Here at Echo we often write headlines designed for Search Engine Optimization – SEO – a sort of soulless phrase that pulls much of the fun out of writing headlines.
The idea is to attract the attention of Google searches rather than entertain or engage actual people.
Taken to extreme, perhaps every one of our headlines should contain the phrase “Great Lakes.”
Many do.
But that’s a bit tedious. And the writers in us can’t resist the occasional word play. Here are some of my 2012 favorites organized in completely arbitrary categories.
Raciest
Sex, water and rock and roll: Sturgeon spawn while singing on the rocks
Photo Friday: Super mooning the Great Lakes
Invasive critters
Queen of England to take bite out of Great Lakes lamprey headache
Stop invasive species: Wash your dog
How are Anglo-Nubian goats like Asian carp?
It’s 11:55 p.m.; Do you know where your Asian carp are?
Other critters
State bird capital is dead duck
Poll Results: There are no ugly fish in the Great Lakes
Coyotes, lamprey and bears, oh my!
Optimism
Drought’s silver lining? Better wine, less trashy beaches
Pessimism
Did your mood drop with the leaves?
Disasters
Hurricane worries Great Lakes captains, excites surfers
Drought’s a Grinch — years from now
Climate
Climate change: Forest warming forces warming
Fitness
What’s SUP? Michigan state parks lure diverse users with Rec 101
Non-fitness
Heftier passengers cut tour boat, ferry capacity
Gaming
Researchers get help playing “whack-a-mole” with sea lamprey
Algae
Radishes could protect the Great Lakes from harmful algae blooms
Water quality
Keep the undead out of your drinking water
Creek Orthodox: Christian partnership restores West Michigan stream
Fiscal cliff could dump sewage into Great Lakes
Mystery
Chicago River haunted by Asian carp and ghosts?
What is the strangest thing you have found attached to a buoy?
Technology
Lake Ontario glints at spacecam
Virtual beachcombing with electronic bug detector
Ballast blaster: Repelling invaders with sound
Botany
This gardening chore requires a hazmat suit
Energy
One man’s effort to teach alternative energy harnesses farts on Twitter
I found the Echo using google. With fish studies, change one word whole new batch pops up.
Search Engine Optimization? So that explains the titles we see. Thanks for the clarification.
Thanks for having the courage to occasionally resist the robots.
Gary Wilson
(Echo contributor)