Google’s SearchLiaison addressed criticism regarding their terminology for website publishers, emphasizing the need to adapt to evolving norms and practical considerations. This response underscores the crucial role of flexibility in digital marketing to effectively navigate shifts in the landscape.
Change: There Isn’t Always A Motivation
The conversation started when someone on Twitter raised concerns about Google’s preference for the term “creators” over terms like businesses or publishers. The objection stemmed from the belief that “creators” diminishes the acknowledgment of the business entities operating behind the websites.
Here’s the tweet:
“Take note of the term ‘creators’ used here. This exemplifies Google’s effective strategy to shape the narrative. Previously, they referred to ‘publishers’, ‘businesses’, and simply ‘websites’. But ‘creators’ downplays the business impact. It’s evident that some are unwittingly embracing this shift.”
Keeping Up With The Pace Of Change
SearchLiaison’s response highlighted a common misconception: everything evolves over time—fashion, customs, norms, even language. Those who fail to recognize this may not notice when their era passes, making way for a new generation to take center stage.
This dynamic is particularly evident in SEO, where Google effectively reinvents itself as a new search engine every five years.
SearchLiaison explained:
“In the past, we used the term ‘webmasters,’ but this doesn’t resonate with everyone interested in appearing in search results. That’s why we’ve increasingly used ‘creators’—though not exclusively—for years now. This shift isn’t particularly new. It’s also why Search Central adopted its new name in 2020; ‘webmasters’ isn’t a widely used or inclusive term: [link to blog post].”
“‘Publishers’ is primarily used by those in news publishing, while businesses often see themselves simply as businesses. SEOs identify as SEOs, but using that term excludes those who aren’t focused on SEO but still want to understand our updates.”
“So ‘creators’ has become a catch-all term for us, albeit imperfect, because sometimes you need one term instead of listing ‘creators, SEOs, businesses, brands, news publishers, etc.’ for every discussion.”
“However, I’m noticing a growing need to refine our use of ‘creators’ to specifically refer to individuals like Brandon, who primarily identify as content creators. Their work differs significantly from that of an SEO specialist, content marketer, or local business.”
In a follow-up comment, he added:
“We still use ‘websites’ when discussing websites. But ‘websites’ isn’t a term that effectively addresses the people involved with websites who have questions about their content appearing in search results.”
Ephemeral Quality Of Digital Marketing
Not only does Google evolve, but people evolve too. The demand for specific products can surge and then vanish—like ringtones, once a hot affiliate product. Technological advancements, such as AI, also drive these shifts.
Google’s use of the term “creators” is indicative of these changes. You can adapt to it or carve out your own path.
Original news from SearchEngineJournal