bk we got off to a bad start yesterday, mostly because I took what you said the wrong way. I think we can all agree that it takes a lot of reading and a lot of physical testing to be an expert or successful at anything. It was a bad title for the thread, and set the tone wrong right from the start. I really want to learn (and see others learn) and become stronger in my SEO skillset, the same as most others here.
Let this thread be an example to all, of how easy it can be to spectacularly crash and burn at something, when things are not stated properly, and Egos get fired up.
Anyway I would like to offer up some of my recent findings that Ive been hinting at in other threads, and get some feedback and thoughts from everyone.
Basically, what our team has been finding with our SEO efforts recently is that backlinks are not ranking sites. I know...I know... its blasphemous
But really take a look around at sites. Look at the results people keep seeing from their own sites and backinking efforts. There is so much inconsistency in rankings.
This seems to be due to two things.
#1 Site structure and meta/onpage optimization.
and
#2 The type of text that is on the page.
Now I will get more into this and hopefully create a better thread about the topic later, but if you can, really have an objective look at whats going on with rankings. And see if you can see the patterns Im seeing.
The main one I keep throwing out is that Matt Cutts basically told everyone that backlinks arent working anymore on Christmas. Everyone miss understood him to be saying that Press Releases no longer work. But we all know thats not true, Press Releases are working fine for ranking sites still. So that just leaves 2 things, he was lying, or he was telling the truth and people misunderstood what he was saying.
With everything Ive seen with Frobarks test sites and the various sites that are ranking high in the serps,
Matt Cutts was telling the truth when he said links wont help rankings. (In the traditional sense, that we all understand backlinks)
I have a lot more info to back this claim up, but I dont feel like people respect or deserve deep truths without paying or working to get those truths. So at this time, Im not planning a WSO to sell for people to pay for this truth/info, Im giving clues for people to "work" this out on their own.
Also it is really imperative that people start optimizing their sites correctly in order for Frobark to be able to offer our future services for this new backlinkless SEO environment.
Hopefully the guy in this video helps people get headed in the right direction: