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Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

news.rapgenius.com

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Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#101

Post by gmisra »

davemel37 wrote: post #40
gmisra wrote: post #20

This is complicated. 1. rapgenius is probably the least spammy lyrics site on the internet, and definitely so amongst those on the first page of search results. As a consumer, I would not have a problem with Google, et al giving rapgenius results a special algorithmic bump to move them up. I also know that this is an opinion - it may be a popular opinion, but it is still inherently subjective. 2. If I was in rapgeniu…

1. If Google would penalize their own sites for link schemes (i.e. Chrome) done by third party agencies, certainly they should for Rap Genius. This isn't about whats the best site, this is about maintaining credibility in their index. The moment Google plays favorites manually is the moment I switch to another search engine. 2. Gaming SEO is attractive to almost everybody. Google needs to make it so painful to get ca…

> The moment Google plays favorites manually is the moment I switch to another search engine.

If you believe this doesn't already happen, then you and I must be using different internets. Simply by being selective in which aspects of SEO gaming they chose to address, in what order, and to what extent, they are making editorial decisions. If you're working in an industry where search results are already dominated by low-level SEO manipulation (say, maybe, music lyrics?), are you expected to stand by and let Google be the arbiter of if and when that issue is addressed?

> why not speed up the process of meeting them in the middle and focus on legit link acquisition and traffic acquisition strategies...

My guess is that will be the very likely outcome of this whole brouhaha. It would also not come as a surprise to me if this was the goal all along - getting Matt Cutts' attention is hard, until you're doing something wrong.

You seem to know a lot about SEO, definitely more than me. But it feels like you are expressing a criticism that presumes that this behavior has been happening, and has been tolerated, for some time.

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#102

Post by Destitute »

julespitt wrote: post #4
mwcurry wrote: post #2

Can anyone post the original controversy? The letter mentions it but doesn't link to it.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6956658

I've never read anything more douchey in my life. Are they trying to appeal to the "hip-hop" crowd with the feigned street talk?

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#103

Post by yogo »

jlebron2 wrote: post #31
gmisra wrote: post #20

This is complicated. 1. rapgenius is probably the least spammy lyrics site on the internet, and definitely so amongst those on the first page of search results. As a consumer, I would not have a problem with Google, et al giving rapgenius results a special algorithmic bump to move them up. I also know that this is an opinion - it may be a popular opinion, but it is still inherently subjective. 2. If I was in rapgeniu…

I have to agree that rapgenius has a great product but their "juvenile and occasionally offensive" demeanor tends to overshadow this. Would love to see them turn their image around but I'm not sure how likely that is. I've always wondered if that is a front they put on to relate to their user base. But then again I love rapgenius and I don't see it as being effective at all. [EDIT] grammar

It definitely comes off as a front. That's ironic because a lot of rap/hip hop is all about "I'm the real thing with the money, cars, women, etc. and the others are fake" lol.

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#104

Post by [deleted] »

jlebron2 wrote: post #31
gmisra wrote: post #20

This is complicated. 1. rapgenius is probably the least spammy lyrics site on the internet, and definitely so amongst those on the first page of search results. As a consumer, I would not have a problem with Google, et al giving rapgenius results a special algorithmic bump to move them up. I also know that this is an opinion - it may be a popular opinion, but it is still inherently subjective. 2. If I was in rapgeniu…

I have to agree that rapgenius has a great product but their "juvenile and occasionally offensive" demeanor tends to overshadow this. Would love to see them turn their image around but I'm not sure how likely that is. I've always wondered if that is a front they put on to relate to their user base. But then again I love rapgenius and I don't see it as being effective at all. [EDIT] grammar

[deleted]

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#105

Post by andrewhillman »

I guess they wont be launching SEOgenius.com anytime soon. All jokes aside, these kinds of actions are the result of pressure to get big fast. You can complain about what these competitor lyric sites are doing, but the truth is that some of these guys are the true growth hackers. They actually employ 1-2 elements that are 100% white-hat and I am positive it helps them achieve great rankings... aside for being around longer. It's not obvious but they have implemented some smart SEO strategies. But here's the thing... They learned these strategies by understanding how random users use their service. Nothing wrong with this. Perhaps, rapgenius should look a little closer and interact with competitor sites if they are frustrated with the competition.

