Archive for February, 2009

Link Building: When All Else Fails, Try Building Good Content!

Friday, February 20th, 2009

My dad has always said, “When all else fails, read the directions.” This advise always came at the peak of my frustration – usually after trying in vane to build a model airplane, electric car racing track, etc. on my own. With hundreds of pieces scattered all over the floor and some things working and other things not, it was always obvious that before diving into anything I should have “read the directions” first. Are we, as human beings, ever capable of heeding this advice 100% of the time? I think not.

On Christmas morning, I take great pride in proving to my wife and 2 boys that I am above “directions.” I puff out my chest, take a sip of my coffee, and usually say something like, “everyone step aside and let me put that tricycle together.” Then, after about a half hour and trying to jam a bolt into a hole that’s too small with 2 kids screaming in my ear, my wife delicately says to me, “Do you want the directions?” I then blame it on the manufacturer and say something  like, “what kind of idiots designed this thing?” I then reluctantly grab the directions from my wife and proceed to start flipping through the pages of the instruction manual. Of course, I don’t start from page 1 (as I am far too smart for such ridiculously obvious instructions), so I choose to start from the last page of the directions manual and work backwards. This results in the tricycle getting done sometime in June or never.

How does this analogy relate to link building for SEO? Let me try to demonstrate in simple list form, here goes:

1. Nobody but Google truly knows the exact contingencies that the Google algorithm uses to rank any 1 domain for any 1 term.

2. The magnitude of contingencies that are programmed into the Google algorithm are more than any 1 human being can possibly comprehend.

3. Exactly how much weight the Google algorithm places on any 1 contingency is always changing and ultimately up to Google.

4. Google defines the rules – not us.

5. Teams of Google’s very bright developers instruct the algorithm – not us.

6. Google owns Google.com and the Google  algorithm – not us.

7. Google developers can change the algorithm whenever they want – we can’t.

8. Google’s #1 objective is to provide it’s users with the best and most relevant search results possible for any 1 search term.

9. We need Google because it is the medium that people use to find “us,” and Google needs “us” because we provide the content.

10. It’s important to recognize that there are so many ranking contingencies that we will never know about.

11. It’s equally important to recognize that there are contingencies that will always be TRUE.

12. In very simple terms, Google’s primary objective is to find the best content for any 1 search term and rank the content in order of “best.”

13. So, it is logical to assume that if we focus on building GOOD/QUALITY content – Google needs to and wants to find it and rank it well.

14. So, let’s look at just 1 of the universally agreed upon contingencies that ‘everyone’ seems to agree upon as being an important contingency that Google uses to determine what content is good, quality, relevant, and worth ranking high in its search engine results. INBOUND LINKS.

15. The assumption (in simplest form) is this. If any 1 piece of content (website, web page, picture, video, blog post, etc..) has a lot of links from other domains pointing to it – it must be good/quality content. And if any 1 domain has a lot of INBOUND links, it must be good/quality content that people like – so rank this domain WELL for the all of the terms and phrases that this domain is targeting.

16.  Think about it in this simple form; it makes perfect sense. Google must provide its users (searchers) with the best and most relevant results possible, otherwise people will stop using Google and use another search engine. Google WANTS to find and rank content from trusted sources on the web who are authorities on the subject matter at hand (search term). So, it is a safe bet for the Google algorithm to CHECK to see how many LINKS point to any 1 domain as means of determining authenticity, trust, and popularity. To some degree, popularity = people like it, and Google wants to provide its users with what they will like most.

17.  Now it’s probably starting to make sense why you have gotten so many emails from all sorts of companies that say something along the lines of “We will get you 10 gazillion links for $9.99.” The “logic” behind this is simply: Google = Values Lot’s Of Links + You Want To Rank For Search Terms + Get Lot’s Of Links = You Rank Well.

18. That “logic” worked well for a long time, but don’t forget – Google owns the Google algorithm and can change the game any time. And, the Google algorithm is not stupid. If it were, there would be another Google. Someday there might be, but right now Google owns the smartest search engine algorithm available on the market.

