Why Does SEO Change So Much?

Why do you need search engine optimization (SEO) experts at all? Why is it that what was true just a year ago is now redundant or inapplicable? Why do people have to train and re-train in SEO?

The primary reason is Google. It is the biggest and most widely used search engine on the Internet and it dictates the rules of SEO. Other search engines may have their own set of rules and guidelines, but so many webmasters work to gain higher rankings on the Google search engine that other search engines simply have to fall in line. 

So, why does Google keep changing the rules? Why do they keep moving the goalposts? There are two reasons. The first is profit. Despite their protestations, the fact is that every time Google initiates a big update such as Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, etc. their profits go up.

The second reason is that the company is constantly trying to improve the usefulness of its search engine whilst fighting those that try to manipulate it. The truth is that Google is nothing more than a piece of software, and software has rules that may be bent. Google has to work all year round to catch those that bend the rules, and then create new rules to ensure people cannot cheat and manipulate the search engine with what is known as “black hat SEO”.

It is in Google’s interest to keep improving its search engine. Whenever people use Google and cannot find what they want, they move onto other search engines, and that is the last thing Google wants.