Is There Bias Against Google by Moderators on the r/SEO Reddit Community?

Google’s Danny Sullivan posted on the r/SEO subreddit to clear up a misunderstanding, but a moderator deleted it without any reason. Later, the post reappeared. This is not an isolated case. John Mueller’s posts have also been removed without explanation, leading to the belief that the r/SEO moderation may have a bias against Google, even to the extent of hostility.

This is not the only instance where a Google employee’s post has been taken down. John Mueller has also experienced this.

The original post misinterpreted what SearchLiaison had stated. It was disappointing to see a moderator delete a post by a Google representative that aimed to correct the inaccurate information.

This raises the question: what purpose does the r/SEO subreddit serve if it prohibits Google representatives from addressing misinformation and providing assistance?

Redditor Misinterprets Google

The original post was about one statement that was taken out of context of a much larger tweet by SearchLiaison.

The Redditor missed the point that SearchLiaison was suggesting publishers prioritize their readers over just following SEO tactics for ranking. Here's what they meant:

You should focus on making your website user-friendly and valuable for your visitors. Google recognizes a great site based on how well it serves its visitors, not on adding things just to please Google.

Instead of solely catering to Google, it is important to prioritize creating a website that aligns with what search engines are looking to reward. This means focusing on user experience and value over trying to manipulate search engine rankings.

SearchLiaison listed things that SEOs do because they think Google is going to rank it better.

A partial list of what was tweeted:

• People often mistakenly believe that having an "expert" review the content automatically makes it better.

• There is a strange trend of placing table of content at the top, probably because some people think it helps with ranking.

The page may have been recently updated, possibly even on the same day. However, the content itself may not have required any significant changes. It is likely that someone made minor edits and updated the date to give the impression of fresh content, in the hopes of improving its ranking on Google.

A Redditor pointed out this tactic, noting that some may believe that simply updating the date can trick Google into thinking the content is new and relevant.

I found Search Liaison's statement about the importance of using a Table of Contents (TOC) for SERP ranking to be quite silly. In my opinion, it doesn't make sense to believe that simply having or not having a TOC would significantly impact your ranking on search engine results pages.

If we were to follow his logic and not show certain elements to Google, we might end up removing breadcrumbs, internal links, and related posts. Essentially, we would be getting rid of anything that holds SEO value.

So it was really nonsensical advice from Google.

But I’m sure many bloggers will take it as gospel and, in desperation, remove TOCs from their sites.”

SearchLiaison was not suggesting that people should remove their Table Of Contents from their articles. He simply recommended doing what is best for users. If users do not like the table of content, it is wise to remove it as it does not affect Google.

This advice is valuable as it prevents people from wasting time on things that could potentially annoy readers, which is never a good idea.

r/SEO Subreddittors Upvote Misinformation

The weird thing about that thread is that the misinformation gets upvoted and people who actually understand what’s going on are ignored.

Here's an example of a post that completely misinterprets SearchLiaison's message. It spreads the wrong information and surprisingly gets sixteen upvotes. On the other hand, someone who actually understands the message only receives five upvotes.

I couldn't understand why he didn't find table of contents useful. Even before the Internet, we used them in books and magazines to quickly locate information. The same goes for long posts. And yet, this only received five upvotes.

“He never said that tables of contents aren’t helpful. Sometimes they are.”

Screenshot of a misinformed post in the r/SEO subreddit getting more upvotes than a high quality post

Danny Sullivan’s Post Is Back

Danny's post on the r/SEO subreddit has been restored. It was a well-thought-out response with 1,120 words. Why would a moderator delete it? There is no valid reason to do so, but many reasons to keep Danny's post.

Partial Screenshot Of Danny’s 1,200 Word Response

John Mueller’s Posts Have Disappeared

Many of us in the SEO community have observed that John Mueller’s posts have also been deleted. At Search Engine Journal, we used to save copies of Mueller’s posts since they would sometimes vanish without explanation.

Composite Image Of Four Of John Mueller’s Removed Posts

Composite image of four posts that were removed by from the r/SEO subreddit

Is The R/SEO Subreddit Broken?

The removal of posts by Danny Sullivan and John Mueller has left some questioning if the r/SEO subreddit moderators are biased against Google and unwelcoming of their contributions.

The removal of those posts by the moderators has raised questions. Some wonder if the removal was due to bias against Google or a misunderstanding of the anti-spam link rule. Regardless of the reason, it reflects poorly on the r/SEO subreddit.

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Roman Samborskyi

Editor's P/S:

The recent removal of posts by Google representatives, Danny Sullivan and John Mueller, from the r/SEO subreddit has sparked concerns within the SEO community. These actions have raised questions about potential bias against Google or a misunderstanding of the anti-spam link rule. The lack of transparency and explanation surrounding the deletions has left many wondering about the true intentions of the subreddit's moderators.

It's important to foster an open and inclusive environment where diverse perspectives can be shared and discussed. Subreddits should strive to be a place where experts and community members can engage in meaningful conversations, without fear of censorship or suppression of legitimate information. The removal of posts from Google representatives undermines this principle and creates an atmosphere of distrust. It's crucial for the moderators to address these concerns and ensure that the subreddit remains a valuable resource for the SEO community.