Google's Dewey Update

Last last week, news broke of a potential Google algorithm update. As we move further into this week confirmations abound - including a call for feedback from Matt Cutts and millions of comments from SEOs reporting non-trivial changes in search rankings.

What's most notable about this, and past Google updates, is the rampant speculation on conjecture on what the algorithm changes consist of. Once again I need to restate that Google simply wields too much power these days. Unspecified changes to the existing (fully) unspecified algorithm simply create confusion, a bit of panic, and an inordinate amount of wasted time.

Here's an analogy. Imagine a local business owner running advertisements that contain driving directions to her store. She's spent a fair amount of time providing directions from various points, including back-roads and highways, to accommodate her geographically diverse customer base. Now imagine that the Federal Highway Administration in conjunction with State Departments of Transportation and various local agencies rearrange all the roads in a manner they think is a little better. And in so doing they tell no one of their plans, publish no maps, and only tacitly admit that changes were ever made. Now our poor local business owner has no recourse but to go out and drive all the roads herself, from all origination points she's interested in, and republish her directions.

Sounds a little koo-koo, no?

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