Is SEO Dead after Google Penguin Update 2012?

[Kim Cunnings]

As Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land said, "If SEO is dead, it sure has been taking its time dying", meaning that SEO has been dead a gazillion times already!!!

However, what's different now, is that Penguin affected about 3% of all queries, which is really A LOT. Just think about it, it's almost every 33rd website!!!!

And, unlike during the previous updates, a lot of white-hat, legitimate sites have been affected. If you remember, in Panda days, the guys complaining were basically really crappy sites. Well, now it's different.

Looks like Google is heading in the wrong direction with Penguin. Some people have been talking about Google committing suicide - might as well be the case!

But, hey, does this mean all SEO managers should now just quit their jobs? I don't think so. We have survived so many algorithm changes in the past, and if there is anything we've learned from them is to avoid knee-jerk reaction and to be patient.

I'm sure that, no matter how search engines change and what market share Google has in the future, as long as there are search engines - there will be SEO's.

I also wanted to ask the OP, what SEO giants are you talking about? I know some very reputable SEO services providers who are saying that some of their clients got hit pretty badly, but they're not saying they've gone bankrupt... So, I was just curious.

Also, in SEO it's always good to have a plan B (don't put all your eggs in one basket, remember?). I really like the plan Link Assistant proposed a few days ago, which is, basically, to see who's ranking at top now, analyze their backlinks, anchor texts and content.

You then get an idea what backlinks, anchors and content Google likes (supposedly). Link Assistant also offer tools to do that. Sounds to me like the most realistic post-Penguin plan I've heard so far!