What Is SEO About? Is Search Engine Optimization Dead?
In recent years, S.E.O has been proclaimed dead numerous times.
When Panda hit the seen and then again when the Penguin update was unveiled, SEO was declared dead first. These were algorithm changes that altered the way that Google ranked and organized the content it found. These updates penalized and de-indexed a large number of websites and actually cost many companies thousands of dollars-- even destroying their businesses in many cases.
SEO was declared dead at this point by many a naysayer, not only because the old strategies no longer worked but because Google made it clear that it didn't want to see people trying to manipulate the variables and game the system. Every time someone finds a way to 'beat' Google and get to the top, chances are that Google is going to adapt and punish them.
All the techniques that had once reliably worked to help a website climb the ranks-- posting links on link directories and writing content with tons of content-- was suddenly getting sites banned.
Surely that's entirely what SEO is about?
How Have Things Changed?
For a long time, this meant relying almost purely on 'guest posts', which are posts that a creator lands on another website with links embedded. Site owners get free content and the content creators get a link back to their site-- everyone wins.
And now Google is getting even more strategic and complex in its approach. Now Google is taking into account things like bounce rates, things like personalized search and more.
Even guest posting can get you into trouble. Matt Cutts, who works at Google, came right out and stated that over-reliance on guest posting would get your site penalized too.
If every single one of your posts takes the same format and they're all on similar blogs ... well then it will look as though you've 'done a deal' with the blog creator.
Which you have ...
... is SEO Still Worth It?
Is SEO really dead? Is it better to rely more on social media marketing, which seems to be growing all the time?
A good SEO company knows this and should be able to offer a comprehensive and cohesive marketing strategy that takes multiple aspects into account.
Yes and no.
That is SEO if that means changing your site to a blue color scheme to decrease bounce rates.
SEO isn't dead and in fact, it hasn't even changed. The problem is our interpretation of SEO and what it should mean.
And if it means relying on social media marketing, then that becomes a form of SEO.
SEO was declared dead first when Panda hit the seen and then again when the Penguin update was unveiled. Matt Cutts, who works at Google, came right out and stated that over-reliance on guest posting would get your site penalized too. SEO isn't trying to trick Google. SEO is working with Google. SEO means doing whatever it takes to increase your chances of ranking highly in the SERPs without getting into trouble.
SEO isn't trying to trick Google. SEO is working with Google. SEO means doing whatever it takes to increase your chances of ranking highly in the SERPs without getting into trouble.
