Greg Jarboe Shares His Take on the Biggest Search Event
The recent search engine summit has wrapped up, but the ideas that spilled out from the conference rooms are still unfolding. After interviewing Greg Jarboe, a seasoned consultant who has chronicled many of the industry’s pivotal moments for Murdok, I’ve distilled his observations into a concise rundown that’s useful for anyone who wants to keep up with the shifting SEO landscape.
Greg begins by confirming the long‑standing dominance of Google in search rankings, but he points out that Yahoo remains a formidable contender for the #2 spot. He notes two clear differences between the two giants: Google’s heavy emphasis on link quality continues to grow, while Yahoo’s model allows for paid inclusion through Overture, giving marketers an alternative avenue for visibility.
For his clients, Greg advocates a dual‑pronged strategy. By crafting optimized press releases that naturally earn backlinks, he can help brands build a strong link profile that Google will reward. If a client is willing to gamble on the potential for controversy, he suggests that paid inclusion can bring a surge of traffic to those same releases, boosting short‑term performance without sacrificing the long‑term value of organic links.
Not every client is comfortable with that gamble. Greg mentioned a large New York‑based agency that represents high‑profile brands. Those accounts are wary of the SiteMatch controversy and have decided to steer clear of paid inclusion on press releases. The risk of being associated with a contentious program outweighs the benefits in their view.
On the other hand, Greg finds that smaller firms - those that prioritize lead generation over brand awareness - are more inclined to experiment with Overture’s new paid inclusion options. These businesses are open to testing the waters, although they’re not thrilled about the recent cost structure changes. It seems the cost‑to‑value equation still needs fine‑tuning for this segment.
One of Greg’s key takeaways from the summit is Google’s commitment to more frequent algorithm updates in 2004. He interprets this move as an effort to curb spammy tactics that had eroded user trust. However, he also warns that a rapid churn of ranking criteria could confuse users and make search results feel unpredictable. “Do you feel lucky?” he quipped, reminding us that even the best algorithms can feel like a gamble.
Yahoo, meanwhile, is working on solidifying its new algorithm before rolling it out to the public. The company is also testing the waters with paid inclusion on a broader scale, so the true impact on user perception remains to be seen. Greg thinks the real test will come from how visitors react to search results that feature paid placements.
Overall, Greg predicts a roller‑coaster ride for the coming months. The industry will see a series of rapid changes in both organic and paid search tactics, and marketers must stay alert to how users ultimately define “relevance.” His message is simple: focus on building high‑quality backlinks, but keep an eye on paid inclusion as a possible short‑term boost - just be ready to pivot if the user sentiment shifts.
Greg’s insights are available through his website,
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