19. So, as the Google algorithm continues to get smarter, it can better evaluate the nature and quality of the LINKS that point to your content. And, the Google algorithm can and does measure if and to what degree its users are satisfied when clicking on your content from Google.com search results.

20. So, one of the “easiest” and most logical things you can do in regards to “link building” is build good, quality content that people like. Ready for this? … If you focus on building value added, quality content that people like, other websites, blogs, etc. will WANT to link to your content. Google will find it automatically, evaluate it accordingly, and you don’t have to worry about all sorts of ways to “trick” Google and acquire manufactured links from other websites, blogs, etc.

Bottom Line: If you have spent money and time trying all sorts of creative ways to get more links through reciprocal link building strategies and paid link building services; you are not alone, and if it is being done correctly, and the work, time, and money is providing a return on investment – Great! The purpose here was merely to point out and demonstrate that one of the most overlooked and arguably the best thing you can do to build links is “Create unique and compelling content on your site and the web in general.” And, “When All Else Fails, Read The Directions.“

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Measuring & Valuing Your Website: It’s As Simple As “Pie”

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

google-analytics-pie-chartAre you like many mid-size or small business owners I know? Have you spent a ton of money on your website but have a hard time understanding the ROI? Let me guess, you are on your second, third or even fourth version of your website. You have spent countless hours listening to your graphic design company about color combinations and the newest flash animation that is going to engage your customers. You continue to dump cash into your web presence because you know the value is there, but value is similar to radio, print or television advertising. You know that marketing and advertising is a “must do” for your business and that is why you have an annual budget for marketing and advertising investments. But, everything is as vague as it ever was and you are as frustrated as you have always been because just like television advertising, radio advertising or print advertising – your internet investments are tough to truly measure. You think the radio, tv and newspaper ad worked, but you can’t say for sure.

The web is inherently different. Everything is measurable. I know what you are thinking, “Yah, yah … I’ve seen those big reports that get emailed to me every quarter from my web development company that basically show big numbers in an effort to cut them bigger checks.” I understand and appreciate that mentality. Why? Because you are busy selling cars, shoes, clothes, fishing trips, lodging, real estate properties, stuffed animals, bicycles, engineering services, construction services, IT services, software, tutoring services, dog food, etc… You are too busy doing what you do best and it’s easier to do what you do with other advertising and marketing channels – just put a budget aside every year, pay someone to manage it and hope for the best. After all, you don’t have time to understand the difference between hits, visits, page views, keywords, referrer, and all that stuff.

Trust me, you can understand this stuff and as a business owner you need to understand this stuff. Do you need to understand it to the degree that I do? Maybe, maybe not. That’s up to you. But, just like your bank accounts, credit lines or retirement investments – you need to and can easily understand the fundamental measurements. Imagine not knowing your current interest rates on lines of credit, how many employees you have, the current status of your 401k, or how this years sales numbers compared to last years. You can’t imagine that, because you need to and want to understand those things – at least to the degree that you can make wise, well informed, and business critical decisions. Do you have to understand the infinite complexities of the stock market and understand the stock market to the degree that your financial advisor does? No. That is why you pay him/her. Do you want to and need to know how much you are investing, where you are investing it, and your return on investments. Absolutely.

So, let me show you a very base level and simple measurement that you can and need to understand. The goal of this demonstration is to make you say to yourself, “I get it. I wonder what my website ‘pie’ looks like?” If this blog gives you the inertia to want to find the answer to that question and the answer to that question becomes the incentive for you to want to better understand how to value your web assets, then the goal has been achieved. So, ready for how simple this pie chart is to understand? Here it goes:

There are only 3 possible ways people can get to your website. Yup, that’s it.

1. Search Engines: Traffic that comes to your website as a result of a search engine user typing your brand name or key words or phrases that relate to your business products and services into a search engine. This pie chart clearly shows that search engines are the most valuable traffic driver to the xyz.com website. 60.86% (10,616 visits) of the total traffic (17,443 visits) within a 1 month time frame comes to xyz.com from search engines. The name of the actual website has been excluded for anonymity purposes.

