Self-proclaimed internet marketer Justin Harrison just released a rather sensationalist briefing entitled “SEO is Dead”. He claims a Google “Florida update” (in 2003 Google updated its algorithm which resulted in many top ranked sites losing their positioning) type scenario is once again on the horizon and that it will dramatically alter the way SEO is practiced, thanks to a paradigm shift towards social indexing.

This type of human indexing is not inconceivable, in fact Google’s Personalized Search and Bing’s recent flirt with indexing tweets are two ideal examples. While there have been many pronouncements on the death of SEO, almost since the the practice of optimising sites first statred in the mid 90’s, what concerns me is not that we will have to adjust and develop new techniques to achieve favourable positioning on Google or other search engines.

Rather, what concerns me is the quality of human indexing. It’s not that I believe some algorithm determining relevance can do a better job than humans. When it comes to real-time indexing there can be no better crawler than a human browsing the web. My issue comes in with agendas. Yes, algorithms can be manipulated and publishers do try all sorts of things to improve (white hat or otherwise) their rakings at current, but at least the objective is universal: better ranking.

With human indexing a new dynamic of discrediting publishers can come into it. Competition could try to damage your social standing. Bored individuals may do the same on a whim. Or a thousand less apparent scenarios may play out that you are powerless to adapt to.

The other thing is that such a system may encourage projection and broadcasting. The potential for established institutions to flood the social space with their own content or high-profile individuals to significantly influence what we are reading (think Ashton Kutcher’s weight on Twitter) is greatly enhanced. The beauty of the web lies in freedom and the possibilities of search, yes things like censorship already occur as in Google’s compliance with Chinese censorship, but the new information filters that human indexing could create if companies become entirely dependent on invading the social space bring Noam Chomsky's concept of Manufacturing Consent home to the internet.

So the big question is; are we ready to jump straight into a human indexing model in which publishers have few if any means (other than a full scale invasion of the online social space) of influencing their positioning on SERPs?

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