CNET, one of the most popular technology news and reviewing sites, has recently come under fire for their decision to delete thousands of articles in an effort to improve their ranking on Google search. According to an analysis of CNET’s webpages conducted by TechCrunch, the site has removed more than 144,000 articles since January 2020.
CNET has never made a formal announcement about their decision, but it’s obvious that their goal is to boost its Google ranking. This is because “stuffing” older articles with keywords, and other SEO tactics, tend to only help in the short term but can lead to long-term problems if not done correctly. By deleting old articles, CNET is able to remove outdated or irrelevant content and add more relevant content that will more likely draw potential searchers.
In addition to removing content, CNET is reportedly making use of other SEO tactics such as link building, writing more blogs, and creating more video content. By adding content that’s optimized to the latest SEO practices, CNET is hoping to rank higher and attract more searchers.
But what are the implications of CNET’s decision to delete articles? While the short-term effects may be beneficial for the website, it could come at the cost of losing some longtime readers and contributors. Some of the articles that have been deleted are from long time authors who have put countless hours into their work. Some experts believe CNET may have to look into reworking some of its content in order to keep readers.
At the end of the day, it seems clear that CNET’s decision was driven by their desire to improve their rankings on search engines. Whether this turns out to be successful in the long-term remains to be seen. In the meantime, CNET may find itself in a tricky situation as it tries to maintain the loyalty of longtime readers and contributors while also trying to stay on top of search engine rankings.