2. Direct Traffic: Traffic that comes to your website as a result of users typing your domain name directly into their web browser. This pie chart clearly shows that direct traffic is the second most valuable traffic driver to the xyz.com website. 22.23% (3,877 visits) of the total traffic (17,443 visits) within a 1 month time frame comes to xyz.com from direct traffic. The name of the actual website has been excluded for anonymity purposes.

3. Referring Sites: Traffic that comes to your website via a link from any other website. This is traffic that comes to xyz.com from blogs, forums, or websites where advertising dollars are spent to promote xyz.com.  It is important to note that it is very easy to measure the exact amount of visits that each referrer sent to xyz.com. This pie chart clearly shows that referral traffic is the third most valuable traffic driver to the xyz.com website. 16.91% (2,950 visits) of the total traffic (17,443 visits) within a 1 month time frame comes to xyz.com from referral traffic. The name of the actual website has been excluded for anonymity purposes.

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Social Media Optimization: It’s All About “WE”

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

1. Social Media seems to be the big buzz right now and it’s no wonder why.

2. Some of the technology and applications that have and continue to be developed are humbling, exciting, and awe inspiring. It seems that the web has changed forever, right before our eyes (wouldn’t be the first time and won’t be the last). Let’s face it – facebook.com and similar social media is what people want and we want it everywhere all of the time! We want it as our home page on our laptops and desktop, as email notifications, integrated into the blogs and websites we visit, on our cell phones etc.

3. At a macro level, the web has always been a social mechanism. Let’s look at a very simplified example. A user interacts with Google and types what they want into the search bar. Your stuff and everyone else’s stuff appear as the results. The user chooses if and how long he/she wants to interact with you. Make sense? If not, let me use the next couple bullet points to demonstrate further.

4. Let’s go back in time to the days of AOL (America Online). Highly interactive social media such as Instant Messaging was popular back in 1997 and still is today. Still don’t get it? Ok, this next one will do the trick.

5. Email is social media. You use email. You certainly don’t email yourself all the time. Of course not, you initiate emails to and respond to emails from your friends or business relationships and all sorts of people that matter to you. Sometimes, the communication is between just you and 1 other person. Other times, 1 email thread is between you and several other people.

6. Ok, I am on a roll here. One more really simple example to drive the point home. You have a cell phone, right? Sure, the features, buttons, ringtones, and all of the “bells and whistles” are valuable to you and your phone is almost as important as your wallet or purse. Does the average user really care about all of the amazing technology that makes cellular telephony possible? Probably not. The core value to us is the ability for us to communicate. Would you buy a cell phone and pay the monthly service fee if your cell phone provider said, “You are not going to be able to talk with or text anyone anymore but we are releasing some new exciting games and calendar features?” No, you wouldn’t. Because, ultimately, using your cell phone as a social technology tool is the only value.

7. Like ‘everyone’ else, I constantly get caught up in the technology value of everything. How could we not? The newest facebook.com features, HD, cell phone integration features, digital camera features, smart phones, coding/development (API) possibilities, touch screen technology, etc.. I love it all! Its fun and part of the ‘buzz’ to use and get caught up in all of the newest interactive gadgets and social media hype, and be part of the digital revolution! But, make no doubt, interactive social media is not just a big party, all “fun and games,” and a lot of “hype.”

8. So, should you as a CEO, CIO, E-Marketing/E-Com Director, Brand Manager, etc., do Social Media? You already are and always have been “doing” social media. Eliminate the “social” elements of any business and it is bound to fail. Imagine a business without email, the web, or cell phones. Imagine a business with sales reps that don’t interact with your customers, call centers that never answer the phone, retail stores without clerks, restaurants without hosts and waiters, e-commerce without a telephone number, SEO, live chat, reviews, etc. Wouldn’t be much of a business, would it?

