Has your niche changed any?

[wwsosop]

Has your niche changed that much?

Nothing has changed in my niche except for pushing anchor text with the brand name to a high degree. Stuff that worked 6 years ago still works and the same people who own 10-20 year expired domains of companies that went out of business still rank. The post was made because people talking about GEO, AIO and whatever O's exist out there.

If there is a AI issue, high authority sites with lies, half lies or fact rank for short periods of time or during algo updates when they get confused.

Also, everything google says not to do works the best and those doing it the best rank page one.

 

[MaxLank]

You’re right - the SEO "hype" changes, but the engine doesn't. While everyone chases AI trends, old domains and heavy brand anchors still dominate because Google prioritizes authority over almost everything else... Ignoring Google’s advice and sticking to what actually works is still the winning play. It’s not about the new acronyms; it’s about who has the strongest foundation.

Is this "brand-heavy" strategy helping you scale faster, or is it mainly about staying safe?

 

[RapidWorkers]

Has your niche changed that much?

Nothing has changed in my niche except for pushing anchor text with the brand name to a high degree. Stuff that worked 6 years ago still works and the same people who own 10-20 year expired domains of companies that went out of business still rank. The post was made because people talking about GEO, AIO and whatever O's exist out there.

If there is a AI issue, high authority sites with lies, half lies or fact rank for short periods of time or during algo updates when they get confused.

Also, everything google says not to do works the best and those doing it the best rank page one.

All that you see is survivor bias and normal fluctuations in the rankings where it might be possible for old, solid websites to maintain their spots in the rankings, although ultimately it all boils down to relevance and quality rather than anything else

 

[DangerJones]

In the end, more often than not, the basics still apply, just with some extra steps.

It’s the most “creative hacker” wannabes that take the brunt of algorithmic ass whoopings for stupid short cuts.

You can take short cuts just not as your main plan.

For instance, in one of my main niches, nothing REALLY changed, some things got easier as idiots got wiped out.

Plus others opted for other channels as their focus.

 

[joepistriad]

are those high authority sites with lies or half lies still ranking after the algo updates settle down?

 

[wwsosop]

You’re right - the SEO "hype" changes, but the engine doesn't. While everyone chases AI trends, old domains and heavy brand anchors still dominate because Google prioritizes authority over almost everything else... Ignoring Google’s advice and sticking to what actually works is still the winning play. It’s not about the new acronyms; it’s about who has the strongest foundation.

Is this "brand-heavy" strategy helping you scale faster, or is it mainly about staying safe?

Safety

 

[wwsosop]

are those high authority sites with lies or half lies still ranking after the algo updates settle down?

Yeah man, the truth is not a ranking factor.

 

[Faisal Mirza]

---

Interesting take, and honestly I respect that you've found what works in your niche and stuck with it. If it's still bringing results 6 years later, why change the formula?

I think the real issue is most people chase trends instead of doubling down on fundamentals. They hear "AI content" or "GEO" and panic, thinking everything changed overnight. But fundamentals (relevance, authority, user intent) haven't really shifted – just how we execute them.

Your point about Google saying "don't do X" while sites doing X dominate page 1? That's the truth nobody wants to admit out loud Theory vs reality are two different games.

Curious though – when you say anchor text with brand names works, are you seeing that across all industries or just specific niches? Always looking to refine my own strategy based on what's actually working in the wild.

 

[wwsosop]

---

Interesting take, and honestly I respect that you've found what works in your niche and stuck with it. If it's still bringing results 6 years later, why change the formula?

I think the real issue is most people chase trends instead of doubling down on fundamentals. They hear "AI content" or "GEO" and panic, thinking everything changed overnight. But fundamentals (relevance, authority, user intent) haven't really shifted – just how we execute them.

Your point about Google saying "don't do X" while sites doing X dominate page 1? That's the truth nobody wants to admit out loud Theory vs reality are two different games.

Curious though – when you say anchor text with brand names works, are you seeing that across all industries or just specific niches? Always looking to refine my own strategy based on what's actually working in the wild.

Man, I have never seen it not work unless the links are just bad.

 

[hbar19]

thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights. Seems like in the middle of ai posts your query is natural. otherwise many times i feel it is like posted by ai

 

[hsoulz]

Backlinks, branded anchors, and expired domains are still powerful. Authority sites can still rank incorrectly in the short term.


But now, it’s no longer a time when links alone are enough. Without content and trust, rankings will drop after updates.


Going against Google’s guidelines only works for short-term strategies like churn & burn, and is not suitable for long-term growth.


AI doesn’t destroy SEO, it just makes the filtering process stricter. Low-quality content will die faster than before.


Conclusion: Modern SEO is a combination of links, content, trust, and systems. You can’t rely on just one facto

 

[GuestifyX]

Has your niche changed that much?

Nothing has changed in my niche except for pushing anchor text with the brand name to a high degree. Stuff that worked 6 years ago still works and the same people who own 10-20 year expired domains of companies that went out of business still rank. The post was made because people talking about GEO, AIO and whatever O's exist out there.

If there is a AI issue, high authority sites with lies, half lies or fact rank for short periods of time or during algo updates when they get confused.

Also, everything google says not to do works the best and those doing it the best rank page one.

 

[GuestifyX]

Some old tactics still work short term but they are unstable.
Updates reward real trust most shortcuts rank then drop.

 

[Kingen Agency Network]

I find your perspective very practical. If a method has been effective for six years, there's no need to rush to change it just because a few new terms have emerged in the market, sounding as if SEO has been reinvented.In my opinion, many people are chasing trends too much and forgetting the core foundation: relevance, credibility, and matching search intent. These factors remain the same; only the implementation methods are changing.I'm also curious: is anchor text linked to brand names effective in many industries, or mainly in certain specific fields?

 

[GuestifyX]

Some old tactics still work short term but they are unstable.
Updates reward real trust most shortcuts rank then drop.

 

[Timothy Fisher]

Feels like the core has not changed much , just the way it is dressed up . Strong domains and smart anchor use still carry a lot of weight , even if people keep chasing a new trends . Some do not do this stuff clearly still works , just comes with more risk now.

 

[itz_robert]

Yes niche did not change much for me either, just small tweaks here and there, most old tricks still work if you don’t overdo it.

 

[AlijahOliver]

Some old tactics can still work, but they’re usually unstable and depend heavily on niche + competition + site history. In my experience, Google has become more sensitive to patterns now, so long-term rankings still need a mix of clean links, content quality, and real user signals.

 

[wwsosop]

Backlinks, branded anchors, and expired domains are still powerful. Authority sites can still rank incorrectly in the short term.


But now, it’s no longer a time when links alone are enough. Without content and trust, rankings will drop after updates.


Going against Google’s guidelines only works for short-term strategies like churn & burn, and is not suitable for long-term growth.


AI doesn’t destroy SEO, it just makes the filtering process stricter. Low-quality content will die faster than before.


Conclusion: Modern SEO is a combination of links, content, trust, and systems. You can’t rely on just one facto

Yeah, it is a real hustle so i have real signals

 

[wwsosop]

Some old tactics still work short term but they are unstable.
Updates reward real trust most shortcuts rank then drop.

The only time i get a ranking drop is March/April Core, google does not care if the signal are fake or real, it is going to rank topical authority over everything else unless you been there a while in my obserrvations