During the COVID-19 lockdowns, a new breed of so-called marketing gurus emerged, claiming to have cracked the code to online success. These self-proclaimed experts flooded the market, promising quick results using cheap overseas labor and heavily relying on AI for content creation and social media management. Their strategies seemed to work momentarily, but it wasn’t long before Google caught on and took action against these short-lived tactics.
Now, these “gurus” are running around, proclaiming that SEO is dead.
Let me clarify my position upfront and get to the core point: SEO isn’t dead; these ass-hats just never did it right in the first place.
The truth is that the fundamentals of SEO, digital marketing, and social media have remained constant. They each require dedication, expertise, and a deep understanding of human behavior. The lockdown “gurus” tried to make a quick buck by cutting corners, and predictably, their methods failed.
They never invested the time or effort to understand the nuances of marketing, relying instead on automated tools and low-quality labor. Their clients may have seen temporary gains—most didn’t—but the sales pitch was good.
However, all of these “efforts” were followed by steep declines, leading to the false notion that SEO no longer works.
We know better.
People who stayed the proper course never stopped winning. They stayed committed to doing things the right way. They didn’t succumb to the prospect of cheap shortcuts or rely solely on AI to do the job. Instead, they focused on high-quality content, strategic research, and genuine engagement.
Digital marketing is not just about ticking boxes; it’s about understanding each business’s unique needs and crafting tailored strategies that deliver long-term results.
What many of these so-called gurus failed to grasp is that SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires consistent effort, regular updates, and a willingness to adapt to new algorithms and trends.And They’re Still Killing Marketing
There has been a recent obsession with AI video and other gimmicks, which is just another distraction from the core principles of marketing and conversions. Video content can be a powerful tool, but it needs to be integrated into a broader strategy that includes quality written content, conversion-focused messaging, a human-powered social media presence, and precision-targeted ads that speak to the exact audience you are trying to convert.
The lockdown “gurus” missed this point entirely, leading many businesses astray with their hollow promises, fruitless results, and several now screaming about how nothing works.
One of the most glaring issues with the “gurus” is their continued reliance on AI bot posting on social media and automated content.
These methods lack the personal touch and authenticity that true marketing demands. Real engagement comes from human interaction, from understanding the audience’s needs, and from creating content that resonates.
Right now, automated posts and AI-generated content are still running rampant on social media. This garbage may fill a schedule, but it doesn’t build relationships or drive meaningful engagement.
SEO isn’t dead. The lockdown “gurus” are.
Their short-sighted, lazy approaches were never going to withstand the test of time.
More recently, “the attack on publishers” that all of these historically well-renowned SEO personalities on X have seemed to take up arms about is ignoring these same facts. Those sites impacted are the definition of what I am talking about here; they weren’t attacked; they were busted.
Here’s a secret: we also monetize a blog – for a far out of this world, no one can connect that dot to us, subject. It is an ad and affiliate-driven site. And through all of the recent algo updates, deindexing sweeps, and all the other things that occurred as a result of the “lockdown gurus,” our monetized site has never even dropped a single position; it stays on page one for what it is trying to be on page one for and hasn’t even seen a blip on the radar during all of this.
How?
Well, we actually talk to humans, have our honest opinions, and then advertise things that make sense, are in context, and are unobtrusive for those who read the articles. There is no buried content behind continuous popups; it is human-focused and remains that way—and Google hasn’t nicked it one bit.
At The King of Search, we understand that true marketing success comes from dedication, expertise, and a commitment to quality. Our clients’ continued success throughout all of this is a testament to the power of doing things the right way.
While the lockdown “gurus” were busy churning out generic, low-quality content, we were refining our techniques, staying ahead of industry changes, and ensuring our clients’ websites not only remained at the top of search engine results but continued to convert even during this economic hellhole we all find ourselves in today.
Heck, I even did a seminar about it just a few months ago.
What’s even crazier is that now, when we take over these failed projects, we have to spend the first part of the campaign fixing all the garbage left behind.
To give one great example: We took over a site. The last person was “blogging,” and may I be struck by lightning if I’m lying: We found one post, a recent post, where they literally asked ChatGPT how to write an article about something. ChatGPT responded with instructions and some checklists—and this complete waste of brains POSTED THAT as the blog post!
That is them, all wrapped up in one neat little package.
What’s out there now is nuts.
Part of our job is, now, chasing this stuff down and deleting it from the world (at least the parts we’re involved in).
The fallout from these failed strategies has left many business owners disillusioned and skeptical about the value of digital marketing, specifically SEO. But for those who remained committed to doing things the right way, the rewards have been substantial through all of this.
So, let’s stop listening to the naysayers and get back to what works: real, effective efforts focused on human interaction and reaction – not some checklist found on a YouTube video, from a TikTok influencer, or some idiotic $5000 course.
#endrant
