SEO Needs a New Name and Apparently Another Big Company Agrees

by Mike Anthony

Posted: 10 years ago 17 replies

A little while ago SEOmoz changed its name to just Moz. this week I got the notice that MajesticSEO is now changing to just majestic.

Why the Majestic name change? - Majestic Blog

Thats two big companies that mostly do SEO related stuff wanting to and then stepping away from the name/abbreviation.

Theres all kids of excuses for it (and none of the companies are going to stop being involved in SEO so spare us the SEO is dead or dying nonsense). The links give some of them but in my opinion the name has fallen on hard times for a few different reasons

A) saying you are or do SEO has always been a pain in the neck (whats thaaaat? who? oh you mean you are on the internets. My nephew tried that and it didn't work.)

B) chicken littles running around on forums saying SEO is dead because they only did one part of it that google said they were going to slap and ...oh my... they really did!

C) most importantly the fact that everyone and their dog who in many cases can't even read good enough English to understand announcements and facts coming out of Google claiming to be an SEO is ruining the name. Just this week I had someone contact me to learn SEO who was already putting up a site to offer what he did not have the first clue to do. Every one thinks they have it down by reading a page or two on the net.

Shucks even I am throwing in the towel on one of my sites with SEO in it (although a sister company was just launched with it). I guess some will argue it but I think it not repairable. The profession is fine but the name is muddied beyond repair and I am in search of another one - and no nothing with "marketing" in it. Thats even more muddied than SEO.

So what should we call ourselves going forward? especially since nowadays SEO involves a lot more than it used to when peoples started using the term

#agrees #apparently #big #company #seo

SupplementTalk 10 years ago

Maybe its because the trend is leaning more towards "branding". What I mean is, take Nike, Toyota, and Addeco for example. All leaders in their industries but they dont put shoes, cars, or employment after their names. We already know what they do and what they are extremely good at. To me, Toyota.com looks better and sharper than ToyotaCars.com

The same goes with Majestic looking better than MajesticSEO. Just my thoughts.

If they were getting rid of the SEO simply to "hide" that they are an SEO, I think it is a little late for that.
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Icematikx 10 years ago

Been saying it a long time. SEO means nothing and is a defunct word. You don't "optimize" for search engines. You digitally market something.

Whenever somebody asks me what I do, I never mention the word SEO. It's always, "I do Digital Marketing". Building links, acquiring links, whatever, it's all marketing - even if it's behind the scenes marketing.

I'd much prefer to see the industry shift towards "Digital Marketing" as opposed to "SEO". We already have names for everything else - Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing, E-Mail Marketing. Digital Marketing incorporates all of those.
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jinx1221

10 years ago

I struggled with this exact thing when naming my software. When SEOmoz changed to just Moz, I was like, shit. I already have this named, domain and all. Then I sort of reasoned that SEO is more of a buzzword now than something to do with trying to manipulate the search engines (it's original meaning, and what has muddied the term). Seo now, imho, means anything to do with 'increasing your website exposure and traffic via several various online avenues'. IYWEATVSVOA is just a bitch to say, much less type

Seo now, to me, is just a roll off the tongue. Think of Apps (there's an App for that). Years ago you imagined an iPad or iPhone App. Now an App is anything really. I just bought a new Windows app. That Amazon digital ebook app is pretty cool. I don't really think of any specific thing when I hear the word Seo. I just think of the overall goal - raising your websites exposure and traffic by means other than sitting there twiddling your thumbs hoping people stumble upon your site.

Originally Posted by Mike Anthony

So what should we call ourselves going forward? especially since nowadays SEO involves a lot more than it used to when peoples started using the term

I vote for 'BWDS' - Black and White Dragon Slayers

Hey! Kinda looks like Sexy Lexy! But I digress

Originally Posted by SupplementTalk

Maybe its because the trend is leaning more towards "branding". What I mean is, take Nike, Toyota, and Addeco for example. All leaders in their industries but they dont put shoes, cars, or employment after their names. We already know what they do and what they are extremely good at. To me, Toyota.com looks better and sharper than ToyotaCars.com

The same goes with Majestic looking better than MajesticSEO. Just my thoughts.

