Over the last few days I’ve started noticing something.
Google has began integrating sites that have been stumbled into their search results. (Update: it’s really a function of the StumbleUpon Toolbar).
Check out the screenshot for the search “creativity” below:
do you notice the little stumbleupon icons with stars?
What does this mean?
It means that businesses that have built their entire existence on writing for SEO may be doomed in the near future.
Writers also may have to start being more original in their content production.
Creativity pays.
Search engines may have finally figured out that people are the best search tool you have. With social networking we discovered that people are the best way to get a post or idea around the web quickly. Now search engines have finally discovered that its a good way of cutting though the clutter of so many of those spam bots and sploggers out there who make a living off of filling thousands of pages full of ads and keywords.
Even legitimate businesses that are built around keyword advertising may have to pull the plug and start producing original content that aims directly at their market.
How do we respond as bloggers?
Learn and grow. People want good, creative, original content. If you can’t produce this, you will die in this market. There are enough other people who will work their butt of to do what you are too lazy to do and they will be recognized.
Technorati Tags: creativity , stumbleupon , blogging , bloggers , google
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My passions in life are my family, my relationship with God, creativity and expressionism. This blog, decloned, reflects those passions. My belief is that all true creativity comes from the Creator first and foremost.
3 Comments
The results you are seeing in Google are due to having the StumbleUpon plugin installed in your browser. They are not added by Google.
Attempt the same search with a different browser or a profile which does not have stumbleupon installed.
It works similar to GreaseMonkey scripts, altering the content on a page.
I entirely agree with everything else you have to say though.
Isn’t this a function of the SU toolbar?
Thanks, I didn’t know that the toolbar was the one doing this, but still it seems to show that Google may be looking at seeing stumbled posts as being more appealing to the person doing the search? Maybe there really isn’t a correlation, but I am 5 times more likely to click on a link with a better stumbleupon rating than one without it.