Matt Cutts of Google Discussing SEO: Session 3

Contributed by MickeyMouse August 1, 2006  
Tagged: Google

Matt Cutts discusses if users can access google’s anti-spam tools and if the validation of html code is important in google’s algo. Also, what is more important search-engine optimization or end-user optimization?

Matt continues with session 3. My notes can be found below.

What is more important in website development: search engine optimization (SEO) or end-user optimization?

Both are very important. Unless you do both you will not be successful. Try to keep the search engine’s interest and the user’s interest as aligned as possible. Doing one at the expense of the other is likely the wrong thing to do.

What are some spam-detection tools so a webmaster can make sure his/her website isn’t “spammy” and be able to report spam-sites that are in competition?

Matt does not really answer this question. Here is what he says…

Obviously, most spam tracking tools that google uses are internal to the company and are not available to the public. Matt says that Yahoo Site Explorer is helpful because it will show backlinks. Tools that show all domains on one ip address can be useful as well. (A quick google search didn’t show any obvious online tools that do exactly this.)

Matt then points users to google sitemaps again. Although sitemaps does not show if a site appears to be spam or not, you can at least make sure there are no spider errors with this tool.

How important is the “cleanliness” of code such as recommendations made by W3C?

Most people write codes with errors. Frequently, high quality content does not validate; therefore, google would be foolish to exclude content that has syntax errors.

Eventually this may be become more important; however, for now, content and user experience should be the top webmaster priorities.