I Call Shenanigans on Matt Cutts!

It's this particular question that boiled my blood today. It's from Matt Cutts' personal blog mattcutts.com/blog <-- (This is a link omission by the way. See how it's plain text but I'm treating it like a link.. this way it doesn't drain rank)

Matt is answering a question about the recent Google algorithm change (read about that on onecoolsite if you haven't yet) concerning nofollow links.

Doesn’t (the recent change) encourage me to link out less? Should I turn off comments on my blog?

Matts Answer: I wouldn’t recommend closing comments in an attempt to “hoard” your PageRank. In the same way that Google trusts sites less when they link to spammy sites or bad neighborhoods, parts of our system encourage links to good sites.

from MattCutts.com/blog

The no-nonsense answer: Yes! Turn off the comments on your blog and you will see an improvement in the SERPs, moreso now that we can't nofollow but this is how it's always been.. even though it makes your blog suck.

No one said anything about 'hoarding' rank, Mr. Cutts - this guy is simply asking if his comments are going to suck pagerank out of his site since he can no longer label them 'nofollow' to redistribute juice. The answer to that is yes.

"parts of our system encourage links to good sites." This has nothing to do with anything. If you are linking to authoritive sites, it shouldn't be in the comment section. Most of the comment backlinks come from other bloggers..

Are these webmasters from the authoritive sites really commenting on anyones blog?? No.

To a well-linked internet - this recent algorithm change is practically assault with a deadly weapon. If there is a bonus for non-reciprocated outlinks to authoritive sites like Cutts suggests above I assure you it's a small one.. small enough for me not to have ever noticed in my time as an optimizer.

Either way, the whole Web 2.0 movement is about the users controlling the content. What if there is some uber-great content that I want to link to.. but it's not on an authoritive site? If we have everyone linking to the 5 top sites for their niche, the SERPs are just going to get regimented and stagnant, with the authoritive sites staying on top and the new comers somewhere around the 15th or 16th page. Sure, it's less work for Google to administer and remove spam, but it comprimises freshness for the end user and sticks a middle finger up at webmasters everywhere.

But Codesucker, you shouldn't even be thinking about SEO.. just write good content.

Nope. I'm one of those so called SEOs gaming the system and guess what - The brains behind every single one of those authoritive sites has someone like the dog barking exactly how to optimize at them.

Guess what I'm telling clients?

Link out less.

They pay dogs good money(not really) for consultation.. I need to back up every claim I make with authoritive resources - you want me to tell real people to link to 'good' sites for a google bonus of some sort? Leave blog comments on and hope for commenters from 'good' sites? I can't back that up at all - In fact it's downright silly from where I stand, there is no evidence to support such dangerous nonsense.

Since hearing about the change I am treating every outlink as a Google penalty.

Should I be worried about dropping in rank due to said 'changes'?

No, they have already been implemented.

Final words on the issue.

I'm not peeved about the rule change it's the above statement I have 'beef' with and I am sure I'm not the only one who will attack it. I have zero sympathy. Heavy lies the crown, Mr. Cutts.