Okay, so I just wrote yesterday about how important it is to have original content and not just pass along other people’s opinions or writing. Well, I’m breaking the rules because I was so absolutely impressed with a blog post that I think you should check it out.

If you’re at all connected with the search engine world, you’ve probably read that Google once again adjusted how they rank websites and many sites lost PageRank. If you don’t know what PageRank is, that’s alright - I’ll do a post on it sometime, but right now I want to focus on how Robert Clough of Search Engine Guide responded to criticism of how he handles advertising and links on his site. His post, Search Engine Guide Publisher Responds to PageRank Drop, is in response to Jill Whalen’s post, Google’s Paid-link Smack in the Face. In her post she had some rather unflattering things to say about how Search Engine Guide handles advertising.

The SEO debate is a good one, but I’d rather have you focus on how Robert responds (I know not everyone in my audience does search engine optimization). As a blogger, I’ve faced criticism on this site and have plans in place to deal with negative commentary on a blog I’m working on for my company. I think company bloggers should especially take note on this one. Robert’s response could be a template for how it’s done:

  • His response is controlled with no content indicating he’s about ready to head butt his monitor.
  • He actually ran her post on his site which shows support for her opinions.
  • He acknowledges his respect for Jill (like me, she is a contributor on SEG).
  • He makes his points without diminishing Jill’s opinion which she has every right to have.
  • He defends his publishing methods without sounding defensive.
  • He really spells out his case with clear, concise writing.

That, my loyal readers, is how you handle criticism in blogging. Jill’s post was not bad nor was it an attack. She just happened to strongly point out some views that promoted a solid debate. If you understand SEO, their discussion is excellent. If you don’t, read it and go to school on how to communicate your opposing opinion with your audience.


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