Would Google Hire an ex-SEO?
Jun 28, 2006 Search and SEO
Now there’s a serious question. I was looking at the recent job postings at Google (the Googleplex no less), and started seeing some jobs in Adwords and Adsense that I’d be well qualified for. But I have a pretty lengthy SEO past doing all the SEO work for two large corporations and one affiliate network, and that may be dark history for Google. They have a hate-to-love-hate relationship with SEOs. Even the whities are a thorn in their side, no matter how much you may argue “But Google learns from the good SEOs!” By the purest algorithmic standards, there is no such thing as a good SEO. We are manipulators of the system. We seek out the week points of the sytem and target them. We won’t go away, so Google tries to keep us at bay with anecdotal play nice attempts at relationships. There are many good people that are Google employees and there are many good people that are SEOs. Many of them are intermingling friends. I bet you a game of Ultimate Frisbee with SEO vs. Googlers would be real interesting. I’m betting SEOs would get their ass kicked (since its assumed that Ultimate is big in the Valley).
Sure, they can theoretically play together, but can Google and SEOs really work together? Will Google actually hire SEOs? What if the SEO is a pronounced recovering SEO? Would the SEO be able to work within the walls of Google without coming up with linkbait ideas on a daily basis? What would the SEO do for his 20% personal development time? Build links still? Would Google use their regular run-of-the-mill NDA or would they specialize one for incoming SEOs? (Such as the SEO may be required to never reveal if there really is a sandbox, and what kids are still in it, since we’ve never really been told a straight answer). Would the SEO be allowed to keep Adsense on his sites? If not, would his non-compete also keep him from running Yahoo’s publisher network ads too? What would an ex-SEO/ex-Googler life be like if he decided to leave Google? Would all that be worth it to the SEO to apply at Google?
I know of at least one SEO company that have hired former Google engineers to work for them and I’m sure there are more, but I’ve never heard the vice versa happening. I currently have a great job now doing SEO and PPC for an affiliate network, something I truly love, so I may never find out.
I’m not saying I would, I’m just wondering if I could?
June 29th, 2006 at 6:34 pm
Hm.. An interesting question you raise here. I guess they would not hire us, because good SEO’s knows too many people in the community, and therefore he could be a possible source of leaks?
I don’t know. Hard to say.
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