Google kicks BMW out of the index

Looks like Mario's prediction the other day suddenly became reality. BMW got taught a lesson by Google last week: they kicked the German car giant out of the index for using unethical SEO tactics, with which BMW probably tried to compensate their bad web design. Ups !

So guys: take a seat in the penalty box, check out the Google guidelines, read a book or two and come back when you have cleaned up the mess those expensive SEO specialists have created...

But to be fair, BMW is hardly the only company having this problem. For me, one of the great mysteries of today is the inability of big brands to build "good" websites. Sure that Total-Flash page or this Javascript-only navigation might look good - but that's about it. It is just plain stupid to annoy customers with forced plug-in downloads or to shut out Google et al. with a website they can't crawl.

Rule of thumb: if your site isn't readable for Google, it is probably also unreadable for a lot of your customers !!!

Comments

[marco versace]

bjoern - its a pleasure reading your blog, and even though i'm in L.A., it seems like we are next door neighbors occupying nextdoor mindspace. Keep it going! marco

[[Marketingrama.com] Veille mar]

..., 449, 450, 451. Ouf, ils sont tous l?.

47 sites / blogs ont ?t? ajout?s dans le guide web Marketingrama. Allez les zieuter, c'est toujours enrichissant. Comme d'hab', ci-dessous, un extrait des entr?es de la semaine. N'h?sitez pas ? rajouter votre site / blog dans la cat?gorie...

[andrew berlund]

Great contribution towards the mighty Flash debate - industry people such as yourself are keeping it fuelled after 10 years already!(and maybe a further 10 years!)

Flash is still here! And has become so much more powerful (especially with the merger with Abobe and their SVGt solution) - also considering that at least 92% of the market in most internet developed/advanced countries (of which Germany is one of them) has Flash "plugged-in" (with a 3-6 month catch up on the latest version which is so easy to install) to the internet browser of choice - and that Flash makes use of XML open socket coding - that when used right allows SE's such as Google to crawl and recover data and allows screen readers to access site content for the disabled audience - and so much more powerful functions!

The combination of Flash, Java-script/ AJAX is great for internet accessibility and is fully considered by environments such as BMW - I should know I have designed the Disability Rights Commission website build guidelines which set the agenda for Europe's accessibility requirements -

BMW also meets some (but not all) of the WAI compliancy guidelines set by the W3C - but where BMW sits right now is a hell of a lot closer to the ideal usability environment than many (if not most) of the websites on the Internet today!

Flash in the case of www.bmw.com has been built around user choice of broadband and lowband connections - and harnesses the latest Flash accessibility functions - finding a perfect balance between information experience and emotional visual experience.

This is also a factor with the .de variant and at Interone - the digital agency who designed and built the global BMW website guidelines have been honoured and applauded by the real Internet industry on the creation of the on-line BMW experience -

Granted there is still room for improvement (as with all marketing communication vehicles) and with closer relationships with what consumers want - but this site for BMW has already grown out of much consumer research and usability testing and will only improve as its modular design allows this growth and adapting to the demands of the consumer/user!

I suggest for those of you out there who continue to bash Flash - with an "old skool" attitude need to wake up and see that Flash is so much more advanced and when used correctly is very very powerful to the widest range of audience.

BMW in this case have held back on the OTT Flash approach and used a combination of HTML, XML and CSS techniques also integrated alongside the rich media components. Which is currently a wise choice to make the client feel safe as they (the client)hear that 100% Flash sites are bad (information mis-laid by people who don't get it and do not take the time to understand the power that the newer versions of Flash have)

http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/
documents/publicwebsite/public_macromediaflash.hcsp

(BTW: Flash 8 is now even more advanced)

I do however agree that BMW were mis-guided by their SEO consultancy in the case of BMW.de - but although this may have proved to be an expensive experience - so what?

But the debate in this case is NOT that they used Flash but that they used word categories that provided unfair competitive positioning in the Google rankings. And so what? We all are still learning the vast possibilities with the vast array of tools and functions available to us on the Internet - the Internet requires an array of "experts" but there is a shortage of us and so many are learning as they develop the Internet - even after 10 years of its mainstream commercial use! The Internet is forever evolving and we have to learn and adapt quicker in today’s technology world than ever before - what we knew last year - this year is already "old skool"

The Google blunder shows that the internet does still have so called professionals working in the industry who still don't get the Internet! And mis-guide the industry - as we all know there is a real shortage in the European industry of many well experienced Internet people from Design to Strategy - which will hopefully improve as the Internet gets older and we get wiser - there is so much more to do with this medium - there is so much more room for maturity and growth in the people who work in this industry - as the "real" experienced people move to the top and permeate down the truth about the Internet - likewise with the user/consumer they grow in experience using and making the internet more powerful...

Oh no wait - can you handle the new Flash Lite and SVGt debate that is now growing for the mobile media industry! I am sure this Flash debate is what keeps most so called Internet professionals employed! ;)

QUOTE: Rule of thumb: if your site isn't readable for Google, it is probably also unreadable for a lot of your customers !!!

Might I ask if you found these "words of wisdom" on the back of a Kellogg cornflake box?