I having been tweeting with @paulallington and Done21 over the last day about the value of SEO. Done21 blogged http://almost.done21.com/ that ‘SEO was a terrible thing’. I know this subject is one that has been around the block a few times but lets just take a look at what Done21 was blogging about.
Done21 blogged about SEO after attending a WordCamp talk where the speaker announced that the upcoming change in the Google algorithm was going to result in ‘many people going out of business’ and the audience was ‘scared out of their minds’. I don’t know who the speaker was or what exactly he said but that remark as quoted is vague enough to be of no value.
Anyone pitching to you that uses the old ‘the sky is falling’ technique is usually being economical with the truth. Over the years I have had many people trying to sell me or my clients products or services using the old scare technique. My advice is don’t scare so easily and do a bit of research.
What I have real trouble understanding is that Done21 says getting ‘high up on Google is a terrible strategy’. Let’s think about that one s-l-o-w-l-y. Nope, I don’t get it, why is getting good listings on Google bad. I would love to be in the room when Done21 tell their customers that one. My customers would just rush for the door.
Ok let’s look at the next statement ‘when you optimise for search engines you constantly have to update your site’. Just like high rankings, updating your site also falls into the ‘terrible strategy’ catagory for Done21. Sorry Done21 you are really, really wrong there. Updating a Web site is a GOOD thing because visitors to a Web site LIKE up to date information. And because customers like up to date information search engines treat updated sites as more relevant than sites that haven’t been touched for six months. An easy to understand risk/reward ratio here.
Changing servers – no problem. Changing domains can easily be handled by search engines with a 301 redirect, these things happen by the hundreds every day. Google makes updates and changes to their algorithm often and the sky hasn’t fallen and there aren’t great queues of Web companies outside the bankruptcy courts every time there’s a change. Done21 says most SEO tips they have heard are just ‘tricks and hacks’ which says more about who they listen to than the advice itself. I would suggest they broaden their associates.
Good site architecture and keyword phrase research is part of the SEO process and is a serious and precise business. Updating your site and getting links is good marketing, good SEO and common sense.
Professional SEO is as much a part as the Web as Web design and development. Some designers may treat SEO as the enemy, I can live with that. The important thing is that our customers consider us as part of the solution.