Rand knows more than most some of the stupid things we do in our industry because clients demand it…

My agency also has worked to take some of the SEOmoz DNA into my business around sharing and education. But without the resources of SEOmoz, I often advise suppliers and fellow consultants to join SEOmoz if they want to learn more about a particular topic because there is just not enough time in the day.

I would like to make another post request of you or any other SEO who blogs. Put yourselves in the shoes of a business owner or blogger who is not an SEO. What they most need to know is how to benchmark where they are now so they can determine whether they need to hire an SEO, learn to do it themselves, etc. If you give them that starting point you could then offer them paid solutions.

Perhaps this already exists or some of you already do this. Could someone point me at related links? You can find me as @GrowMap in Social Networks and at GrowMap.com. (I assume Marty doesn’t mind my offering where to answer me since I suspect it would be best if anyone wishes to answer that they not leave links in his comments – better to leave them in mine. If I’m wrong mea culpa – feel free to edit my comment.) Thank you.

I’d be interested to go back to videos that might have been made to re-listen to what you said. My perception was that you felt that we should build pages for users and it was the search engines’ job to figure out how to index them. I couldn’t believe it. Regardless of what you said, I heard “force.” In Barry’s coverage, please have a look at entries for 9:48 AM & 9:50 AM. I was staring right at you, and doing my level best to communicate the meaning of what you were saying. I promise I was.

“Interpretations” are subjective things. As a professional when I’m speaking I’m always concerned that I’m not communicating what I truly mean. No matter what I say, what people percieve is what matters. Maybe it was your tone.

Sadly, I’ve learned never to underestimate the ability of (even smart people) to not understand what I say. If I one person hears something, then it’s possible others did too. It’s even possible that I did not say exactly what I meant. So far as any of this goes, I’m open-minded including to learn that I heard you “say it exactly as you meant” and I “misunderstood.” I’m sure you’re open-minded too as to the words you used.

I remember thinking, “wow, Flash is great for users and not perfect for search engines. Does this give us permission to code UIs all in Flash and then its Google’s job to figure it out or screw em’?”

If I misunderstood you, I apologize and am glad you set the record straight here. Way ta’ go! I’m gonna’ ask Danny Sullivan for the videos of the session, especially where you interacted with Rand Fishkin. The videos will tell the tale and I’m happy to be corrected or have my in-room-blogging perceptions validated. Either way, it’s great to host a conversation with you here so thanks.

I wish you did not make this statement:

> Some like Shari Thurow assert that we should build pages for users
> which will “force” search engines to figure out better ways to index
> content.

I never said that or wrote that statement. Nor did I mean to imply that statement. If that is what you believe I meant by previous statements? That is fine. That is your interpretation. But I wish you would write that it is your interpretation instead of attributing something to me that I never said or wrote.

This sort of occurrence happens a lot. C’est la vie.

IMHO, Web search engine companies have gone down the wrong path — actually more than one wrong path. A bunch of techie boys and another bunch of SEO techie boys trying to outdo each other. (Sorry ladies, I hope we all know and, unfortunately, accept that the technical part of this industry is predominantly male.) I am watching search results get worse and worse. I’ve been observing and testing search results for years.

But do you think the Google/Bing/[fill in the blank] “gods” will ever admit that, just maybe, they are so deep into their way of doing and analyzing things that they are blind to better ways? Like tunnel vision, I suppose. And that search engine “gods” should ask for outside, far more objective, opinions?

I don’t think that will happen any time soon. Maybe it’s analogous to the proverbial male asking for directions….

I don’t want to take away from Rand’s interview. Just wanted to make my point of view clear.

Thanks.

Hopefully I will get a chance to meet you both at SES Chicago, since Chicago is our base. See you there.

His presentations are really good, and personally what I really like is the way he focus the search engine optimization. He doesn’t talk about the “best 10 tips to have search engine visibility”… he shows his real experiences from live.

It was a good interview. Thanks for sharing.