On Inside PR 2.58, we talk about how Steve Rubel, one of the PR industry’s social media leaders, announced he deleted his two blogs – everything – and is starting again on Tumblr.
He cites search engine optimization as one of the main reasons for his decision and the fact that he wants Google to find all his content in one place. And while he trashed the posts, his old domains are mirrors of the new site and automatically direct traffic there.
I was thinking about his actions after we recorded the show and one thing stood out: he doesn’t seem to care about his content.
I guess that bugged me because I’m a writer (and rewriter) first and foremost. I love the written word and the way it captures a moment – a thought – with style, eloquence, wit…
But the Big Delete is saying no one cares about what you write or how wonderful your stories are. It’s all disposable – fodder for the great digital recycling bin.
It’s proclaiming: SEO reins supreme. Long live SEO!
In many ways, the situation is similar to the age-old battle between between joke and delivery. Which is more important to a comic? One of my big comedy lessons is superb delivery with mediocre material can often trump an amazing joke poorly told.
Sure we need SEO – we all know that (i.e. please see tags) because if we’re nowhere to be be found we may as well be writing in a personal journal or talking to ourselves. But I don’t think the mechanism should supplant our continual striving for inspirational, aspirational, heart-grabbing, brain-teasing, never-before-heard content.
I guess when it comes down to it, I’m a bigger fan of the story.
