Forum Moderators: not2easy
Now Widget called me and asked me to remove the article asap because they have a new version of their widget and apparently, my article is no longer relevant.
Of course, I told them that there's no way in hell I'm removing a page which brings traffic (and earns me decent Adsense revenue). But to be conciliatory, I said, that if I received the new version of their widget, I would write a new article (at my convenience, of course) - but still leave the other. I told them I would put it in some archive - which means, I'm just burrying the link down the articles' listing pages, but not removing it at all. Like I said, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
I checked the widget page search results in Google and lo and behold, I'm at #10. Not very good you'd say, but I don't think so. I think my article hurts, because of one thing. I tell it like it is!
The first three results are from Widget. All others are from those large media group which usually provide bland reviews on new products. You know, the type you can't really trust because you know the vendor advertises in the magazines.
My article is the first one in all the results, that comes from a potential and bona fide user of the widget. It comes from someone with nothing to gain and who "should" use the widget in his daily work. Only caveat. I tell people that they can do without the widget and that real pros don't rely on this widget to get their work done.
People who usually bother to go to the search result #10 really want to know if there's some dirt on a widget. That's where my article becomes useful information for them because of its different point of view.
People being people, I think they like to project themselves or overrate their skills. Whereas I really don't need this widget, many others could.
I reminded the product manager from Widget that none of my information was libellous and that its only fault is that it's old. I also told him that they should not tell me what to write about on my Web site. I own every inch of it. I do as I please.
So the product manager asked me why of all the people in my trade, why am I the only one to hold out and NOT use their widget! I am told that so and so which are much bigger than me use the widget. They apparently all like it.
From the look of my site, and the way I present it, it feels like an authority in its field. People can see that I'm one of the top practitioner in my field even if i'm not the biggest.
The product manager told me I SHOULD be using the widget by now! This is all pretty funny to me
I never thought that I was bothering them. I never bothered to check the Google ranking before they called. Yet, I feel like I must really be a thorn or something if they bothered to call me out and try to coerce me.
Unless I get a court order, that page IS STAYING PUT. I don't want to compromise my opinion and become a supporter of something I don't believe in. I like being the little guy who says the opposite of everyone and I feel that people trust that type of judgement and opinion.
I'll get the new free widget (which will go on gathering dust, just like the older one) as soon as I receive it and finish my review.
Conclusions
1- Keep writing and be true to yourself. Write in your own voice and input your own personal opinions in every article you write. People can't copy what is inherent to a person. I don't even know how many sites may have copied my article. Thankfully, I'm still listed as the original source.
2-This article is not up to date but has become evergreen contents. Even if it doesn't talk about the latest version of a widget, people still trust my guts - enough that the vendor has to contact me and try to get me to remove a page from my site. They are also willing to give me another copy of their widget and take a chance that I will write something complimentary this time.
3-No matter how many large media group, write about the widget, the only credible voice in all the industry, is the guy who should be using the widget but is not. My site is small, my company is small. I don't optimize or run advertising campaigns on the the widget. My article was not even in the review links of the vendor, as pointed to them - yet, it still ranked high enough to become a thorn for them. My ranking on their widget keyword beats 90% of the articles they approve and link back to.
4-This means that there is still a place for small guys to carve themselves a niche. Large Websites with big budgets cannot buy my type of credibility. The Web is democratic enough to make product managers tremble over an old review written years ago.
5-Small companies can earn a decent living on the Internet. However, it takes years to develop credibility. It did not happen overnight. I did not become an authority and didn't even seek to become one. But I have to be true to myself, objective and fair. I have more responsibilities than when I started. What I say influences the results of a company miles from me. It does so much that they want me to erase history. But since they can't sue me for libel, they try to convince me and give me more freebies.
I'm sorry for the long rant. I'd just like to say that I love my job, my site and that it's fun to earn some respect years later and I'm glad I never gave up on my site, on my dreams and my company. It's all worth it today.
God I love my job.
Different situation but same theme, one of my articles provides details of how to get somewhere by two alternate means.
One company contacted me and told me my info was out of date, wrong and that they were the only way of getting to Widgetland. Turned out they were telling porkies. The competition was still in business, and still taking people to Widgetland. The company who wrote to me just didn't like me mentioning the opposition!
Needless to say they got told to get stuffed :)
