My good friend Bill Slawski, a man who will go where few other SEOs dare (deep into the world of patents and research papers), has been interviewed over at SEOBuzzbox.

Bill raises a good point, one I’ve often banged on about, and that is that a link is not a vote. Google have chosen to characterise links as votes, presumably because that’s the way their algo works.

I detest the values expressed by the KKK (heh - imagine a link on KKK, damned if I’m going to help them along in vote-countin’ search engines). Is that a vote for the KKK? Only if you count links as votes of confidence without regard to context. The link is more subtle than that - it’s a marker of attention, which is what I think Google really mean when they say vote. Presumably, Google are making advances in terms of context analysis, so the point will be moot.

Well done Aaron & Bill.

About Guy Kawasaki

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge Guy Kawasaki fan. While he may be most famous for his pioneering, inspired-by-none style of marketing with which he leads Garage.com, he is also a superb writer and business thinker.

A few of his books include The Art of the Start, Selling the Dream and Rules for Revolutionaries.

Often when reading Guy Kawasaki’s books, I find it hard to sit down. His insights are absolute treasure to entrepreneurs.

More recently, Guy Kawasaki has proven that he’s just as good a blogger as he is a business pioneer. His blog at Blog.GuyKawasaki.com, holds a wealth of information for readers. Posts touch on topics from Blog Stats and Butts to some cogent advice on Recruiting.

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About Bob Massa

Bob Massa has been one of the more respected figures in SEO & Internet marketing since before my time. He originally gained fame - or notoriety - for suing Google after Google dropped the PageRank of his SearchKing network. Although most would recognize it as an extremely well placed publicity stunt, many folks with devout loyalty to the non-profit organization called Google bent over backwards to vilify Bob Massa.

I first made his acquaintance two or three years ago when I was living in Las Vegas, and had an opportunity to meet Bob and talk shop. I was impressed with Bob’s insights into Google, SEO & marketing as a whole, and intended to get an interview with him for years. After many requests, threats and cajoling, here it is.

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John Scott: Dr. Nielsen, you’re recognized as the foremost expert on web usability.

Can you tell us a little about yourself, personally and education-wise and how you became Mr. Usability?

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After way too long, I decided to finally get around to interviewing Peter Da Vanzo. His Search Engine Blog is one of the few sites I read on a regular basis. Somehow, Peter D. finds the time to stay on top of all the search engine news, and formats it in a uniquely interesting way.

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This article originally appeared on the JuggoPop@V7N Blog, which no longer exists.

Who am I and what to expect…

My real name is Brian Smith. I’m a 30 year old male from a small town in Arkansas. Now, you may be wondering, “What would a guy like that have to say that is worth my time?” To that I say, “Only what I have learned as a self taught internet professional.” (Brainbench Certified Internet Professional, transcript ID 3434206)

A bit of history…

Most people know me as “JuggoPop”. This is my online handle and has been since 2002. I picked that name (out-of-the-blue) as something that no one else had on AOL and that didn’t require numbers listed behind it. There was no meanings to the name, other then it was available. Today that name means something. To me, it means an effort at quality.

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About Aaron Wall

My good friend Aaron Wall of SEO Book has gotten big. Next to Danny Sullivan, he’s probably the most well known SEO on the Internet today. And he’s one of the few people I personally swear by. He has character. He is honest, and he’s driven by his principles.

No, I’m not talking him up. He doesn’t need me to do that. I just can’t not talk him up. He never ceases to amaze me. He’s a brilliant SEO and an awesome friend. You can get to know his character a little better by reading his personal blog, AaronWall.com
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This is to be the first of several interviews with respected web professionals.

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Danny Sullivan is without a doubt the most highly regarded, god-like figure in the search engine marketing industry. Somehow he always manages to get the scoops and insights first, and his Search Engine Watch website has remained the unchallenged leader in SEO news for as long as I can remember.

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