LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS

Seven Reasons SEO is Not for You
by Michael Murray
Note: Commentary by Jerry West in Blue

Although some companies are excited about beginning an SEO campaign, they may not realize the work an SEO consultant performs means there must be changes on their website. Therefore, some companies may not actually be ready yet to accept SEO into their online strategies.

Truth be told, search engine optimization (SEO) may not be for you.

Regardless of the product or service and company size, SEO just may not be something you can handle - at least for now. If you fall into one of these areas, you may want to just skip the online marketing rage.

1. You don't want to edit your content.

If you're not willing to change your content, an SEO consultant really can't do much to help you. Really, the keywords people use need to be in your content. It's that simple.

JW: This is true to some extent, but not the law. You have examples of "Click Here" with results not having that text anywhere on the page, due to incoming anchor text boosts. LSI plays a major role as well, ranking sites high based on "theme content" and not the actual content itself. In short, it isn't the keywords that are used, but the page copy itself. If the copy can't convert to a sale or a lead, what's the use of the top ranking anyway?

2. You love graphics - lots of graphics.

Partial to graphics? Excellent. If you have plenty of business and a pretty Web site, SEO may not be in your future. Again, text helps - if you can work it into your Web site. But if you love static graphic or Flash and "skip" intro buttons, you may want to save SEO for another day.

JW: I feel the author here is "painting with a wide brush" and while the advice is good, it is also misleading. A reader might read this and think, "In order for my site to be at the top of the rankings, I have to make sure it is heavy on text and low on graphics". Remember this, search engines don't buy from you, consumers do. The SEO game is different than it was a few years ago. Link Popularity and other off-page factors have more weight given to them than ever, so use them. You CAN have a drop-dead gorgeous site that still ranks well in the search engines, it just takes skill and patience.

3. Pages short on copy.

It's not really a repeat of #2. We've seen some rather barren Web sites with hardly any graphics and not enough copy. Honestly, it sometimes seems like a hunting expedition may be needed to track down more than a paragraph. How many words do you need? No one knows the magic number. But 25 words usually doesn't help.

JW: According to testing, the top ranking pages have a lot more than 25 words on a page. (To find out the exact number, you will want to subscribe to our SEO Revolution Newsletter). But just having text isn't enough, you need to have an expertly crafted landing page to convert that visitor into a buyer. "Connect the dots" for them, don't count on that they will do it themselves.

4. You change your content a lot.

So you want to keep your home page fresh and exciting? Unfortunately, major changes often conflict with the SEO strategy. In other words, if you keep wiping out the keywords an SEO firm inserts, the program is pointless.

JW: This was true years ago, but not today. As stated above, off-page factors weight heavily now. Changing the content and having a fresh site is vital. Google HEAVILY rewards you with fresh content. By adding fresh content, especially to your home page, you are engaging your visitors, especially the ones that return often. We did a test to see what would happen to our site if we let the content become stale. For four months, we didn't change the content on the home page. Results? We dropped from #3 in Google for the keyword "web marketing" to #14. Coincidence? Hardly. The same occurred on 23 other tests that we conducted as well. We did this on our own site to show our subscribers what happens when your site looks "out of date" by Google. Now, if we continue to ignore the site, the ranking will all but disappear from the radar screen in about two months. If you have a good SEO, he or she will consult you with the best methods of ensuring that you walk the thin line of great SEO and a website that will convert. Again, it isn't rocket science, but it does take skill and patience.

5. You want to wait on the redesign.

Some companies get excited about SEO - high rankings and increased traffic can pay off. But don't get started on a program if you're just going to let your current Web site miss out on search engine optimization. Some businesses just want to gear up keywords for a new design months down the road while neglecting their current Web site.

JW: Good advice here. When I first read the headline, I thought that they author was going to recommend not redesigning the website because it may cause a drop in the rankings. That is one of the most ridiculous pieces of advice you will ever hear. Your objective with your site is to make money, not have top rankings. I will beat this statement into the ground until it is heard! If you are doing SEO correctly, and you have over 150 pages in the index, you should only see about 8% of your overall traffic from your top 5 keyword phrases. The rest of your search engine traffic will come from phrases that you weren't targeting, but you naturally ranked well for. If this isn't happening for you, you may need a new SEO, copywriter, or both.

6. You can't stand the thought of your page titles changing.

The title appears in that blue bar in Internet Explorer - the one way up there above "Favorites." If you prefer to say "About Our Company" instead of keywords that actually BRING traffic, you might want to put SEO on the back burner.

JW: The advice here needs to go a little further. The Titles should never be stuffed with keywords to bring traffic, you want them to promote the site as an ad does. Think about it, your site, while it may be #4 for a competitive keyword phrase is surrounded by competition. What sets you apart? Your Title. So, craft your Title with your SEO and copywriter. If your SEO is really good, he or she can do this for you. It is an art, and when done correctly, a #4 listing can outpull #1 in terms of click throughs.

7. You're not willing to address other business problems.

SEO consultants can get you traffic, but they can't make your Web site more user friendly unless you let them. Maybe your product page is too busy or your shopping cart is confusing.

JW: The best advice was kept for last. Great comment and I will repeat it: "SEOs can bring you traffic, but if your website is clunky, it is not going to sell." Overall, this is a good article, it just didn't go far enough for me, possibly due to the readership it went to, but the added comments should give you direction. Good luck!

About the Author:
Michael Murray is vice president of Fathom SEO, a Cleveland, Ohio-based search engine marketing firm . A member of SEMPO, SEO Consultants and OSEOP, he authored the "U.S. Manufacturers Resist Natural Search Engine Optimization and Online Sales Leads" study and a white paper, "Search Engine Marketing: Get in the Game." michael@fathomseo.com