SEO Headlines 06/10/2008

Serving Up YouTube As Punishment

How’s this for a poetic justice, a Florida judge has decided that two boys charged with battery and criminal mischief for recording a “prank” and uploading to YouTube must create yet another YouTube video. This time around the video will be them apologizing for their actions. Nothing like some public humiliation to make people change their evil ways. Maybe I should make Susan create an apology video for all the bad things she’s done to me? I’ll ask Bruce. [You’d have to make one first for all the times you’re mean to me. –Susan] I’m never mean. I’m like the darling of SEO.

The video that depicts the two boys performing “the fire in the hole”, also known as throwing a cup of soda through a fast food drive-thru window and then speeding off, is still up on YouTube (I’m not linking to it. Find it yourself). The victim of the stupid prank found the video and then used MySpace to friend the boys and figure out their identities.

It’s all quite genius and Web 2.0 savvy, really. And I won’t even lie; I’m kind of a fan of this punishment. Not only will it show kids that stupid pranks have consequences but if the judge makes the kids tag the video with their name, think all the fun reputation management they’re going to have to do in the future! Goodbye, ivy league college. Hello working at the same fast food place that helped derail your adult life.

Does It Matter Why You Blog?

Bob Massa asks what’s the point of blogging and whether the reasons that make you do it actually matter? Bob says that they don’t as long as you’re sharing worthwhile information. I see his point but I’m a bit skeptical. Though I’ve already been mocked for my wide-eyed belief in the SEO Tooth Fairy, I’m going to bring out the puritan thoughts again and say, yes, it does matter.

I think intent always matters. I don’t care if you’re talking about blogging or search engine optimization or training for a marathon. The secret reasons you hold for doing something will always affect the outcome. If you’re blogging to make a name for yourself and fame chase than that’s going to affect what you write, how you write it, what angle you tackle, etc. And it’s going to be 100 percent evident. You may still be creating “quality” information based on your audience, but you could be chasing the wrong audience.

I think there’s a reason that the most popular blogs on search engine optimization are the ones that don’t necessarily blog for fame or position but to share information. Intent matters. That’s kind of how I look at the BC blog. We blog for knowledge transfer, not fame. Bruce has already created a name for himself and his company in this industry. No amount of my trivial blogging is going to compete with the success that he’s already helped our clients find. So when we blog, we do it to share advice on search engine optimization, to comment on the industry that we’re involved in, and to offer our two cents when we see something that should be fixed. It help makes the blog real and authentic and genuine. Those are the blogs I like to read. And it’s your intent that’s going to set your blog tone and style.

Fun Finds

Our friend Adam Audette issued the Six Principles of Ethical SEO.

Over on YOUmoz, Bhawk988 helps restore everyone’s faith in humanity. If only for a day.

Google Blogoscope reveals that Google will now let you skip the intro for all those annoying sites that make you sit through a one minute Flash movie before they let you actually enter. [Google FTW. –Susan]

Lisa Barone is a writer, content marketer & VP of strategy at Overit Media. She's also a very active Twitterer, much to the dismay of the rest of the world.

See Lisa's author page for links to connect on social media.