John Mueller, a Google search proponent, recently had a candid discussion on the r/BigSEO subreddit, answering questions about various SEO tactics and offering advice to budding digital marketers.
Mueller addressed issues such as geotagging images, blogging frequency and finding shortcuts to making money online.
In a thread titled “Incoming Dumb Question Barrage,” a Reddit user asks the following questions:
- Should we geotag images? Does Google even care?
- To blog. If we do it, is it every day or once a week with really solid stuff?
- Publishing a Google Business Profile: Every Day, Once a Week or Why?
- After things like Senuke died 10 years ago, is it just about networking with webmasters of similar and same niche sites to get links?
- Piggybacking #4, what about PBNs? are they back If so, then does it have to be a group of completely legit looking websites as opposed to some WP blogs thrown together?
Here’s a breakdown of Mueller’s detailed answer to the above questions.
Image geotagging and blogging frequency
When asked about geotagging images, Mueller replied that it was unnecessary for SEO purposes.
He also addressed the issue of blogging frequency, suggesting that content creators should prioritize unique and compelling content over sticking to a consistent publishing schedule.
However, he acknowledged that posting regularly could increase traffic and encouraged creators to review successful posts and expand their topics with higher-quality content.
Mueller warned of the dangers of producing mediocre, “fluffy” content:
“The problem with trying to maintain frequency is that you can easily end up with mediocre fluffy content that could be detected by search engine quality algorithms and then assume the entire site is like that.
It’s probably okay to take those kinds of risks in the beginning if it’s easy to start over, and that’s fine in the long run too will Be painful when it catches up to you. (All of this is even more true when you’re taking shortcuts with Gen AI content.)”
Publishing Google company profiles and link building
Mueller offered no specific advice on the frequency of posting Google Company Profiles, but humorously responded to questions about outdated link-building strategies like SENuke and private blog networks (PBNs).
He warned that discussing such strategies could be taken out of context and misused to promote questionable link building tools.
“SENuke hah that’s a name I haven’t heard in ages lol. Forgiveness. Giggle. I consider links, but people love to take things out of context to promote their linking efforts/tools so someone else may or may not have something sensible to say.
OMG, PBN’s too. What is this thread anyway. Now I will not say anything without a lawyer present.”
The pursuit of shortcuts to making money online
Mueller noted that the questions appeared to be about finding ways to make money online.
He warned that many people are trying to do the same thing, and that some are even selling tools and courses that promise success but ultimately benefit the sellers rather than their customers.
He further explained that the best tools are aimed at businesses that need to manage their online presence, and are not intended for individuals looking for a quick route to wealth.
Advice for budding SEO professionals
In conclusion, Mueller encouraged people who want to work in SEO to learn HTML, coding and other important skills to better understand the industry.
“…learn HTML, learn a bit of programming, and get started. 90% of the random tricks you come across don’t work, 9% of the rest will level your sites, but if you’re lucky and persistent (is that the same thing?), you’ll come across some things that work for you function.
If you’re going down this path, accept that most – or all – of the things you build will eventually blow up, but maybe you’ll come across a few along the way that make it worthwhile.
And…after a while you might realize that actually creating something of lasting value can also be fascinating, and you’ll start working on a side project that gets things right, where you can put your experience to good use and avoid all that slash and burn site/spam building.”
Above all, he emphasizes that there is more to a successful website than just keywords and links. Mueller strongly recommends experimenting and pushing the boundaries of traditional SEO strategies.
Featured image created by the author using Midjourney
source: Reddit
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