The tower of Google

Has the digital empire's reach exceeded its remedy? | Janie B. Cheaney

Illustration by Krieg Barrie

Old dogs don't adjust easily to new tricks, but this one tries. My latest challenge is "branding"—the means by which a politician, inventor, artist, charlatan, or anyone with anything to sell or promote raises his profile above the teeming bits of cyberspace. The good news is that a savvy networker can brand herself for practically nothing. The bad news is, we don't yet know what the bad news is.

My son is learning SEO at his new job. He had to explain what that means: "Search Engine Optimization." In a nutshell, SEO enhances your presence on Google, Bing, etc., so that those looking for what you're offering can find you at the top of the search results. I had no idea there was a whole branch of internet marketing devoted to this. But (to paraphrase 2 Chronicles 16:9) the eyes of Google are running to and fro throughout the cyberworld to give strong support to new information: any change made in a website, any updated blog, any uploaded picture. More action means higher rankings; more links equal more clicks.