or is it just me?

Search algorithms are designed to return the most relevant results to a user's query. Which is generally a good thing, a positive service they provide to internet users (of course while making some money for themselves in the process)

Search engine "optimisation" exists only to subvert that process and return your site higher than anyone else's, regardless of how irrelevant it probably is. I'm always put off a site when I see visible signs of this practice; ie user-unfriendly URLs with long strings of keywords in them, page titles with same, semi-hidden pages bearing strangely-worded paragraphs and so on. As well as marking them out as a user of what I believe to be an unethical marketing technique, it just looks unprofessional - like businesses that name themselves AAAAAAAAAAAAAAJohn's Used Cars to be first in the phonebook.