Brief Summary
Alright, so this video is all about the hard truths of SEO that many people don't want to accept. It covers how Google doesn't owe you traffic, why you might be targeting the wrong keywords, and why traffic alone isn't the goal. It also talks about how most SEO advice is recycled and why you need to focus on user satisfaction and content promotion.
- Google is not your friend; it prioritizes searchers, not websites.
- Stop chasing impossible keywords; focus on winnable battles.
- Traffic is useless if it doesn't drive business value.
- Most SEO advice is just recycled; focus on doing, not just learning.
- User satisfaction is key; create content that truly solves problems.
- Promote your content; don't expect it to rank on its own.
Google Doesn't Owe You Traffic
The video starts by saying Google doesn't owe anyone traffic and its main job is to make searchers happy, not to reward websites. Google will keep people on its platform if it can, using featured snippets, quick answers, and now AI overviews. An ex-Googler even said Google sees sending traffic to publishers as a "necessary evil." So, don't think Google is trying to help your site succeed; it's all about the searcher and Google itself. You're fighting the platform you're trying to win on, so you have to play the game by Google's rules.
Stop Targeting Impossible Keywords
A lot of people waste time trying to rank for keywords they have no chance of winning. This usually happens when you see a high-volume keyword that doesn't look too competitive and you go all in, but months later, you're still on page 3. The problem isn't your content; it's the competition. Those keywords are dominated by big sites with tons of backlinks and SEO teams. Instead, take a laddered approach. Start with lower competition topics, rank for those, and then work your way up. SEO is a long game, and you'll lose if you keep swinging at impossible keywords.
Traffic Isn't the Goal
Ranking and traffic aren't the ultimate goals. SEO traffic is just a way to deliver customers to your business. If that traffic doesn't lead to customers, leads, or revenue, it's useless. Ranking only matters if it helps your business. SEO is a traffic source, not a business strategy. So, instead of just looking at search volume and keyword difficulty, add "business value" to your keyword research. Use a simple scale: 3 if your product is essential, 2 if it's helpful, and 1 if it barely matters. This makes sure your content is tied to real business results.
Most SEO Advice is Recycled
Most SEO advice is just recycled, and a lot of the content out there isn't even written by people who are actively doing SEO. If everything you read or watch sounds the same, it's probably because it is. SEO isn't rocket science, and you might be following advice from someone who hasn't ranked a page in years. So, stop binge-watching content and go do SEO. If you're already doing SEO but not ranking, it might be because your content isn't as good as you think. This is because of the effort justification fallacy – the more effort you put in, the more you think it's great, even if it's not.
User Satisfaction is Key
Quality in SEO comes down to user satisfaction – how well your page meets the needs of the searcher. Google is good at measuring this. If people land on your page and quickly go back to the search results, your page isn't satisfying them. Spend less time on word count and more time understanding your audience. What do they really want to know? Then, create content that gives them the answer faster and better than the top results. Audience research is super important, especially now that AI can create tons of content. Your audience cares if your content solves their problem, not how well-written it is.
Promote Your Content
Even great content can fail if it's not promoted. Content doesn't rank itself; it needs to be shared, especially by people who will link to it. This is even more important for smaller sites. Before you target a keyword, ask yourself who you can share the content with and who will link to it. If you don't have those answers, don't create the content yet. "If you build it, they will come" is a lie in SEO. SEO isn't dead, but our expectations are broken. People want fast answers from AI and real stories from real people. Be skeptical, and create content that respects people's time and solves their problems. Ask yourself, "Do I want to read this? Would I trust this? Would I share this?"
