Search Engine Optimization: July 2007 Archives

Although Search Engine Optimization (SEO) may seem like the “latest and greatest” tool a business may have, let me be the first to tell you that it shouldn’t be the only one. In fact, if you think that all you need to do to have a successful web business is to implement an SEO strategy, you’d be wrong. A business is still only as strong as its foundation. SEO should be implemented with that in mind. A strong business will benefit from SEO, but a business that is weak in terms of structure, idea, focus, etc. will not gain much of anything.

The Marketing Pilgrim explainswhy a business doesn’t need SEO by asking us to reflect on what "need" really means. At calanacis.com Jason Calanacis, previous GM of Netscape speaks his thoughts on SEO (is it B.S. or not) . His main points are:

- If you build a great site and you take your time you will rise in the Google rankings
- Have faith in Google's ability to sort the good from the bad
- The best way to do SEO is make better content, more consistently

Even when it comes to utilizing SEO for your blog, again, you are only as good as your content, as Graywolf’s tongue in cheek SEO post Your Stories Never Go Popular Because Your Personal Marketing Plan Sucks.

At the end of the day, SEO should not be your business band-aid. Look at your business, focus on your key strengths, build a strong model, and use SEO as one of many marketing tools to get you to where you want to be.

In this DIY-everything world, can DIY SEO work for you? When is it the right time to do it yourself versus hiring an expert?

With the ongoing debate in searchengineland on the topic of “Can Small Businesses Really Afford SEO?” it really comes down to two main points-- cost versus benefits, and the ability of the business to balance the numerous investments (monetary and non-monetary) to make the cost justifiable. Balance is really key. Invest too little and you won’t see the return you need, invest too much and you commit SEO overkill.

If you decide to hire someone, finding the right expert to work with is critical. Judging SEO talent can be difficult. In the SEO world, it's not always easy for nonprofessionals to differentiate between meat and potatoes and smoke and mirrors.

Bruce Clay also responds to this quandary in his blog. He makes an important point when he says that small businesses have pieces of SEO that they can do themselves at first, and later bring in an expert when managing the SEO strategy becomes unwieldy. Some good references if you want to get started, would be the LED Digest discussion on “Finding a Qualified SEO” and the online SEO checklist .

On the SEM front, Success Magazine’s recent article on “Should You Outsource Your Search Engine Marketing or Keep It In-House?” goes through some advantages and disadvantages of hiring an SEM agency. Here are some to note (more descriptions can be found in the post):

Advantages- Focused Expertise
- Technology
- Research

Disadvantages
- Loss of control or intellectual capital
- More expensive

Whatever the business, there is usually some sort of dark underbelly, and in search engine optimization, it's called “black hat” SEO. Black hat practices can be used by a site either to boost its own rankings or to bury a competing site in the dark abyss of search results. (You wonder if the latter form should be called "black black hat" SEO.) Forbes.com featured an article delving into this threat - The Saboteurs Of Search . The article goes through 7 ways your site can be sabotaged, namely:

- Google Bowling
- Tattling
- Google Insulation
- Copyright Takedown Notices
- Copied Content
- Denial of Service
- Click Fraud

This article has proven to be timely, and industry reaction has been rampant. Read through some of the response on searchengineland’s blog.

Fortunately, there are certain things that you can do in order to protect yourself. According to sitepronews

The key to protection from XSS attacks is in the proper configuration of all of the applications and tools that comprise your on-line enterprise. These apps must be synced up to work together while, at the same time, developing protection against XSS attacks.
This configuring of applications is done at the host level and should include a detailed analysis of potential XSS entry points within the site's design and reconfiguration to fit the server security already in place.

One thing is thankfully certain: search engines such as Google are getting more and more black hat savvy. Your SEM partner should be able to give you a leg up in the battle against black hat sabotage.

Further reading--

From Whoast, why you should avoid black hat techniques yourself.

A glossary of black hat SEO terms from George Ajazi.

Search engine optimization is not only for the business that has its own stand alone website. Businesses that sell on eBay can gain a lot of momentum and better ROI implementing sound SEO strategies. A lot of the SEO principles are applicable to the eBay merchant, the only difference being that the strategies would be focused on the microcosm of eBay. Here are a couple of tips:

Maximize keyword usage in your listing descriptions and titles. Do your research: find out which words get the best results rather than guess. Check and change your search engine keywords (found under marketing tools)--the ones automatically generated by eBay are based on your descriptions alone.

Utilize all that eBay has to offer a merchant. Make sure you fill out your store description with as many useful keywords as possible. Also, create your “about me” page and make links to your store from there. eBay has a handy SEO guide online that can give you even more handy tips.

SEO-ing your eBay store is essential because of the growing competitiveness within eBay, Check out these forums for some helpful opinions and recommendations.

Cre8asiteforum has a discussion on SEO and eBay

Searchenginewatch also has a forum on SEO on eBay