The Dark Side and Honest Truth About Search Engine Optimization

There's no Shortcut for SEO Success

There’s much to be said about search engine optimization these days. From its actual definition to the tools and tactics utilized for implementing SEO endeavors, everyone seems to have a highly charged opinion on what it is and how it works. It’s time to separate fact from fiction, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the many “hot button” issues currently facing SEO today.

For starters, SEO is unfortunately a highly misunderstood practice, with very few people truly grasping the depth and breadth needed for successfully designing and implementing an effective campaign. Ask ten individuals what SEO stands for and what it means, and you are sure to get ten vastly different answers. It’s much more than doing keyword research and inserting them into your existing Web site. Rather, it takes a true holistic approach that encompasses the following endeavors for creating a true, long-lasting and sustainable SEO strategy:

• Identifying an organization’s needs for an online presence
• Paying careful attention to the design and development of a usable, accessible, and stardards compliant Web site.
• Developing a strategic plan of action that includes many traditional SEO tactics, such as keyword research, link building campaigns, along with development of Web copy, with rich, vibrant content that delivers a message to visitors.
• Utilizing additional SEO tools, such as blogging, audio and video presentation, article marketing, social media marketing (SMM) and press releases, just to name a few.

Though it sounds straightforward, successful SEO requires the blending and harmonization of these existing tools along with a continuation of efforts in the months and years ahead to truly create a long-lasting online presence. I stress the “continuation” effort because there is no replacement for time. SEO activities must be pursued aggressively, with diligence and discipline on a daily basis. There is no mythical climatic point which is “hit” or achieved, signaling the end of your SEO initiatives. Never can one simply sit back and reap the rewards. Quite to the contrary, your time away from an SEO campaign let’s competitors slowly move up the rankings of the major search engines, ultimately endangering your fertile territory.

So, what is the honest truth about SEO? It takes work, lots of it, along with discipline and dedication on your part and on the firm your hire.

The SEO Ethical Dilemma

And what is to be said of the dark side of SEO? Ever heard of the term “black hat”? These individuals devise highly questionable SEO tactics considered unethical by the major search engines. Sure, they may be good at what they do, providing high rankings and exposures for their clients, but when they are exposed, everything gained in the search rankings for their clients is lost. It’s important to remember that many of these “black hat” experts selfishly assume they’ll never be caught along with their tricky tactics. Don’t bet on it, as Google and Yahoo! have platoons of engineers working everyday to uncover and expose these individuals.

Your safe bet? Stick with “White Hat” SEO experts, and for good reason. They stay within the legal boundaries of the major search engines, promoting you and your site in an ethical manner that will yield positive results for years to come. The old saying, “you get what you pay for” couldn’t be truer when finding a quality SEO firm that promotes ethical tactics for unparalleled results.