Is search engine optimisation killing web design?
I’ve been in discussions with my business partner about what to do about our new website and the general trends in the search engine optimisation industry. Seems to me (and you would have to be blind not to see it) that it’s all about social networks at the moment.. so much infact that if you search for anything in Gooooogle nowadays you get a zillion blog results and references to YouTube etc and not a lot else.
Now I know that people want more interactivity these days, and the explosion of social networking sites is just a reflection of this, but it does seem that perfectly legitimate sources of information are being downgraded because of this obsession with social networking, blogs and ‘twitteresque’ time wasting online whiteboards. When I do a search for say, turbochargers (as I often do as I’m weird like that!) I don’t really want some rudeboy from Florida spouting off about how big his turbo is on a blog (oo…er missus!), I want to be taken to some real information turbochargers, what flow rates they have and how do I get my hands on one. Unfortunately, now that social networking sites seem to be punching WAY above their weight, i have to sift through ten pages of garbage to find what I am looking for, whereas before I got turbo manufacturers and educational sites all about the subject I am interested in!
I am wondering if this situation is going to continue to get worse, with everyones lives being dominated by YouTube clips, or the powers that be in our favourite search engine company will wake up and smell the coffee…