If they were getting rid of the SEO simply to "hide" that they are an SEO, I think it is a little late for that.

Agreed. I could change mine to just 'Plasma' I suppose. Nah.

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godoveryou

10 years ago

C) most importantly the fact that everyone and their dog who in many cases can't even read good enough English to understand announcements and facts coming out of Google claiming to be an SEO is ruining the name. Just this week I had someone contact me to learn SEO who was already putting up a site to offer what he did not have the first clue to do. Every one thinks they have it down by reading a page or two on the net.

Yep... that's why I've been trying to figure out how to distance myself as well...

The fact is that I don't want to I do and what I know attached to some of the idiots that come here looking for "Advices" and good "SEO Contents" for their customer's "Weblog."

I haven't found the right word for it yet though...

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SupplementTalk 10 years ago

"The fact is that I don't want to I do and what I know attached to some of the idiots"

? confusing.
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- godoveryou 10 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by SupplementTalk
  
  "The fact is that I don't want to I do and what I know attached to some of the idiots"
  
  ? confusing.
  
  Don't worry, it doesn't really apply to you.
  
  @Mike Anthony ~ !!! Let me teach you how to make $100 !!!
  
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  Mike Anthony 10 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by godoveryou
  
  @Mike Anthony ~ !!! Let me teach you how to make $100 !!!
  
  For the tenth and last time GOY. I don't need your product. I am African American and if I were going into that business opportunity I would charge more than $100 and use my natural equipment.
  
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jinx1221

10 years ago

Originally Posted by godoveryou

The fact is that I don't want to I do and what I know attached to some of the idiots that come here looking for "Advices" and good "SEO Contents" for their customer's "Weblog."

Allow me to play Word Nazi for a moment and fix this for Goy:

"The fact is that I don't want [people to associate what they think real Seo is, with myself and what I do and know, with people who think they know Seo but obviously have no clue, attaching my name and profession] to some of the idiots that come here looking for "Advices" and good "SEO Contents" for their customer's "Weblog."

There, my good deed for the day is done! Time to roll a fatty and play some vids

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Mike Anthony

10 years ago

Originally Posted by jinx1221

There, my good deed for the day is done! Time to roll a fatty and play some vids

Don't go to far my man. I am definitely working with your software this weekend.

Originally Posted by MikeFriedman

My business card says "Traffic Generation Consultant".

But I also don't do only SEO, so it fits.

I had no idea you worked for your city's transit department Mike.

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godoveryou

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Mike Anthony

I had no idea you worked for your city's transvestite department Mike.

There you go...

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Mike Anthony

10 years ago

Originally Posted by godoveryou

There you go...

Thats not fair GOY. I think the doctors did a pretty Good job with Mike. Looks like a guy now most times I see his picture. Let bygones be bygones. I hear SEODOllz looked like Owen Wilson before. Still a fetching couple. Surgery discount for pairs.

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MikeFriedman

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Mike Anthony

Those doctors are pretty amazing.

Mike went from this...

to this...

Pretty drastic change...

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Mike Anthony 10 years ago

Originally Posted by MikeFriedman

I'd look into a lawsuit against your anesthesiologist Mike. The rest of us all remember thats an old photo of Yukon hearing that Rand was stepping down at Moz.

I look more like Leroy
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godoveryou

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Mike Anthony

Look Mike, I'm getting sick of correcting your errors dammit.

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Kevin Maguire

10 years ago

Originally Posted by godoveryou

How about we all become Gimp's

Google
Is
My
Punani

It's got my vote..

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MikeFriedman 10 years ago

My business card says "Traffic Generation Consultant".

But I also don't do only SEO, so it fits.

And I won't tell you what my t-shirt says.
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paulgl

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Mike Anthony

Yup. Look at all the threads.

Bonehead questions from people with SEO sigs.

Bonehead questions from seo gurus asking for help with a paying client.

Bonehead answers from gurus who don't know PageRank from page rank,
call the title a meta tag, insist there is something called dofollow, and other
such rot.

Since there really only is one search engine company, the new name would
need to include google in it.

Google Search Maximization. GSM

Paul

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