In August’s, SES Magazine, I wrote an article “It’s time to redefine SEO.”
The primary emphasis of the article is how businesses still view SEO, search engine optimization, as optimizing a website and only a website. This is understandable since that is a traditional definition of SEO. A few years ago, websites were the primary marketing tool on the Internet and optimizing a site allowed it to be more visible to the search engines and hopefully rank better.
The secondary theme of the article addresses businesses’ perception of search engine optimization as complicated, overly technical or constantly changing due to search algorithms. Granted, there are technical aspects to search engine optimization but let’s remove some of the mystery.
SEO is marketing and the search engines want to provide relevant results to searchers queries. One key component is content. Provide quality, relevant content, presented in a meaningful, understandable and appealing manner in your website, blog posts and online articles. No technology required, just skill.
Search Results – Then and Now
Search engines no longer deliver just ten results on their search engine result pages (SERPs). They pull from various databases, including news, video, real-time, image, local search engines, shopping engines, blogs, etc. utilizing a process referred to as Universal Search. SEO needs to reflect the times. Thus, the need for SEO’s new definition.
Search engine optimization should be just that, search engine optimization. SEO should apply to the entire realm of organic or natural search which is the majority of the left side of the search engine result pages. You’ve invested in your business’ online marketing assets - websites, social media interactions, videos, press releases, images or shopping feeds. Can they be found in the search engines?
Key Component to Marketing Is Visibility
All marketing is specially crafted to enhance visibility; SEO is another way of making your online assets and interactions as visible as possible to your targeted customers. If your product or service is seen in more than one place, you will be more easily found. Online marketing now involves many entities, such as YouTube, blogs, social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. Your businesses’ participation in them can lead to more opportunities for being found in the search engines by your targeted customers. In fact, by participating in these various entities, links are created which can become the base-level of a link-building strategy.
SEO is part of any strong marketing effort. It should be approached holistically, involving all of your online marketing opportunities. While technical aspects exist, there are many strategies that can be implemented. Search engine optimization just makes it easier for your targeted customers to find you. It’s marketing.
Note: The article, “It’s Time to Redefine SEO” was printed originally in SES Magazine, August 2010.
SEMPO Member & Education Committee Co-Chair
Usability Professionals' Association
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