Search Engine Optimization
There is a lot of confusion and false interpretation around what SEO (Search Engine OPtimization) is and what it isn't. We have a point of view.
The idea of optimizing anything requires a standard or factor that we optimize to. Of course search engine optimization means that we are optimizing a site for the search engines, but what are we optimizing to? For most businesses the web developer, usually a programmer, does the site optimization, if anyone does it at all. He or she simply review the content and select words or phrases that might describe what's on the page they are optimizing. Done. Website has been optimized.
First, we think a marketer - specifically a copywriter, a professional who works with words - should be the person behind SEO. Today's technology does not require programming skills to optimize a site. This is a job for a professional communicator who understands human nature and has a mastery with words.
Next, some rigorous work must be done to understand what we call the productive keywords - those phrases or search terms that a likely buyer of our services uses when they "Google" a specific inquiry. We use real time research for this. It's called Google Adwords. We invest a few ad dollars in PPC and experiment, test and discover using all of the wonderful tools that Google provides for free. At the end of this process we have a proven list of search terms that people actually use.
Then we optimize our site against those words.
Remember Google and all other search engines are all about relevancy. They want to return any search term with the most relevant sites they can find. And at this point in time, they can only determine relevancy by matching words and exact phrases. So it stands to reason, if we can discover what words our primary prospect would most likely use, then align our content, titles, meta tags and headlines to use those terms consistently, the search engines are far more likely to deem us relevant to that exact search term.
It's beginning to get interesting out there! One of the things you may have noticed about SEO and internet marketing is that there is no gatekeeper collecting huge media dollars and controling what consumers see or don't see. Or who advertisers can reach and can't reach! The hunters have become the hunted. The consumer has the power - it is what the great marketers have been trying to tell us for years.
But this marketing world requires far more discipline of each and every marketer. The Google Age will require us to decide what we want to be known for and stick very close to that message. Start to generalize or try to be everything to everybody, we will very quickly become nothing to anybody online.
