NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Search Engine Optimization = Waste of Time
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Search Engine Optimization = Waste of Time
Danny Sullivan (danny_at_calafia.com)
Mon, 16 Nov 1998 13:26:56 -0600 (CST)
So I thought I'd wade in along with everyone else :)
RICHARD HOY WROTE:
> First, there's the question: Is search engine optimization worth
> it? I define search engine optimization as the process of
> continously monitoring your ranking in various search engines and
> tweaking your pages and keywords to get a higher ranking.
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would make two definitions here: passive and aggressive
search engine optimization.
Everyone should do passive optimization. This simply means
ensuring that the important terms on your existing pages are
enhanced, to increase the chances you are found. This is
something that many, many web sites neglect. They are losing
out on free traffic because of it.
A smart marketer will build a site with passive optimization
in mind. They'll avoid frames, pay particular care to page
titles and ensure they have lots and lots of quality pages
focusing on particular topics and making use of HTML copy.
The results can be impressive. In short, "If you build it
(right), they will come."
Unfortunately, marketing usually occurs after a site is
built. If you've created a text-light site that is difficult
for a search engine to crawl, you've destroyed the ability
to tap into passive optimization.
Aggressive optimization is when you begin to actively target
terms. It can involve constantly tweaking your pages, making
multiple pages, making custom pages aimed at particular
terms and attempts to cloak the content of those pages from
the search engines.
I'm not a big fan of aggressive optimization. I think, like
Joel stated in his ClickZ article, that aggressive
optization can be a time suck that may not generate the
results expected, especially in contrast to other publicity
methods.
Obviously, some people want to be aggressive. Some people
feel they have to. Some people are even successful with it.
But I think for many people, they will be better off
ensuring they've done a good job with their passive
optimization. The minimal time investment for passive
optimization will more than pay off in related traffic.
RICHARD HOY WROTE:
> Second, there's the question: How many search engines and
> directories should one register in?
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is worthwhile worrying about only the major search
engines, the top 15 or so. After that, I'd satisfy the "more
is better" response many marketers feel by using an
automated tool to cover the other 200 to 600 "search
engines" and spend no more than two hours or so to do this.
You won't see much traffic off of them, if any at all, so
don't waste your time here.
One important note: it is well worth the time to track down
important topical directories related to your site. While
traffic will be less than with the major search engines, it
will be heavily targeted toward the audience you are after.
-----------------------------------
Danny Sullivan
Editor, Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com
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