There are many folks out there that have been taught that SEO is a battle.  A battle against the search engines, a battle where you must out smart the search engines in order to gain any traction and climb the rankings.  This is quite frankly, the farthest from the truth.  Here’s the real deal with SEO:

True SEO is all about giving the search engines what they are seeking, not finding ways to tinker with their algorithms, not tinkering with shady unethical methods to ‘trick’ the search engines into giving you top 5 organic placement. Search engines are seeking the following:

1.) Integrity. Be who you are, be real, be genuine.
2.) Reputation. How do other web sites treat your web site? Did they link to it? Do they share your web site link with others?
3.) Authority. How much authority does your web site content hold across the Internet / and in your industry?

Google, in particular, wants to make certain that your web site and it’s content is going to be valuable to someone seeking your wisdom and advice.  This is why search engines exist, so the formula is simple: be real, be deliberate, add content for visitors, not just for SEO purposes and be an authority via the web.  The more you focus on games and deliberate strategies to undermine the search engines and artificially inflate your web site, the faster your web site will ultimately fall.

Related content:

  1. 6 Things That SEO Is NOT.
  2. Ugly Inbound Links.
  3. The Battle Cry.
  4. Search Engines & The Company Your Company Keeps.
  5. Authority Figure.