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#106

Post by wetmore »

antr wrote: post #61

RapGenius != Lyrics site Lyrics site != text annotation site Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO != apology If an internet user searches for "Coldplay Yellow lyrics" he/she should be provided with a lyrics website (e.g. AZLyrics) by the search engine. If I search for "Coldplay Yellow annotations" I would like to go to an annotations website like RapGenius. That's what I expect from Google. If RapGenius wants t…

RapGenius is certainly a lyrics site. Why should the user be brought to AZLyrics when RapGenius provides the same content (lyrics) as well as annotations?

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#107

Post by davemel37 »

pvnick wrote: post #85
davemel37 wrote: post #11

This site should be penalized up the wazoo. This "non-apology" apology, is the classic example of a tattletale at school...the classic excuse of its not my fault cuz everyone is doing it...more importantly, it is wrong, and demonstrates a "our sh don't stick mentality" exchanging a tweet for a link is considered exchanging services for a link, which does indeed fall under the buying links category.) Furthermore, whil…

You would have them be "penalized up the wazoo" because they didn't apologize in the way you would have preferred? Talk about being unreasonably punitive. I would hope that making an example out of somebody is not a formal strategy in search engine ranking. Instead, be rational and penalize them in proportion to the degree to which they cheat, just like everyone else.

No, I would penalize them for building spammy backlinks the same way Google penalized their own chrome site.

The apology seems to indicate that they only think they did something grayhatish. In reality it was the worst kind of link spam...buying links.

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#108

Post by obstacle1 »

pvnick wrote: post #85
davemel37 wrote: post #11

This site should be penalized up the wazoo. This "non-apology" apology, is the classic example of a tattletale at school...the classic excuse of its not my fault cuz everyone is doing it...more importantly, it is wrong, and demonstrates a "our sh don't stick mentality" exchanging a tweet for a link is considered exchanging services for a link, which does indeed fall under the buying links category.) Furthermore, whil…

You would have them be "penalized up the wazoo" because they didn't apologize in the way you would have preferred? Talk about being unreasonably punitive. I would hope that making an example out of somebody is not a formal strategy in search engine ranking. Instead, be rational and penalize them in proportion to the degree to which they cheat, just like everyone else.

I didn't see any inference from OP that because of this apology the site should be penalized. Perhaps OP thinks that the extremely shady spam tactics the site clearly uses in themselves deserve penalization up the wazoo.

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#109

Post by look_lookatme »

newnewnew wrote: post #88
gmisra wrote: post #20

This is complicated. 1. rapgenius is probably the least spammy lyrics site on the internet, and definitely so amongst those on the first page of search results. As a consumer, I would not have a problem with Google, et al giving rapgenius results a special algorithmic bump to move them up. I also know that this is an opinion - it may be a popular opinion, but it is still inherently subjective. 2. If I was in rapgeniu…

I can't tell if Hacker News hates African-American culture, or just white boys who take part in it. If they were annotating Opera Librettas and spoke in Victorian English, I'm sure HN would love them. It's not like they are complete posers. They got investment from Nas.

I don't particularly care about librettas or victorian english, but the shit these guys say is pretty absurd.

  In any case this weekend we are going to have them play some heads-up
  poker, a set of tennis, a drinking contest - a winner gwan emerge
  (Ilan) and you girls gonna see wassup. If you wanna cover these
  "World's Sexiest Startup Man" events you are welcome - we will get you
  soused up you gonna feel nice.
  
  Let me cut to the chase: Ilan's sexy is $15M Zach's is $10M YOU FEEL
  ME? You know what I'm saying now? You feel me..
- http://valleywag.gawker.com/rap-genius-incites-unsolicited-s...

Re: Open Letter to Google About Rap Genius SEO

#110

Post by newnewnew »

onedev wrote: post #51

So I think there is a key takeaway for the RapGenius guys here, and it has nothing to do with Google, SEO, or their tactics. The lesson to be learned here is that if they continue to intentionally behave in a childish manner like they have been (in interviews, emails, etc), it puts off a lot of people; a lot of the tech community. I'm seeing a lot of comments here which seem to put a lot of weight into their image (w…

"Son do you know why I'm stopping you fo?"

Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low

Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don't know

Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?

http://rapgenius.com/Jay-z-99-problems-lyrics

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