SEO and your crap filled site

Many people think that Search Engine Optimization involves some sort of magic formula.

Sadly, quite a few SEO firms perpetuate this myth by shrouding their work in secrecy and mythology, spouting ten-dollar words like "algorithm" when they talk to potential clients. They make it seem like their SEO work is similar to driving the space shuttle and mere mortals can never do it.

Note to regular readers: I have written about this subject several times, but it is worth a re-visit based on how many people ask me about it.

Almost inevitably, I find that the sites people want optimized (and that the SEO firms work on) are crap filled. They're poorly written. They ramble on and on in an egotistical way about what the companies' products do. They're filled with industry jargon and corporate gobbledygook.

I tell people that they need to understand their buyers and create great content that buyers will want to consume. That way, their pages will attain high rankings as the search engines gradually reward the great content.

Usually I get pushback. People say they just want an agency to "tweak our existing Web pages." And, of course, many SEO firms are happy to take their money to do this.

Sorry, this doesn't work. The only way to create high search engine results is to create great content that people want to link to.

Performing search engine optimization on a crap-filled site just makes it slightly less crappy.

I'm amazed by how a piece of interesting content (a blog post, an e-book, a Web page) can generate high rankings for a tiny company, rankings way above those of the big, famous organizations.

Your challenge: Go to Google and do a search for the important phrases that your buyers are using to find organizations like yours, and look at where you fall in the search results. Consider what great content you can publish to trigger a World Wide Rave that will get people linking to your content and send your site to the top of the search results.

An aside: There are many excellent SEO firms that understand content. I am not picking on the entire industry here. I am pointing out that there is no easy way to "get high rankings" that matter.

Image courtesy of Pulled Over

Comments

[Kelsey]

great article!

[Rob Brown]

I totally agree. The imporance of good content is paramaount. I think it helps for PR people to understand some of the priciples of SEO and to feel comfortable with using web analytics but there is no substitute for good and well written content. In less than a year we got our agency website to No 1 on Google for searches on both media blog and pr blog. That was without spending a penny/cent on SEO.

[Arun Agrawal]

Agree with you while my mind is filled up with memories of those conversations where I have been told - something like -

"Yes, we know we should have more content but we don't have time. and who reads on the Internet anyway?"

[Chernee Vitello]

I agree, your book is great, understanding what your customer wants to hear and providing great content is what is going to make you successful.

[Steve Buchholz]

It's interesting that David encourages us to write "great content that buyers will want to consume," when just about every post he has written recently is designed to do one thing-sell his new book.

In post after post, David unabashedly promotes his book. How about giving your readers something useful instead? How about showing readers why we should buy your book rather than constantly telling us we should buy it?

David is an expert who can help his readers improve their marketing abilities. I certainly need help, and that's why I visit this site. That's why I bought and recommend "The New Rules."

However, I'm not sure this new promotional strategy is completely tuned in.

[Linda Forrest]

SEO, when done properly, can have a dramatic impact on organic search results. We had to do a major backend overhaul on our web site in order to up our rankings, but the increase in traffic was well worth the effort. Our own personal SEO guru is Chris Biber from SearchingWorks (http://www.searchingworks.com) and he has guested on our blog to talk about news release optimization in a post that you can read here: http://inmedialog.com/index.php/archives/optimizing-news-releases-for-search-engines-and-beyond/

[David Meerman Scott]

Steve, Not sure what you're talking about here. Yes, I am linking to my book in this post, but I feel like I am offering value with the post. From the other comments, I think others have gotten value.

I am not talking about the book itself in a post like this but merely using the title of the book in the text and offering a link.

I don't recall once ever saying "you should buy my book". (Maybe I have, but I don't recall).

I would contrast that with a post (that I almost never do) that just talks about the book and why you should buy it.

By the way, World Wide Rave released last week, so I do want people to know that it is now available.

But anyway, thanks for the feedback.

David

[seamus walsh]

Avainash Kaushik, from Google™ talks about, his favorite metric, "Bounce Rate", he calls it, "I came, I puked, I left." Trying to convince people that they don't need more visitors is a chore. When some, throw money at a problem they feel good, after all they are taking action to solve the problem.

To get an indication of how visitors judge your content look at "average time on site", "page views" and "repeat visitors." My favorite metric is when my phone rings and a voice says, "I read your white paper, I have a problem...."

[Joe Mescher]

SEO isn't Alchemy, that's for sure.

Writing as a publisher of my own blog, it's funny how easy it is to slip into the 'Dark Side' by forgetting what readers (consumers) want to read.

We can all use a kick in the pants, I mean...reminder, from time to time that the purchaser decides the value of the product.

Thanks for the reminder DMS.

[Brad Shorr]

David, Excellent post and conversation. There are definitely SEO rules for content that are worth following, but you still need to know how to write. Weaving keyword phrases into copy without sounding stilted takes training and a fair amount of effort, but it gets results.

[Stephan Miller]

The SEO work that your visitor's can do for you is sometimes better than what you can do yourself. And you trigger this with great content.

