Just Because Someone Works At Google Doesn’t Make Them An SEO Expert

I had an interesting email hit my inbox, someone showing me how a Google employee was “100%” sure there had been no Penguin Update. There was, of course, and it’s a reminder that just because someone is a Googler, that doesn’t mean they know how Google Search works.

Google has nearly 25,000 employees (according to a search I did on Google just now), and they’re involved with all types of projects. Many have nothing to do with search.

In the email I saw, a Googler (yes, it really was someone who worked for Google) was asked about the Penguin update, if they knew anything. Response?

I assure you 100% that there has been nothing at Google referred to as “Penguin.”

If you notice on those search results you sent me, not a single source is from Google itself.

The person asking had forwarded the Googler search results for “Penguin Update.” I’m not surprised there was no source from Google itself in those results. That’s because Google didn’t formally give Penguin its name until I pried it out of them two days after the launch, two days after the official blog post went up.

The Googler went on:

From what I just saw on this whole Penguin thing–it sounds to me like a lot of SEO companies that use shady and unethical practices are upset that their loop holes have been cut out!

Actually, it’s not really been a lot of SEO companies that I’ve seen complaining. It’s been a lot of individuals who have been hit, and quite likely for black hat SEO tactics that Penguin was intended to punish.

Bottom line: should you encounter one of those 25,000 Googlers, don’t assume that they have inside knowledge about ranking issues. Chances are, they don’t.