Yes they were free. There are back channels to people, dude. You should read about the history of SEO.

I’m not saying SEOs are responsible for accessibility, I’m saying they help others provide it! Like the mom and pop places I mentioned. You only asked for what good SEOs do and I provided examples. You’re so angry that you are projecting ideas that I didn’t say.

Every fucking thing you have mentioned is literally not SEO but some other stakeholder that has control of how everything works. SEO is just a means to make sure your company is the one that gets the visibility and a click because all other companies made it that way.

And the guy you quoted, Rand Fishkin, is one of the many SEOs that have been calling Google out on their bullshit for YEARS now. We know Google is shit but they are the elephant in the room and are the lexicon used as a verb worldwide.

Your fight isn’t with SEOs, it’s with the companies that gatekeep everything else and change the rules so everyone has to adapt. I’m done arguing. Your responses are Boolean with a true or false as long as it fits your narrative and you refuse to believe that there is any good in SEO. That’s fine and you’re welcome to your opinion.