The Google guys are so smart, with enough time they'll get all their algorithms so optimized they'll eventually exclude every site from ranking on the first page of results. It'll just be a blank white page, the ultimate in minimalism and speed. It'll be an engineering feat not rivaled in the 21st century.
To clarify for your benefit, I wasn't complaining about Google's optimization or lack-thereof (spammy vs not spammy). I think it's hilarious, watching the endless dance that Google is going through because their fundamental approach to search is broken and they're trying to drag that broken approach into the future. It's like watching Microsoft with each iteration of Windows & Office, trying to figure out how they can cheat death and drag 1980s software into the future.
On a business level, I don't care about Google's survival or their optimizations. My product doesn't benefit from SEO, nor from their search engine. I'm indifferent to them. If they make a good product, great; if they don't, someone else will eat their lunch eventually.
There is some truth to it, the approach was never really good. There is just an extreme need for it and they are still the best one around.
I wonder what happens 20 years from now on, Google can't win over SEO in the long term. There are just too many people on the other side. As long as they don't develop some AI the results will get worse. I use more often "site:" to get what i want.