[SpiritintheVillage]

Seems that a lot of businesses and independents are looking for the magic pill but in reality getting your site noticed takes practice in this space and having content (like you say) that people want to read.
Kevin

[Michael Benidt]

The comment about David selling his book on this site astonishes me. We read a lot of blogs that offer only blogwash and blogpitch - and NO CONTENT. I'd say that being one of the few voices to question the typical SEO tripe you get at every turn on the Internet is pretty good content - and that's just this post. Here's another of the lone voices, John Dvorak of PC Magazine, on SEO bunk - http://tinyurl.com/SEOFiascoes

I'm not offended by the offer of his book - heck, I may even buy it. I'm offended by fake expertise, bait and switch and false promises - not an open and honest offer.

[GeekMBA360]

I agree with the main point of your post, Dave. But, I have to say that we need to look at SEO effectiveness from both short-term and long-term perspective.

In the short-term, applying SEO techniques (either white-hat or black-hat) could temporarily boost Search Engine ranking even if the content is crappy or not-so-good. The problem is that in the long term, your search ranking will not be sustainable if you have crappy content.

To build a long-term, sustainable business, one needs to have top-notch, valuable content first. Applying SEO techniques would be "ice on the cake".

GeekMBA360

[ToddySM]

David, what about the bunch of companies that offer SEO services and actually don't know how to format the HTML pages? Two points I have:
1. You are the best SEO company for your web site
2. Get creative with your content. Don't just rewerite your old TV ads and put them on the web.
Good that you are pointing this out!

[Jerry Smith]

Hallelujah. Thanks for posting such common sense. It has always seemed to me that SEO is kept as some sort of dark art by those who practice a game of "out fox Google" when the best way to get your site noticed is produce really valuable content. I am sure there are site designs that help but I love that you are taking this line.
Google's success relies on it finding great content on sites so putting great content on your site would seem to be the best way to get their attention. Thanks!

[Tom Gray]

"Go to Google and do a search for the important phrases that your buyers are using to find organizations like yours."

The problem with this is that we sometimes don't listen to how our customers describe their needs so what we search on is the high fallutin', techspeak, marketing speak gobbledygook that we use to describe what our products or services do to justify the money they'll spend (kind of like the seo firms you described.) What we need to do is engage in active listening with our customers. When prospects call in, ask the receptionist to keep a log of the words and phrases they use to describe their problem. If you're a physical therapist and people call in because their "shoulder hurts" am I better off optimizing my site for 'shoulder pain' or rotator cuff injuries. Unless I treat baseball pitchers as part of my practice, I'd say 'shoulder pain'.

Capturing the verbal interactions between your employees and 'civilians' in any setting will serve to help you understand the language you need to speak to get your message found online.

[Mike]

I wish I could add to that, David, but you pretty succinctly summed up the cold, hard facts and left the, uh...crap out of your post ;-)

[Steve Buchholz]

David: Thanks for responding. Of course you want people to buy I your book. I do too. If it comes even close in quality to "The New Rules," it will be a bargain at twice its price.

It just seems like your recent posts have been excuses to promote the book rather than being designed to deliver solid content for the sake of good content.

[David Meerman Scott]

Tom, You are absolutely right and I missed that in my original post. You've got to know what terms your BUYERS are searching on, not what the product managers and marketers think (but don't know for sure) that people are searching on.

[David Meerman Scott]

Steve, I'm sorry that you feel that way, but it is not my intention at all.

There is no way that I write a post thinking about how it will sell books. I write valuable content and if I can link to one of my books somewhere, I do.

Last week I was in Eastern Europe giving some keynote speeches. I think it is cool and so do many readers who reached out to me, that "New Rules" is published in 23 languages including Lithuanian, Turkish, and Latvian (countries I visited last week).

To link to my books in those languages in the posts I did last week is what was on my mind last week that I wanted my readers to know about. This was NOT something I dreamed up just to sell a few books in Turkey, Latvia, and Lithuania...

[Tom Gray]

Steve,

This is like any other medium. If you don't like the content, change the channel or skip it. You sound awfully petulant over what's basically a guy spending a few words promoting his new book. Of course he should use HIS blog to promote HIS new book. It's the royalties from that and related revenue that affords him the luxury of creating all the killer, free content that you're now bemoaning the lack of ...

Get over it.

Respectfully,

Tom

[Sean Hecking]

I agree with your thoughts on SEO for crap sites. I think few people understand how influential things like design, good usability and branding play on the success of SEO. I feel as though clients with strong brands, good design and usability are the best clients. Their sites seem much easier to gain links and promote as a result.

[Louise Desmarais]

As an SEO writer, I clearly explain what tactics I will use on my clients' sites. And while this may lead to the thought that they could be doing it themselves, the truth is they don't have the time or the inclination. By helping clients understand SEO better, they feel involved and more on top of things. They can follow the progress, and see that positive things are happening. Then they know their money has been invested wisely.

[On the Money]

Like most other comment writers, I agree! It is extraordinary the amount of blogs dedicated to rechurning the same myths about social networking sites, SEO voodoo, etc. Nice one!