Get Started

Share

Beware The SEO Doofus

Today, I want to talk about a guy – not just any guy. This guy is the SEO Doofus.

Owning an agency and specializing in SEO the first couple of years we were around (On Target’s been around since 2005), my entry into the marketplace was all about SEO. We were really damn good at it. Obviously, that world changed and keeps changing daily. So, one of the real challenges we have in the SEO space is the SEO Doofus.

Highly Specialized Hodgepodge Mess

This is the guy who sends our clients a “highly specialized” report. They’re trying to poach these clients from On Target. So the SEO Doofus will go run an automated report that tells them that their domain authority is X, and On Target could be doing a better job at this, and the H2 tags aren’t in line, and blah blah blah. I’ve seen about a million of these alleged SEO status reports. Every damn one of them will have a completely different answer and a completely different focus. It’s a hodgepodge mess of crap.

The objective is to take my client’s attention off what On Target’s doing by saying “Hey, your rankings could be better.” Well, they could always be better, if we are being honest. Except when they’re number one! Which, nine times out of 10, we are ranking number one for certain key phrases.

Beware Reports from Random SEO Companies

So beware if you happen to get one of these reports from a random SEO company that solicits you. Here’s another comical thing. They’ll even send them to ME! They’ll send them to On Target and say “Hey, On Target! We’re an SEO company and we can get you ranked.” Well, we already ARE ranked. How did you find us?

Be on the lookout for the SEO Doofus and avoid his tactics. This person is all about SEO (just SEO) and will talk about the technical stuff. They’ll talk about the tactic. They’ll always talk about the H1 tags, the link strategy, the this and the that and the domain authority — blah blah blah. Listen, that stuff’s important. I don’t discount it. We obviously know what we’re doing. We take all the technical stuff into consideration. I’ve even had people tell me a Squarespace site we built doesn’t rank as well as a WordPress site. Well, that’s bullshit. I’ve got plenty of Squarespace sites and plenty of WordPress sites. I could put them both side by side and one could be ranked number two and the other could be ranked number one.

You’ve got to look out for the SEO Doofus. He’s going to come knocking. He’s going to come telling you your technical stuff is way out of whack. You know what, sometimes maybe it is. But that’s small stuff. That’s easy to fix. If your website was built in 1994 then, dude, you need to get off your ass and get a new website anyway. But I don’t want you to be swayed by the Doofus.

Don’t Just Let Your Content Sit On Your Website

Now the real key here, and you know I’m going to say it because I pound the drum, is content. The keys are:

  • How that content is composed
  • Where that content lives
  • How it’s laid out
  • How you share it and get it out to the digital world

Don’t just let your content sit on your website, then click your heels and think the SEO is going to be done. One of the things I do regularly is to make sure I introduce that content on Twitter because I know Google’s paying attention to my tweets. It will follow that URL and hopefully index that piece of content a lot quicker.

Some things you can look out for yourself when it comes to SEO technical stuff:

1) Use words.

2) You can’t use big graphics all over your website with embedded words. Google can’t read that crap. So don’t do it.

3) Keep your site loading quickly. If your site’s sluggish or you’re on a shared box at GoDaddy and there are 9,000 other websites all getting banged up on that particular box, then Google’s not digging it. So you know you’ve got to make sure the site’s quick and running snappy. Plus, you don’t want your users sitting there, twiddling their thumbs, waiting for your website to load.

4) I recommend a security certificate. All the “cool kids” are doing it. Google’s actually putting a lot more weight on this attribute and will start treating secured websites with HTTPS better because it’s a better user experience. It’s supposed to make the user feel better and more secure -and it does. Just know that Google’s looking out for that as well.

If you really want to crank out your SEO and keep it humming, then you’ve got to stick to a content strategy. Not thin stuff. It can’t be 200 words. It can’t be three paragraphs. It needs to be in-depth. Good stuff. It’s going to feed your audience and keep them coming back. Most importantly, make it good enough that your audience feels compelled to share it. Spend more time thinking, developing, and creating something amazing. Then you’ll benefit from SEO.

To listen to our original SmartAss Marketer podcast by Tom Jelneck, please click below.

 

On Target is an Orlando based Digital Marketing Agency that helps brands stand out and rise above the noise. Through great storytelling, On Target turns companies into thought leaders. Founded in 2005 as a search engine marketing (SEO) firm, we’ve evolved into Orlando’s only agency that specializes in creating remarkable online content. If you’re looking to refresh your marketing strategy, contact us today.

About the Author:

Tom is the Chief coffee brewer, CEO, digital marketing strategist, and kickass content creator for brands across the globe at On Target. He loves nothing more than helping small to medium-sized businesses find their online voice and growing their leads, prospects, and sales.