SEO Techniques - A Love, Hate Relationship

There is a growing consensus among online marketers that over-

emphazing Search Engine Optimation (SEO) techniques is one of the worst things that a business can do -- not just because it's often a waste of money, but also because it can be counterproductive.  There is no telling how many company websites have been penalized by Google and Bing for their misguided SEO zeal. The bottom line is that, before your business goes overboard with SEO techniques, there are a few important cautions to consider.

 

SEO is not the end goal. To begin with, ask yourself this question: What's the purpose of your online business presence?  Is it to do SEO just for the sake of doing SEO -- or is it provide customers and prospects with superior products and services? The answer is the latter and, yet, many marketers get sidetracked, making the focus of their online presence on SEO rather than simply providing their products and services. SEO techniques are not necessarily helpful to your business. In many cases, they are simply distractions.

 

SEO can hurt. If you're familiar with Google's recent Panda, Penquin and Penquin 2.0 algorithmic update, you should know that SEO techniques can hinder just as much as they can help. Google is constantly seeking to reward websites that provide substantative, engaging content -- and to penalize sites that seek to "game" the system with SEO trickery. The recent Penquin 2.0 update, for example, penalized sites that used paid links and other duplicitous SEO practices.  The bottom line is that Google wants your site to focus on quality and content, not just SEO techniques and, as such, an overemphasis on SEO can actually hurt your website's online rankings.

 

True SEO meets customer and prospects needs. True search engine optimation is not about keyword stuffing, buying backlinks, or any other tricks and gimmicks.  True SEO is about answering customer and prospect needs and demands. What are your targeted customers actually searching for? What kinds of information are they seeking?  If you can provide them with the answers they need, Google will reward you for it. If you're too obsessive about flash-in-the-pan SEO techniques, Google will likely leave your site in the dust. Rather than treat Google as an obstacle to overcome, marketers should instead treat Google as an ally -- and that means playing by Google rules, not trying to circumvent them with SEO tricks. The solution is to focus on your core product offerings.

 

Source: Zsolt Bicskey, Business 2 Community