The SEO is Dead Crowd is Wrong... Again
There's a lot for search engine optimization (SEO) professionals to be concerned with and aware of if their aim (as it should be) is to achieve higher rankings, generate more traffic and obtain a general level of marketing/business success with the practice.
The abundance of demand, coupled with the long list list of responsibilities, often creates fear, and fear ( as any good Star Wars fan can attest) is the path to the dark side ( fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering). The "dark side" of course is either black hat SEO, social media or advertising, but by every measure those approaches/channels tend to be more ephemeral in nature.
Google makes hundreds of changes every year to its assessment and ranking algorithms, consumer behavior is driving the shift toward mobile at breakneck speed, and there are now greater and more complex security requirements than ever before. The "SEO is dead" crowd latches on to this constant development and digital evolution and regularly claim that the practice is no longer viable. They, however, miss the point and continue to be wrong - just as they've been wrong about its demise since the first day the practice emerged.
What these folks are missing is this: SEO isn't about really ranking high consistently (personalization in the result pages pretty much eliminated that possibility anyway), but rather optimizing a brand's presence on the 'Net and, in turn, improving the likelihood that a website and its pages are found in relevant scenarios by an appropriate audience. Isn't that the same thing? Not exactly. Why?
When you optimize for placement on search engines, you're not focusing on users. When you focus on users, however, and develop a rewarding experience for them, search engines take notice.
How do you get there? How do you overcome the fear of SEO and start receiving (more) traffic from the organic index of popular search engines? It's simple - stop focusing on "link building" and "mobile readiness" and instead concentrate your effort on three things: content, connections and the continuity of the digital experience.
In my new book " SEO 360: The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization" the premise is to show how these three elements ( content, connections and continuity of experience) are the only true path to lasting success with SEO efforts.
Content: Develop content that is useful to a prospective and existing audience, focusing on crafting assets that are informative and entertaining.
Connections: Don't pursue "links" from other websites, develop actual relationships that are mutually beneficial for both parties.
Experience Continuity: Maintaining a functional digital presence is essential for success and the benefits of doing so are immense.
SEO 360 from
Website Magazine was not developed for those who want shortcuts to the top of the search results, nor was it developed for those who are intimately familiar with the often highly technical nuances of the practice (although they'll likely discover some interesting techniques along the way).
SEO 360 was written for those who see the value in working toward and obtaining non-paid traffic from the search engines and need a practical foundation to do so. The best way to do that is to develop content for consumers, establish relationships that propel your enterprise forward, and develop a digital presence that is consistent and accessible.
If you're interested in accelerating your 'Net success, concentrate on these elements - and you don't need a book to help. If you want to learn more about lasting and long-term success with the practice of search engine optimization though, please consider starting with SEO 360.
The abundance of demand, coupled with the long list list of responsibilities, often creates fear, and fear ( as any good Star Wars fan can attest) is the path to the dark side ( fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering). The "dark side" of course is either black hat SEO, social media or advertising, but by every measure those approaches/channels tend to be more ephemeral in nature.
Google makes hundreds of changes every year to its assessment and ranking algorithms, consumer behavior is driving the shift toward mobile at breakneck speed, and there are now greater and more complex security requirements than ever before. The "SEO is dead" crowd latches on to this constant development and digital evolution and regularly claim that the practice is no longer viable. They, however, miss the point and continue to be wrong - just as they've been wrong about its demise since the first day the practice emerged.
What these folks are missing is this: SEO isn't about really ranking high consistently (personalization in the result pages pretty much eliminated that possibility anyway), but rather optimizing a brand's presence on the 'Net and, in turn, improving the likelihood that a website and its pages are found in relevant scenarios by an appropriate audience. Isn't that the same thing? Not exactly. Why?
When you optimize for placement on search engines, you're not focusing on users. When you focus on users, however, and develop a rewarding experience for them, search engines take notice.
How do you get there? How do you overcome the fear of SEO and start receiving (more) traffic from the organic index of popular search engines? It's simple - stop focusing on "link building" and "mobile readiness" and instead concentrate your effort on three things: content, connections and the continuity of the digital experience.
In my new book " SEO 360: The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization" the premise is to show how these three elements ( content, connections and continuity of experience) are the only true path to lasting success with SEO efforts.
Content: Develop content that is useful to a prospective and existing audience, focusing on crafting assets that are informative and entertaining.
Connections: Don't pursue "links" from other websites, develop actual relationships that are mutually beneficial for both parties.
Experience Continuity: Maintaining a functional digital presence is essential for success and the benefits of doing so are immense.
SEO 360 from
Website Magazine was not developed for those who want shortcuts to the top of the search results, nor was it developed for those who are intimately familiar with the often highly technical nuances of the practice (although they'll likely discover some interesting techniques along the way).
SEO 360 was written for those who see the value in working toward and obtaining non-paid traffic from the search engines and need a practical foundation to do so. The best way to do that is to develop content for consumers, establish relationships that propel your enterprise forward, and develop a digital presence that is consistent and accessible.
If you're interested in accelerating your 'Net success, concentrate on these elements - and you don't need a book to help. If you want to learn more about lasting and long-term success with the practice of search engine optimization though, please consider starting with SEO 360.
