Matt Cutts is a software engineer and currently the head of the Google Webspam team. Basically, he’s Google’s face to the public regarding algorithm updates, policy changes, and general SEO-ness. Whenever Google does something that’s going to anger people, they have Matt Cutts break the news to the world in the form of blog posts, videos, and public speaking engagements. If you have ever seen Matt Cutts speak (as I have), you know that he’s exactly the same guy you’ve come to know from the videos. He’s everything Google wants you to think that are – a little nerdy, honest, kind of smartly funny, casual, and your average Joe. Basically Matt Cutts is your computer geek neighbor – he’s Search Engine Marketing’s “everyman.” SEO professionals around the world would probably give their left arm to ever be able to sit down and ask Matt Cutts one-on-one questions. So, if I could ask Matt Cutts anything I wanted, what would I ask him? Here would be my top 8 questions:
1. Guest blogging has always been an industry staple – it’s great for networking and has always contributed quality links and traffic to your site. But recently guest blogging tactics have been called into question by Google and the supposed benefits have been had doubt cast on them. There has even been some speculation that it can actually hurt your SEO efforts.
My question: What’s the story with guest blogging for SEO?
2. Google was recently sued by Vringo in a patent infringement case where it was claimed that their AdWords ad rank system copied Vringo’s patented calculations. Google lost the suit in a multi-billion dollar judgment where they were ordered by a judge to pay 6.5% of their AdWords revenue to Vringo.
My question: Did Google knowingly copy Vringo?
3. When Google launched Google+ they stressed the importance of social media – saying clearly that social signals were going to be factored into the ranking algorithm, playing a huge role in rankings. And while no one can doubt the benefits of being involved with social media, subsequent studies by businesses have shown that building a social media following and encouraging social media interactions does indeed help SEO efforts, but does not carry nearly as much weight as Google claimed it would.
My question: How much of a role does social actually play in rankings?
4. The price of a click from paid search has been steadily increasing for the last 6 years or so. Obviously PPC is getting more competitive, but knowing Google’s tendency to cash in on anything and everything, I wonder if that increase is reflecting something more than just a rise in PPC popularity.
My question: Is the rise in CPCs (Cost-Per-Click) due in part to Google helping themselves to more AdWords revenue?
5. Google has been sued multiple times for anticompetitive practices in Europe over allegedly giving preference to their own versions of sites (YouTube, Blogger, etc.) over other platforms in the same verticals and also giving companies that are paying for PPC ad added boost in organic rankings. Google routinely uses the defense that they use “popularity” of sites as determined by web traffic and other metrics as factors and that these sites just happen to be more popular than their counterparts.
My question: What ever happened to Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” motto? Was there a conscious decision to move away from that to increase profits, or was it an unintentional slip down the evil slope?
6. Google has more data on each of us than we could ever imagine – probably more data than we even know exists. This wouldn’t worry most people if they felt like it was being kept safe under lock and key. However, worldwide Google as earned a reputation of being a little too loose with users’ private data. Eventually I think this will be Google’s downfall because people are not going to continue to support a business that they’re afraid of or can’t trust.
My question: What’s Google’s plan to clean up their image?
7. Google has worked on some of the craziest things you have ever imagined, and even some things you could never even conceive of (ex. recently they announced a project of trying to embed a computer chip in a contact lens to analyze and report the tears of diabetics to more effectively manage their blood sugar levels!).
My question: Which secret projects is Google working on currently?
8. My question: Do you remember me from the 2012 SXSW panel where you sparred with Duane Forrester from Bing? You had to conference in because you had a family emergency and couldn’t attend in person, but you could see the audience, and I was stage right about halfway back on the aisle – haha.
Okay, so Matt Cutts couldn’t actually answer all of those questions because he’s not an expert on everything going on at Google (he’s no Larry Page or anything), but those are questions that I really wish I knew the answer to. How about you? What do you wish you could ask Matt Cutts? What AdWords or SEO questions do you need help answering?
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so beware!
1. Guest blogging has always been an industry staple – it’s great for networking and has always contributed quality links and traffic to your site. But recently guest blogging tactics have been called into question by Google and the supposed benefits have been had doubt cast on them. There has even been some speculation that it can actually hurt your SEO efforts.
My question: What’s the story with guest blogging for SEO?
2. Google was recently sued by Vringo in a patent infringement case where it was claimed that their AdWords ad rank system copied Vringo’s patented calculations. Google lost the suit in a multi-billion dollar judgment where they were ordered by a judge to pay 6.5% of their AdWords revenue to Vringo.
My question: Did Google knowingly copy Vringo?
3. When Google launched Google+ they stressed the importance of social media – saying clearly that social signals were going to be factored into the ranking algorithm, playing a huge role in rankings. And while no one can doubt the benefits of being involved with social media, subsequent studies by businesses have shown that building a social media following and encouraging social media interactions does indeed help SEO efforts, but does not carry nearly as much weight as Google claimed it would.
My question: How much of a role does social actually play in rankings?
4. The price of a click from paid search has been steadily increasing for the last 6 years or so. Obviously PPC is getting more competitive, but knowing Google’s tendency to cash in on anything and everything, I wonder if that increase is reflecting something more than just a rise in PPC popularity.
My question: Is the rise in CPCs (Cost-Per-Click) due in part to Google helping themselves to more AdWords revenue?
5. Google has been sued multiple times for anticompetitive practices in Europe over allegedly giving preference to their own versions of sites (YouTube, Blogger, etc.) over other platforms in the same verticals and also giving companies that are paying for PPC ad added boost in organic rankings. Google routinely uses the defense that they use “popularity” of sites as determined by web traffic and other metrics as factors and that these sites just happen to be more popular than their counterparts.
My question: What ever happened to Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” motto? Was there a conscious decision to move away from that to increase profits, or was it an unintentional slip down the evil slope?
6. Google has more data on each of us than we could ever imagine – probably more data than we even know exists. This wouldn’t worry most people if they felt like it was being kept safe under lock and key. However, worldwide Google as earned a reputation of being a little too loose with users’ private data. Eventually I think this will be Google’s downfall because people are not going to continue to support a business that they’re afraid of or can’t trust.
My question: What’s Google’s plan to clean up their image?
7. Google has worked on some of the craziest things you have ever imagined, and even some things you could never even conceive of (ex. recently they announced a project of trying to embed a computer chip in a contact lens to analyze and report the tears of diabetics to more effectively manage their blood sugar levels!).
My question: Which secret projects is Google working on currently?
8. My question: Do you remember me from the 2012 SXSW panel where you sparred with Duane Forrester from Bing? You had to conference in because you had a family emergency and couldn’t attend in person, but you could see the audience, and I was stage right about halfway back on the aisle – haha.
Okay, so Matt Cutts couldn’t actually answer all of those questions because he’s not an expert on everything going on at Google (he’s no Larry Page or anything), but those are questions that I really wish I knew the answer to. How about you? What do you wish you could ask Matt Cutts? What AdWords or SEO questions do you need help answering?
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so beware!
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