Beanstalk's SEO News Blog

A lot of SEO is pure, predicable mathematics. We're dealing with highly complex mathematical formulas and thus, a lot of it can be predicted with solid accuracy. Even still, there are some parts where it's mainly guesswork; where we have to "shoot from the gut" where (as Steven Colbert would put it) truthiness plays a bigger role in decision making than fact - especially when facts are not available. The prediction of algorithmic and/or toolbar PageRank pixels are such events. The fine folks at Google don't call me up personally to let me know when updates will happen (I know, you're disappointed but it's true).

That said, here's some truthiness for you - there's an update coming and it's coming this weekend. What kind of an update I don't know. I'd bet algorithmic but I wouldn't bet a lot. I'd put a lot more money down of there being an update of some kind however.

This post was inspired by a phone call I had recently with a client who asked when I thought the next update was coming. I said probably tomorrow afternoon or evening. I realized shortly after saying it that I said it quickly and with little hesitation and so I decided to make it public so you can all mock me if I'm wrong. :) I'm not sure why I'm so sure the update is coming then. I've made predictions of updates in the past and I'm generally pretty accurate though it has more to do with a feeling than a knowing. Perhaps there's a pattern I've yet to pick up consciously. Or maybe it's that phone call from Matt I got earlier. ;)

Labels: google update, truthiness

I had to borrow this line from Mr. Stephen Colbert as there's just so much truthiness in the subject at hand.

I read an article on the SiteProNews.com site today and, while I'd heard the story before, it wasn't any better when it was "put to print". Jim Hedger wrote about the ordeal of Kathy Sierra, well known blogger, speaker and publisher who has had to cancel numerous speaking engagements due to the stupid, sexist and cruel actions of a few who Ms. Sierra was good enough to name.

The names will follow below but first let's get to the wrong. I won't bother getting into detail about the disgusting nature of some of the posts against here. She lists off many of them and gives a detailed account of the "event" on her blog under the post, "Death threats against bloggers are NOT "protected speech" (why I cancelled my ETech presentations)". It's a long post but worth the attention of blogger and web publishers everywhere. It is NOT OK to threaten.

And who are the culprits? Who would put out death threats and sexual assauly insinuations? None other than:

• Listics' Frank Paynter
  
• prominent marketing blogger Jeneane Sessum
  
• Raving Lunacy Allen Herrel (aka Head Lemur), and
• Chris Locke (aka Rageboy)
  

Our sympathies go out to Kathy. We hope you'll feel safe. The loss of your voice at these events would be a loss to the industry.

And so, to get back to the title, a Tip of the Hat to Kathy for having the strength to endure and blogger like Jim for getting the message out. And the Wag of the Finger? I think you can guess who that's for. And truthiness? It's just that feeling in your gut to know what's right and what's wrong. Apparently truthiness is absent in some.

Labels: freedom of speech, Kathy Sierra, truthiness