9. So, how do you do social media in the case of facebook.com, youtube.com, google.com and niche social media sites that relate to your business/products. First, recognize that this is where your customers are and this is where your customers like to spend their time. These environments are not yours and you do not own them, but if your business relies on customers (show me a business that doesn’t) … This is where your customer is. Look at it like this. Home Depot does not put a store in a location where there are no people. Home Depot embeds a store into a meaningful (not necessarily massive) community. Home Depot owns its store, everything in the store and that store’s real estate property. Home depot does not own the street, town, city or state. So, it is universally agreed upon that Home Depot can do whatever it wants (within the context of the law) in its store or on its property. Home Depot can not spray paint its name on town buildings, tear up roads, divert street traffic to its store, or go to the community park and set up product demonstration booths. But, it is a fact that the Home Depot store needs that community and the community needs Home Depot.

10. The web is no different than the Home Depot analogy. You own your .com(s) and can do whatever you want on your property. You ‘own‘ your SPACE on the major social media platforms such as youtube.com and facebook.com. You also might decide to ‘own‘ space on popular niche social media environments. Niche social media environments/communities can be a very powerful means of reaching and socializing with your core customers. Depending on the quantity and quality of total unique visits, number of registered members, diversity, authenticity, member loyalty, and the relevance of the community to your products and services.

Bottom Line: Social media marketing on the web is not really tough to understand. The key word is SOCIAL. Conduct yourself and ensure that all of your employees represent themselves and your business in the same way they would in the off-line world. It is important to actively engage with various online communities for the same reasons that it’s important for your business to be an active and trusted member of various off-line communities. And, the right way to do social media is really nothing more than common sense. Conduct yourself as you would at any off-line party or social gathering that involved you, your business, and the people within the community of which you conduct business. You wouldn’t show up to a social gathering and start handing out business cards, yelling “look at me and my business” with a bull horn or spray paint your business logo on the walls. You wouldn’t sit in a corner and be anti-social. You would engage in the type of conversations that people enjoy. You would listen and talk. You would not pull out a shoe box of photos and show each and every person every single photo. You certainly wouldn’t make fun of someone else’s business or strive to be the loudest, most obnoxious person in the room. First, you would want to know the rules of the party. It would be important to know if it was a free party you were attending with an open bar, or an invite only party with a cover charge at the door and a pay-per-drink bar. Then, even if you were attending the party for business networking purposes, you would act in a casual manner. You would introduce yourself and engage in mutually meaningful conversation. You wouldn’t walk right up to someone, invade their personal space, and start unloading every sales pitch for every product that you sell. Of course you wouldn’t. You would try to make friends and build new relationships. In fact, what you do for work and the products and services you sell, might be considered politically incorrect and socially unacceptable within the early stages of the conversation. You would socialize, mingle, laugh, share stories, listen to stories, ask people questions, and sincerely try to relate to people and find common threads of understanding.  Then, if and when the time was right, you would introduce “work.” And, as is often the case in the off-line world … a new acquantaince or friend could also become a quality life-long customer. You would conduct yourself in a very diplomatic way, not drawing too much attention to yourself but at the same time not being a wall flower. As the old saying goes, “in order to have good friends, you have to be a good friend.” In the case of social media technology and marketing, it’s not all about you, it’s not all about me … it is all about “We.”

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO): “When Will I Be #1 On Google?”

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

This blog post stems from an email and question I received from a customer this morning. If you knew this customer, you would understand that it is a completely valid question. This customer has very little internet marketing experience and has been recently exposed to Google Analytics as a measurement tool for a web site that we have managed for him for a number of years. Now, he clearly sees the value of search engines as a traffic driver because search is the #1 source of traffic to his site – accounting for 52% of the total traffic to his site. Anyway, we just rolled out a second domain (that I will refer to as XYZ.com) that aims to provide quality content that is not directly related to his primary domain and business. XYZ.com is highly relative to where his business is geographically located and his primary service business, but aims to acquire visitors that are looking for his services but may not know it.

