Why I Can’t Trust Klout Anymore

Klout is a site that measures your influence on the web, using social media sites. Essentially, the more influential you are on social media websites, the higher your Klout score is. The score goes from 1 to 100, and I would say that it’s pretty easy to get a Klout score of 30 or higher. Currently, my Klout score is 66, which is really not that bad if you ask me.

After, all, Duane Forrester’s Klout score is 74:

It’s all good, right? well, no. Let me explain. One of the features of Klout is to use the Klout.com website to “discover content to share”, apparently content that is so very good that’s it’s been shared often. Klout thinks it’s so good that you should share it, too. I get the feeling that they’re suggesting content that I should share because it will help my Klout score go up after sharing it. OK, fine. If it’s good content, then I don’t mind sharing it, right?

Well, let’s take a look at the BEST CONTENT that Klout recommends that I share. Apparently it’s so good, that it’s trending! OMG this is trending content, so I should share it! Want to know what it is?

Wait for it… well here it is!

Yep, you got that right! Klout says that “Over 23% of your Twitter audience is interested in this topic.” (The SEO topic.) I’m sorry, but I have to disagree here. It’s more like:

That website manipulated (spammed) the Klout algorithm and artificially made Klout recommend that content and made Klout recommend it to me. And any algorithm that’s able to be manipulated or spammed like this is not a sound algorithm.

So, if this currently is the best content that Klout has show me for the SEO topic, then frankly I just cannot put any trust, whatsoever, in Klout. And, am I saying that this company who “guarantees a number 1 ranking in Google” use some sort of artificial manipulation to make their content “trend” on Klout’s network? Well, yes, that’s what I saying. Obviously, I have no proof of what they did, but frankly it’s highly suspicious that the content was liked and shared so much “naturally”.