• Webmarket Central, Friday, May 30, 2008 3:46 PM

Tom Pick likens Google to an alcohol abuser in need of an intervention in this piece--which takes a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the search giant's increasingly frequent marketer offenses.

For example, Google's "wild mood swings and erratic behavior" translates to search rankings that have become terribly unstable. Pick says that he's seen a site go from the 49th spot for a particular keyword, to the ninth spot, and then back down to somewhere on the fifth page within a matter of weeks--with no changes made to the page.

Meanwhile the giant has been starting to have "problems performing simple tasks"--like the recent failure to track conversion data properly for about four days on Google Analytics, which put some e-commerce advertisers into a tailspin.

Lastly, Google has "changed its story" on some critical issues, namely the importance of in- and outbound links on a site's overall ranking. In a recent definition of SEO, the giant made no mention of link building as a ranking factor--when it clearly still influences the algorithm.

"Every day, millions of marketers and tens of millions of searchers turn to Google to provide reliable, accurate search results," Pick says. "Maybe counseling is required, maybe a 12-step program, perhaps even forced commitment. Because, as we've all been told repeatedly, friends don't let friends drive (web traffic) drunk."

Read the whole story at Webmarket Central »