So, first and foremost, this customer is an authority on the topic of xyz.com and more than qualified to produce quality and value added content on the core subject matter. We have done a good job of ensuring an optimized coding/URL environment that makes it “simple” for search engine robots to crawl, read and index xyz.com. We have crafted the home page meta title, meta description and keywords sets and trained him how to write meta titles in a manner that includes a reasonable amount of key-word/phrase targeting AND human interest. I have impressed upon him that “Ranking, is only half the battle and you have to have titles and content that entice users to click and want to consume your content!” Of course, Google Analytics is installed on this domain and now he has 2 sites that he can monitor through Google Analytics. On his primary domain, he can now validate and justify his advertising spending by measuring how much traffic each referrer is bringing. So, for the first time ever, he can see and evaluate his ROI for online advertising spending. He can see the power of search engines (52% of total traffic) and see exactly what search terms are working for him. He can see (via average time on page for each search term) what content his visitors like and don’t like. He can see where visitors are coming from and make geo-targeted advertising decisions based on fact. He is, infact, in the #1 ranking position on Google for many terms that his primary site targets – and if not #1 – he is somewhere close in the running.

Now, just last week we rolled out this new domain with new quality and fresh content. It is not even linked to from any other relevant and trusted domains, yet, including his primary domain. He is able to produce good quality and relative content on his own and he is eager and as ambitious as an authentic SEO professional to do the hard work to get good quality, relative and meaning results (traffic.) So, he’s off and running and 2 or 3 days pass and I get an email that says “When will I be #1 on Google?” Again, this is a man and a customer whom I respect and admire and look up to in so many ways. This is not an IT marketing professional who understands the infinite complexities of SEO, and in his case, the question makes perfect sense. But, it is a question that, to some degree, is always asked – even if it unsaid.

So, rather than respond to his email with a long winded discussion and examples and demonstrations as I have done many times – I decided to do it once and for all and turn his question into a blog topic that I can send to all of my existing and future customers. Here is what I have learned, believe to be true and say to existing and new customers. In some cases I am speaking in hyperbole.

1. Nothing is guaranteed

2. Everyone, in every industry thinks that they deserve to be #1 for each and every search term in natural search

3. If we work smart and focus on the fundamentals of quality technology and producing quality and meaningful content in the context of the manner people are searching on it, we should do better than we are doing now.

4. The proof of concept and proof of results is seen in the work I have already done for you and for many others. (look at 52% of total traffic from search engines on your other domain. Without good/quality SEO that would still be somewhere between 9-15%)

5. You will never be #1 for “everything.” If you were – that would be a lie and I wouldn’t even value a search engine that presented “you” as #1 for everything

6. Nobody knows exactly what Google will do, but Google

7. First make sure your code is structured well, so that Google can find your content and read your content. Because if you have the best content in the world, but the code of the web site is not optimized – than its possible that Google won’t be able to find it, read it and rank it.

8. Google tells us exactly what to do in terms of optimizing code and producing QUALITY content!

9. But we didn’t really need Google to tell us about good content, we know what good content is because we are also consumers of content

10. When you do a search for something, you evaluate content without even knowing it. If you click on a result and then immediately click the back button – you weren’t happy with that result. If you click on a result and stay on that website and enjoy and consume that content for a long time, you were happy with that content.

11. Google (the Google robot) is at work 24/7/365 measuring all of this activity on your domain.

12. So, getting the code in order and knowing how to properly tag and title content is “simple.” And that is really nothing more than necessary and preliminary work.

13. The real work is producing quality content that people like, in the context of the search terms they used to get to your content. So, if you try to “trick” them by targeting key words and phrases and don’t deliver on your promise – they will immediately leave your site – Google is measuring that activity and you will not rank well – nor do you deserve to.

14. The Google robot is very smart. After all the algorithm that they own is ultimately all they have and one could argue that it is responsible for the 30 billion dollars (estimate) of business Google does annually. Google does not put the heart and soul of their business (their algorithm) in the hands of just anyone. Some of the smartest mathematicians, coders and developers in the world build and maintain the algorithm and instruct the Google Robot.

