Here’s what we are often told about search engine optimising (SEO)
How many times have you read that you must buy this product to rank well with Google and other search engines? If you’re anything like me, far too many times! Do you find yourself seeking new opportunities online frequently, making you tense and even desperate to some degree? Goodness - I have even found myself sitting gazing at my computer wondering where to start my days work. This is of course a text book example of an untrained internet marketer and an seo living in an illusion of what’s going to be a prosperous short, medium and long term lifestyle for their family and for the future in mind.
Family because I was wasting so much time starting work from scratch every day and in addition, seeking new opportunities all the time and just burning myself out. Yes - I know I could stop work at any time but because I wasn’t making the kind of money I was accustomed to, I felt guilty if I stopped for any reason. This is no way to work or build your future on the net.
Future because I realized that I can’t keep up this pace forever and it was becoming frustrating buying new software that supposedly was the be all and end all. I was quickly realizing that many of the Gurus selling this ‘short term magic in a bottle’ stuff had better sales skills than they had true solutions. I won’t even go into what long term advantage there was because there is too little to speak on.
I got to a stage (and you might have too) where my mind was racing at night so I couldn’t sleep while I was continuously looking for answers to internet issues or SEM (search engine marketing) issues more accurately. I would often consider buying new eBooks and I was on far too many lists to really be using my time constructively.
Disappointment came when I learned that someone that I respected a lot ended up not being that knowledgeable after all. This one particular so called Guru had made his dollars by being a good marketeer and had been in internet marketing for a very long time. I still listen to his marketing advice but he has next to no knowledge on SEO (search engine optimisation) and I advise you to never get the two confused. In fact, it is imperative that you never, ever confuse the two. If you only go away from this article with one snippet, that’s it.
Why are we told this information?
We are most often told this information for only a few reasons.
- Because they too believe that all solutions are short term
- To make some money and couldn’t care less about who they hurt along the way
- Me too - meaning someone sees everyone else doing it, so they copy the product and also put it out there
- Here’s the most common - old useless ineffective automated products that are still sitting up there on the net that haven’t been removed because some poor unsuspecting newby comes along and still buys it.
The ‘black hats’ will tell you “Why remove it if it’s making money? There is a lot of this kind on the net, so beware!
What do we really need to know to rank well?
Ranking well in Google isn’t that difficult. I am only two years into this internet business arena, and two of my sites are on the first page of their preferred keyword and many other sub keywords. One of these sites has over 100 million competing sites.
Why have I mentioned this? Because I only learned several months back the correct method for search engine acceptance. It is much less difficult than fighting to maintain an existing and poor return by buying everything to stay in one spot and suffer the stress and frustration (not to mention wasted time) that comes with it.
How can this be true?
When most people start out on the internet they are most often limited to computer keyboard knowledge and many don’t even have that. The first exposure they have is with adwords with well worded advertisements promising them an enviable lifestyle etc. They really haven’t yet learned that the search engines have a job to do and a worthwhile job at that. If they could first learn that the engines can be your friend and supporter, I’ll bet most would still be around today or at least making a decent income from internet marketing. Instead they are indoctrinated that they must beat the search engines because they will be their hurdle. This can and does create a mindset. I should also say here that some people are successful doing this but they most often sell their product to the people they convert or who have already
been converted to working against the search engines. There are of course those who don’t even know they’re doing this because they are told that their service or product is search engine friendly.
Here’s what you should consider. What you do with this information is up to you but do yourself a favor and at least think about it every time you take up a new venture or want to upload something new to the internet.
Everything that has been devised to be a shortcut or a method of cheating to getting to the first few positions on the relevant pages of the internet has been discovered and removed. If it hasn’t yet, it will soon - everything! The search engines objective is not to hold you back but to deliver to surfers what they are searching for. If you help the search engines do just that, would the search engines want to keep you away - no, of course not. If you are delivering tightly focused information to those who are seeking that information, wouldn’t the engines promote your site - yes they would and they do! Of course you most do other things such as on-page optimization (once only). Promote your site a little (not much, just a little). The search engines have a vested interest in giving searchers or surfers what they are searching for in the smallest amount of time. This is what keeps a search engine popular. Not an engine that has a whole pile of junk and Spam turn up every time you do a search. I’m sure you’ve had that experience. So what does this boil down to? - Quality, original content built around the theme and structured in what are often called silo themes. That’s it! You must make the content relevant and ‘reader rich’ - a term I use meaning that it contains theme based information first with good spelling and grammar. It must be worth reading. It must be sticky too! Google is now monitoring how sticky sites are, measuring of course the length of time surfers stay on a site. That one sentence tells you heaps.
Is there any longevity In planning for traffic?
If you want to build or rebuild your site once only, planning is paramount. If you want a position in the top 10 sites then planning is paramount! If you want user ‘stickiness‘, then planning is paramount. You might be thinking “Oh but planning takes time“. Of course it does but NOT much and if you want good and on-going returns, so what if it takes you an extra day or even a week - think about that! If you’re thinking that only a technocrat or a masters degree student can plan for that sort of thing, then you’re wrong. It just takes a bit of guidance and common sense. If you can make a shopping list, you can plan your website.
What are the best tools for search engine optimisation and why?
Don’t buy anything that doesn’t have a successful history of achieving what they say they can do for you. I don’t mean 'scraped' shots of clickbank statements or Ad sense statements either. Make sure you get to see the results of their work. Some testimonials are real, some aren’t. They are not that reliable a source of verification. I must admit that anything you buy on clickback has a guarantee which has been infallible for me. However, it’s still a waste of time if you don’t get what you’re looking for or worse, what’s been
promised to you.
Also look for operators who are prepared to give you free short term trials or samples - that always says a lot.
Most good SEO operators or experts offering a service, give you information as well. Granted, it might be to wet your appetite but if it's quality and it's going to improve your knowledge and future, 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'. Read it and make a judgment - easy!
See if you can contact the owner of the site. That’s always a good test on customer service. The good ones deal with you personally and almost straight away (24 hours). The take a ticket scenario leaves most of us wanting though!
Author JM Stevens , has provided more relevant instant access to details including Website Traffic Tips
.
