Comments on: The Problem with Testing in SEO http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-problem-with-testing-in-seo State of Search - Where Search and Social meet up Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:44:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: No easy answers to an age old problem | Domain Buddy http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-76839 No easy answers to an age old problem | Domain Buddy Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:49:38 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-76839 [...] The Problem with Testing in SEO [...] [...] The Problem with Testing in SEO [...]

]]> By: Weekly Search & Social News: 03/02/2010 - SeoAlchemist - How to make gold with SEO. http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-83 Weekly Search & Social News: 03/02/2010 - SeoAlchemist - How to make gold with SEO. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:31:49 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-83 [...] The Problem with Testing in SEO – oh my… this is one of my FAV topics. Certainly one I was planning on writing up for the SEOBS blog. As for this entry, not bad… makes a few sound points. Thanks for the warm-up bro! [...] [...] The Problem with Testing in SEO – oh my… this is one of my FAV topics. Certainly one I was planning on writing up for the SEOBS blog. As for this entry, not bad… makes a few sound points. Thanks for the warm-up bro! [...]

]]> By: Weekly Search & Social News: 03/02/2010 | Search Engine Journal http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-79 Weekly Search & Social News: 03/02/2010 | Search Engine Journal Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:38:16 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-79 [...] The Problem with Testing in SEO – oh my… this is one of my FAV topics. Certainly one I was planning on writing up for the SEOBS blog. As for this entry, not bad… makes a few sound points. Thanks for the warm-up bro! [...] [...] The Problem with Testing in SEO – oh my… this is one of my FAV topics. Certainly one I was planning on writing up for the SEOBS blog. As for this entry, not bad… makes a few sound points. Thanks for the warm-up bro! [...]

]]> By: Barry Adams http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-50 Barry Adams Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:03:49 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-50 Thanks all for your comments. :) @Dennis: ideally SEO would be as straightforward as binary, but it isn't (and I think that's a good thing). Many testers make that jump from measuring to 'proving' a bit too quickly - correlation isn't causality, and our own biases and preconceived notions often get in the way. @Nichola: I agree that applying the scientific method to SEO is not ideal, but I do think that the scientific method is the best tool we have. Imho it's less flawed than any alternative approach. Science has its share of prejudices and bias, but it at least strives to be transparent and objective. Whether or not we should apply the scientific method to something as fluid and changeable as SEO, well, that's one of the questions we should try and answer. :) Thanks all for your comments. :)

@Dennis: ideally SEO would be as straightforward as binary, but it isn’t (and I think that’s a good thing). Many testers make that jump from measuring to ‘proving’ a bit too quickly – correlation isn’t causality, and our own biases and preconceived notions often get in the way.

@Nichola: I agree that applying the scientific method to SEO is not ideal, but I do think that the scientific method is the best tool we have. Imho it’s less flawed than any alternative approach. Science has its share of prejudices and bias, but it at least strives to be transparent and objective. Whether or not we should apply the scientific method to something as fluid and changeable as SEO, well, that’s one of the questions we should try and answer. :)

]]> By: Nichola Stott http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-49 Nichola Stott Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:17:35 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-49 You raise some really interesting philisophical concepts about the nature of understanding, and proof of concept. I do believe that testing and scientific testing is an important part of understanding how some elements of an algorithm, may work, at a certain point in time - however mainly because of point 3. I think we need to widen our faith and what informs our opinions to a wider empirical approach; even which, if we agree with Thomas Kuhn, is always influenced by prior experience and our innate assumptions. I guess what I'm trying to say is "the scientific method" is just as flawed as any other. IMHO Nic You raise some really interesting philisophical concepts about the nature of understanding, and proof of concept. I do believe that testing and scientific testing is an important part of understanding how some elements of an algorithm, may work, at a certain point in time – however mainly because of point 3. I think we need to widen our faith and what informs our opinions to a wider empirical approach; even which, if we agree with Thomas Kuhn, is always influenced by prior experience and our innate assumptions.

I guess what I’m trying to say is “the scientific method” is just as flawed as any other. IMHO

Nic

]]> By: robert callaghan http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-46 robert callaghan Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:06:10 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-46 Hi Barry, I totally agree, we need to test and analyse everything we do, i go by the saying , get found, convert, analyse and repeat best practices. There's no point in doing SEO unless it drives leads, we all want more leads at the end of the day. Basically keeps us in jobs, so if you can show your clients increased traffic and the process involved brilliant. We use hubspot which combines seo, sociall media and blogging analytics all in one platform. Rob Hi Barry,

I totally agree, we need to test and analyse everything we do, i go by the saying , get found, convert, analyse and repeat best practices. There’s no point in doing SEO unless it drives leads, we all want more leads at the end of the day. Basically keeps us in jobs, so if you can show your clients increased traffic and the process involved brilliant. We use hubspot which combines seo, sociall media and blogging analytics all in one platform.

Rob

]]> By: Dennis Sievers http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-42 Dennis Sievers Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:37:35 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-42 Ouch, my ego is hurt now Barry ;-) But you're right. We don't test things the scientific way. On the other hand, we can (almost) measure everything we test, and with that, we do prove things. We live in a digital world, that means 1 = yes and 0 = no. And we SEO's tend to look like things that way too :) Ouch, my ego is hurt now Barry ;-)

But you’re right. We don’t test things the scientific way. On the other hand, we can (almost) measure everything we test, and with that, we do prove things. We live in a digital world, that means 1 = yes and 0 = no. And we SEO’s tend to look like things that way too :)

]]> By: Danny Denhard http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-problem-with-testing-in-seo/#comment-41 Danny Denhard Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:29:31 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=285#comment-41 Hit the nail on the head Barry! "The SEO industry has an abundance of egos" is quote of the day for me! Hit the nail on the head Barry!
“The SEO industry has an abundance of egos” is quote of the day for me!

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