15. The list of things that the Google Bot uses evaluate any domain and every single piece of content on that domain is almost incomprehensible. How long has the domain been on the web, total number of pages, total number of links pointing to this domain from other quality and relevant websites, average time on site etc.

16. The one fundamental and simple truth is this. Google wants to find good, quality content. Infact it has to! After all, how valuable would Google be without any content? Not very valuable at all. So, if you are a quality content producer than you need Google and Google needs you! Because, like any other service or product, Google wants to produce the best possible results to its users who are relying on their product (the search engine) to present them with the best content

17. The best thing you can do is continue to produce quality and meaningful content and focusing on serving your visitors and potential visitors. Align yourself with quality and relevant websites and partners in your industry and get links to your website from theirs. But ready for this, if you produce absolutely amazing quality content that adds value, you won’t have to ask anyone for anything – because other websites and blogs will want to link to you!

18. The best example I can give is this blog post. Is it tagged right with a truthful meta title? I like to think so. Does the title include keywords + human interest? I like to think so. Does the content within this article speak directly towards the topic of the title in the context of which I presented? I like to think so. Is everything absolutely perfect in terms of spelling and grammar, etc.? Probably not, but I tried my best. Does this article aim to provide ultimate value to the reader, by helping to further and better understand SEO? I like to think so. Is this article the “end-all-be-all” on the topic of SEO? No way! Do I deserve to rank #1 or even appear in Google for the term “SEO Search Engine Optimization?” Maybe, maybe not. That is ultimately up to YOU, the reader, and Google who is measuring YOU right now to see if you do in fact like this article in comparison to the 100’s of millions of other people who would like to rank 1-30 on Google for this term. Did I put my heart and soul into this article and take 4 hours of my time to write it? Yes! So, from my perspective is it “the best” content on this topic? It is “the best” I can do and that’s all I can do. After that it is up to Google and You to determine ranking and all of that stuff. And rather than try to tweak the title of this article and make it more than it is and worry about if it will rank and where it will rank; I would rather spend my time and energy writing a new article that aims at providing ultimate value to my customers and readers, in the best way I can do that. Because In the case of answering the question that I was initially asked, “When will I be #1 on Google?” – I think I have done a good job within the context it was asked and I have added value to my customer by bettering his understanding of SEO. And, if this article results in him doing a better job of producing good, truthful, helpful, meaningful and relevant content than he will be better serving his search engine visitors and if he focuses on doing that – I don’t have to worry about telling him he will or won’t rank – it will be Google’s job to recognize that xyz.com domain is a source of good quality content. I have no doubt that Google will be able to find it and make that decision on its own – because as I said before, Google wants to find the best, most meaningful and relevant content!

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Website/e-Commerce Measurement: The Value Of “0″

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Having installed and continuing to install Google Analytics and other statistical/measurement tools on all sorts of domains in all sort of industries, I am constantly amazed by the power of measurement. I have helped many small business customers go from not being able to measure anything, to being able to measure everything.

“Measuring everything” is nothing new to global enterprises and Fortune 500 Companies, they have been tracking referral data, competitor data, conversion data and all sorts of complex customer/visitor scenerios since the dawn of internet days.  I learned the power of data, usability and measurement when working as a Digital Product analyst for my cousin Anthony Bradley at META Group (now Gartner Group.)

I was on the phone last night with another cousin of mine, Brendan Kelly, who is the business development manager for Hitwise. We were doing what we always do and passionately discussing the amazing advances in competitor tracking technologies and the competitive advantage that results from intelligently and strategically using measurement and stastics wisely. Then, like most conversations these days with clients, co-workers and industry peers, the conversation moved to the topic of the economy. And, for the most part, all of my best clients, friends and peers are saying the same thing,  ”We are focusing on providing ultimate value to our customers, doing whatever it takes and re-positioning our products and services to help our customers weather this economic storm.”

As an entrepreneur and small business owner myself I can completely relate to the spirit of this strategy, as it is exactly what I must do to keep The Simple Solutions ship afloat and my amazingly talented and loyal staff employed. Infact, I had been talking with a valuable client and passionate and entrepreneuer, Scott Farber, about implementing this very same strategic vision.

