Perth Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) company Oracle Digital sounds a warning bell to webmasters and SEO professionals who think they can “fool” Google with “black hat” techniques in a scathing and controversial blog post.

1. Leading SEO Firm Oracle Digital
Answers Question: Is SEO Dead?
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2. Perth Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) company Oracle
Digital sounds a warning bell to webmasters and SEO
professionals who think they can “fool” Google with “black hat”
techniques in a scathing and controversial blog post.
Clint Maher, Director of Operations for Oracle Digital, took most of the SEO industry to
task in a blog post entitled: “Is SEO Dead? An Industry That Committed Suicide.” The post
took many SEO professionals to task for taking too many shortcuts, and trying to subvert
Google‟s purpose: finding relevant and entertaining content for those who use their search
engines.
Maher wrote that he is upset that unscrupulous SEO firms have caused much of the
public to think that SEO means “gaming the system,” and feels that firms which employ
“black hat” techniques have “tainted” the very term SEO, and also the entire industry.
Maher also pointed out that “many SEO companies should be ashamed of themselves.”
He also explained that many “bricks and mortar” businesses invested a lot of money with
seemingly-legitimate SEO companies, only to see their businesses ruined due to Google
burying their websites as a result of the updates detecting fraudulent manipulation of
Google‟s algorithm. The post also referred to many SEO firms as “lazy” and “cheating the
system.”
The general tone of the post is that Maher is happy that the updates happened, because
they have eliminated many of the shortcuts that caused users to be directed to sites that
weren‟t really sites at all, but pages designed to give as little information as possible while
enticing searchers to buy products.
According to Maher, “Those of us who are honest, and work hard to give the best possible
content to users, have been disgusted with the shortcuts and dishonest techniques that
have been able to pass as „SEO.‟ People and companies who cheat and game the system
have hurt their customers, the public, and even Google.”
Maher continued: “Since the beginning of SEO, we have seen a constant battle between
Google and those who are too lazy to do things right. The cheaters win for a while, but
Google catches up. The cycle repeats, over and over. Though it looks like the sides take
turns winning and losing, the sad truth is that everybody loses. Google doesn‟t get what
they want, and the public doesn‟t get what they want.”
Consequently, Maher is very happy with the year‟s updates. “What we‟re seeing now is
that people are finally getting what they are looking for when they search: great content
that is relevant to their searches. Finally, those of us who are doing it right are being
rewarded by Google, and those who take shortcuts are being penalised.”
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3. James Corby, Business Development Director for Oracle Digital, weighed in on the post,
and how the updates have affected his side of the business: “Here at Oracle Digital, we
think the current updates were a long time coming. We are finding that we are getting
even better results for our clients by doing things right, now that so many shortcuts have
been eliminated. The days of instant gratification and gaming the system are over. The
way to get to the top of Google is to work hard, provide great content, and set it up in a
way that provides a lot of organic backlinks.”
Corby continued, “It‟s not really that big of a secret; all you have to do is give Google what
it has wanted all along. It takes a lot of work and a lot of content, but the rewards are
greater, because there are still a lot of people out there who aren‟t willing to work as hard
as we do.”
He summed up: “Clint‟s post should be required reading for anyone who embarks on
an SEO campaign. What used to pass for SEO is, indeed, dead, but true SEO is alive and
well. You just have to roll up your sleeves and work.”
Oracle Digital is a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) company located in Perth. Their
expertise includes Internet marketing services, online press releases, online reputation
management, and providing high-quality content to webmasters, blog owners, and
businesses. They can be reached at 1300 899 851 and the blog post can be read on their
website: http://www.oracledigital.com.au/
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