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Comment by aeharding | Hacker News Reader

SEO is making all titles/descriptions be less creative and use more targeted keywords.

For example, Skydiving dropzones. Some in Wisconsin:

  1. Skyknights -> Skydive Milwaukee
  2. AtmosphAIR -> Wisconsin Skydiving Center
  3. Green Bay Skydivers -> Skydive Freefall Adventure

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Back when people used phone books instead of search engines, businesses would choose names that would be listed first alphabetically[1]. Even now, there are three unrelated AAA Plumbing businesses within 10 miles of me.

1. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-11-08-920411...

My dad's small business construction company was called "AA1 Construction" because he wanted it to be the first in the phone book.

I know a shop that picked a 'Z' name so that they would be the last place that a prospective client called, their reasoning being that they would only get interesting jobs (the ones that everyone else said NO to) as a result.

did it work?

yes, it was a 2+ person prop shop and most of their projects involved some trial and error

Seems like a good thing, doesn't it? More straightforward, plain speaking language.

You want the world to be more straightforward and less creative?

Huh.

These things don't have to be mutually exclusive?

In things like business names? Yeah.

I don't think the world needs vaguely cute titles to be immensely creative.

Seems like a good idea in the case of AtmosphAIR and Skyknights. I would have no idea what those places do if I only saw the name.

They probably are getting more business

Probably, but when I see that I think of the problem as being more with the consumer rather than the business. Obviously the business is going to do what it has to to survive and thrive, but I would much rather consumers step up to the plate rather than businesses needing to throw softer pitches.

This is more true of creative pursuits (I don't think an artist should "dumb down their art" to increase mass appeal), but I think it holds true for businesses as well.

It's just very "Idiocracy" to me, but maybe I'm being oversensitive.

I'd rather business be creative in what they do and how they do it, rather than functional things like their name.

Maybe, but it also is forcing a lot of editors to use article titles that actually make sense. There are plenty of editors, especially in the magazine business, who use silly, non-descriptive title to their articles because if you're holding the physical magazine, then they've likely already captured your money. Many magazines have featured a table of contents with the ridiculous title in bold, followed by a subtitle that actually tells you what the article is about underneath.

That last one seems to be going the other way.

It could be, but keep in mind Skydive Freefall Adventure is trying to capture a lot of northeastern Wisconsin, not just Green Bay.

Is number 3 backwards?

No, Skydive Freefall Adventure is a brand new reincarnation of Green Bay Skydivers.

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