Why Google and I Are Currently Not Speaking

I have come to the conclusion that Google and I are currently not speaking.

It's not an official breakup.

We're just... taking some time apart.

You see, I launched Scam Busters USA almost a year ago. Since then, I've published over 100 articles, learned the Block Editor, redesigned pages, created custom images, submitted sitemaps, checked Search Console enough times to qualify for a support group, and updated content until my eyes crossed.

In return, Google has responded with what can best be described as mixed signals.

One day it crawls my content.

The next day it ignores it.

One week I'm feeling optimistic.

The next week a competitor outranks me with what appears to be three paragraphs and a dream.

Meanwhile, I'm over here writing investigative reports that would make a private detective proud.

Naturally, this led me to spend way too much time staring at rankings.

I checked Search Console.

I checked Bing.

I checked rankings.

I checked them again ten minutes later in case something exciting happened.

Spoiler alert: nothing exciting happened.

Then I checked again anyway.

I convinced myself that every traffic drop meant disaster.

Every ranking loss meant I had somehow offended the Google gods.

Every flat line in analytics was proof that I should probably take up basket weaving instead.

The funny thing is that while I was busy worrying about rankings, I completely overlooked a few important things.

People were still reading my content.

I was still learning.

I was building new skills.

And despite all the ranking drama, I recently received a referral through my Start Here page.

That stopped me in my tracks.

Because it reminded me that real people are actually visiting my site.

Real people are finding value in what I'm creating.

Real people don't spend their evenings obsessing over indexing reports.

That's my job.

The referral reminded me that Google is not the business.

Google is a traffic source.

An important one, yes.

But not the business.

The business is helping people.

The business is creating content.

The business is building something useful.

Somewhere along the way, I started letting rankings determine my mood.

That's probably not healthy.

In fact, if Google and I were in marriage counseling right now, the counselor would probably tell me I have unrealistic expectations.

Google would probably agree.

Then again, Google never returns my calls.

So where does that leave me?

Honestly, in a better place.

I'm still creating content.

I'm still learning.

I'm still building.

And I've decided that while Google and I may not be speaking at the moment, I'm not going to stop showing up.

Who knows?

Maybe one day Google will realize what it's missing.

Until then, I'll keep doing what I've always done.

Build.

Learn.

Improve.

And occasionally refresh Search Console when nobody is looking.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who's had this relationship with Google.