So, how does this relate to “Measurement and The Value 0?” Here is how. For the last several years, sales and conversions were at record levels. My small-mid size customers were buying and leveraging all sorts of software to measure their successes and stay one step ahead of their competition. Everyone was and still is swimming in a sea of infinate data. When times were good and sales were up and conversions were high, it made sense to only focus on the top perfoming statistics. Why focus any effort at all on things that are not converting or selling when we could be spending time focusing all of our efforts on the things that sell the most and convert the most?

Made sense then, still makes sense now to some degree … but there is a very meaningful statistic that is analageous to the 100 pound gorilla in the room. What about all of the search terms, and products and marketing initiatives that failed? What about all of those visists that came from XYZ search terms but didn’t convert? We know those 10’s of thousands or 100’s of thousands or even 10’s of millions of visitors came to your domain via XYZ search term and 100’s of thousands of others, why didn’t they convert? Did they not like your products? Did they not like your brand? Were and are you still targeting terms and traffic that didn’t really align with your products and services? Why was that 1 product such a dud and what could be done to bring that conversion rate from “0″ to 2% or 3% or 9%?

Now that “everything” is having a harder time converting it makes sense to look at the big traffic generators of the past and present that you ignored for so many years and continue to ignore. Perhaps, its time to measure and realize “The Value Of “0.” Now, I have to go finish reading an article that my other cousin, Ryan Kelly (Brendan’s brother), recommended as a good read.

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Search Engine Optimization: The “Card Catalog” Analogy

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Search engine optimization is really pretty simple to understand. I often spend my days interfacing with small business owners who are brilliant at doing what they do best. They hire me help them with a “web site” or some sort of software application that they need. More often than not, these people’s experience with the internet has been limited, at best.

So I often struggle to help them understand search engine optimization, why they need it to enhance their web presence and how it is a critical component of their business. So, I mostly spend my 9-5 hours speaking in analogies and even hyperboles, because my customers will never (nor do they want to) understand short URLs, keywords, meta titles, meta descriptions, site maps, google page rank, inbound vs. outbound linking, robots.txt files, .htaccess files, no-follow tags etc..

So, why not just charge them and do it for them? Because, it’s better for me and for them if they at least understand where we are going. Could you imagine trying to get a friend to join you on a cross country road trip, but not be willing and eager to tell them and share with them that the final destination was the Grand Canyon. That would be terrible for both you and your friend. Even if you were going to do most of the driving, both of you would have to at least truly understand where the trip would take you.

If you are a novice at SEO or a small business owner who’s tired of people telling you that you should do it and searching Google right now for “why do SEO” than here is a great analogy that has helped many of my customers. Imagine we were standing outside of The New York Public Library, one of the biggest public and research libraries in the world.

Now, imagine I said to you, “hey, go in there and find a book, any book on the topic of, let’s say, magic tricks.” You would walk into the building and where is the very first place you would go? Exactly, the card catalog (or if you are post-’card catalog’-generation: the computers). You would use the card catalog or computers to SEARCH for “magic tricks.”

Imagine then if the library decided to remove the card catalog or computers … what would you do? You would have to roam around and through the many halls and scan the vast amounts of book titles and hope to, by luck, find a book on “magic tricks.” It would take you days, months and you would probably give up before you found a book on “magic tricks” and come back outside and say “I can’t find a book on magic tricks.” Exactly, the internet is no different than The New York Public library.

In fact, it is infinitely bigger with billions and billions of web pages. The internet, without a search engine, would be analogous to The New York Public library without a card catalog. The information on the internet would be rendered virtually useless because how could anyone find what they wanted or needed? They couldn’t. And, it is simply not possible to categorize and organize this massive amount of information.

So, for the sake of this analogy, the only way to find information on the internet is by using a search engine. There is no magic trick. If you have a business that sells, let’s say, screw drivers and you have a beautiful “website” with wonderful images and animations and video of all of your amazing screw drivers that people can buy … does any of that matter if people can not find your website?

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