The recommendation mindset
8th February, 2025
We talk about ‘organic’ search like it’s a force of nature — something that just happens if we just optimize hard enough. But what if that mindset is holding us back? The term “organic” suggests something natural, effortless — free. Yet, we know that earning traffic from search engines is anything but. We pay for it, not in cash, but in content creation, outreach, technical refinements, and endless strategic adjustments. So why do we still call it ‘organic’?
What if we stopped thinking of it as something we just “get” and started calling it what it really is—referral traffic? What if we thought of it as part of a citation economy?
We understand referral traffic in traditional terms: a link from another website directs users to ours. We recognize these as earned; often the result of relationships, authority, or trust. Yet, when Google effectively ‘links’ to us in search results, we don’t treat it as a link at all. We act as if ranking is an entitlement, not an earned citation. But when Google lists our page, it’s not just displaying results — it’s recommending us.
In academia, citations are currency. The more you’re cited by credible sources, the more authority you command. Google works the same way. It rewards content that earns citations in the form of links, mentions, and user engagement. If we embraced this perspective, would we approach SEO differently? Might we obsess less over rankings and more over earning trust? Would we focus less on optimizing for algorithms and more on creating content that’s worth citing?
Consider this: when we pursue link-building, we don’t just beg for links — we craft narratives, build relationships, and establish credibility. But with search traffic, we often take a passive approach. We optimize and hope that Google sends visitors our way.
What if we treated Google the same way we treat journalists, industry blogs, or academic peers? What if we thought of search visibility as something we have to pitch, earn, and deserve?
If Google is a referrer, then the real goal isn’t ranking — it’s being recommended. This shift in mindset changes how we think about content strategy. Would we produce different content if our goal was to “earn a citation” rather than just “rank”? Are we positioning ourselves as the most citable source on a topic? How are we demonstrating expertise, reliability, and influence?
In academia, the most cited works become foundational. In SEO, the most cited sources often dominate the rankings. If we thought about search as a citation economy, we wouldn’t just optimize for keywords—we’d optimize for credibility.
As search evolves — shaped by AI, zero-click searches, and changing algorithms — traditional SEO tactics won’t be enough. Those who succeed will be those who earn their place in Google’s recommendations. Maybe it’s time we stopped calling it “organic” search and started recognizing it for what it really is: the currency of citations in a competitive, trust-based economy.
Are you earning your place in the citation economy, or are you just hoping for handouts?
