimize our client's sites (and they help our subscribers work on their own sites) but if you've ever tried them out, you'll know that they're far from doing it for you. They're just doing some of the stuff SEOs used to do by hand. Bob, I think because it affects humans and is influenced by humans, SEO is always going to need humans. Google started off completely automated too and these days, Matt's at conferences talking about the need for a human layer. I think that's more indicative of the direction of the industry than the idea that tools are going to every out grow the need for a human brain to make judgment calls. Wow, Lisa, I go away for a couple days and look at all the discussion you stir up. That’s my girl.
Jill, we’re all about using tools to assist with our job, yeah, but that’s different than what’s being proposed, I think. I think our analysts would definitely agree that our toolset is just that, a set of tools that help measure, align and slice a Web site. You can’t just push a button and turn off your brain. Our tools help us optimize our client’s sites (and they help our subscribers work on their own sites) but if you’ve ever tried them out, you’ll know that they’re far from doing it for you. They’re just doing some of the stuff SEOs used to do by hand.
Bob, I think because it affects humans and is influenced by humans, SEO is always going to need humans. Google started off completely automated too and these days, Matt’s at conferences talking about the need for a human layer. I think that’s more indicative of the direction of the industry than the idea that tools are going to every out grow the need for a human brain to make judgment calls.

]]> By: Bob Weber http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16809 Bob Weber Thu, 20 Sep 2007 20:32:00 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16809 <p>Lisa, <br /> While I completely understand your position, I have to make a comment about your arguement. <br /> Every crafstman since the Industrial Revolution started has thought his or her job was too 'complicated' to be replaced by something automatic. Is SEO more complicated than building cars, doing taxes or sending email? <br /> CAN SEO be automated? Sure. <br /> Is it economically viable? Well, with some 20 billion plus web pages in existence a quality SEO automation prodcut would be wildly successful. <br /> I have worked in the tech industry long enough that I would never say anything is too complicated or too difficult. I think you have a valid point and it is unlikely that Commerce360 is going to have an SEO automation tool that will replace a human being any time in the next 10 years. I think that right now a human can do a better job than software, but don't kid yourself. SEO will change, tools will become more and more comprehensive, and someday there may be no such thing as human SEO. </p> Lisa,

While I completely understand your position, I have to make a comment about your arguement.

Every crafstman since the Industrial Revolution started has thought his or her job was too ‘complicated’ to be replaced by something automatic. Is SEO more complicated than building cars, doing taxes or sending email?

CAN SEO be automated? Sure.

Is it economically viable? Well, with some 20 billion plus web pages in existence a quality SEO automation prodcut would be wildly successful.

I have worked in the tech industry long enough that I would never say anything is too complicated or too difficult. I think you have a valid point and it is unlikely that Commerce360 is going to have an SEO automation tool that will replace a human being any time in the next 10 years. I think that right now a human can do a better job than software, but don’t kid yourself. SEO will change, tools will become more and more comprehensive, and someday there may be no such thing as human SEO.

]]> By: Jehochman http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16808 Jehochman Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:41:02 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2007/09/you-cant-automate-search-engine-optimization/#comment-16808 The danger in automation is that it tends to produce boring, formulaic sites that the search engines can easily spot and downrank. It seems to me that some of the big firms have trouble attracting and retaining enough talented SEOs, so they fall back on tools. We know that two very talented SEOs just left Commerce360. Maybe management is trying to replace these folks with tools, or maybe the talent left because they want nothing to do with cookie-cutter SEO. We'll never know for sure, but the correlation between these two circumstances intrigues me. The danger in automation is that it tends to produce boring, formulaic sites that the search engines can easily spot and downrank. It seems to me that some of the big firms have trouble attracting and retaining enough talented SEOs, so they fall back on tools.
We know that two very talented SEOs just left Commerce360. Maybe management is trying to replace these folks with tools, or maybe the talent left because they want nothing to do with cookie-cutter SEO. We’ll never know for sure, but the correlation between these two circumstances intrigues me.

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