It’s SEO Sabotage – and We’re the Culprits

If you read and subscribe to a lot of SEO and SEM blogs, you’ve probably noticed that everyone and their brother puts up “Top 7″ posts.  I’m not sure why 7 is the magic number.  It may have something to do specifically with SEO and online marketing, or perhaps it’s a subconscious play on lucky numbers.  Either way, I’m starting to notice a trend.

Not all lists are bad mind you, it depends on the content.  The issue arises when “GURU’s” and Self-proclaimed SEO experts throw up a lot of top lists telling people that “these are the best tactics for your SEO campaign”.  If you’re someone who has been dealing with SEO for some time, it’s pretty easy to recognize that anything on those lists is simply a portion of what should be a greater marketing plan.

What is happening unfortunately is business owners who are not as educated in SEO are taking these “top” lists to heart, and treating them as if they were the 10 Commandments of SEO.  They don’t understand that there is a number of other gears turning to make the clock work.  They miss understanding the concept of marketing strategy, on creating an action plan and developing architecture, as well as the fundamental groundwork that every SEO campaign needs.  Sure those Top 7 tips are amazing – when coupled with a lot of other labors and strategies in place (or to follow).

When someone reads these ideas and implements them in a haphazard manner, they tend to get minimal results or (worst-case) it flops completely.  While not necessarily the fault of anyone else for a lack of research, these incidents make the concept of SEO and SEO/Marketing Consultants look bad.

When we share our information and knowledge via the blogosphere, it’s important to remember who we’re actually writing for.  Ideally, we want those people well versed in online marketing to read and comment and share like thoughts, but more often than not, we get a number of people that are less educated in the business we do.  They have a habit of taking online content as gospel, and that can harm their business.

I’m just as guilty, as I’ve had my share of “Top” posts.  In that content, it would be wise to always remind people of the importance of building a strategy for implementing any marketing campaign and perform SEO work on a site.  We should be giving out the relevant information necessary for business owners and other visitors of all varieties to make informed decisions based on the knowledge we share.

After all, if we’re not here to help people buy sharing the information we have then that leaves only a few other less-appealing reasons.  We’re either intent on crippling them by providing limited information or we just like to shout to the blogosphere just to hear our resounding echo and pat ourselves on the back.  I’m fairly certain that neither is the case.

I’ve had conversation with a lot of folk about the “size” of content or the length of content on a blog.  Some people insist that to blog over 500 words is a sin and people won’t want to read it.  Others insist that if you want to portray interest to your readers, that you’re willing to deliver quality info, you must have at least 1000 words.

I say word count be damned.  You have to accurately deliver your message in a way that your readers will understand it.  Whether or not you do it in 300 words or 2000 words, your point needs to be made without the added side effect of crippling your reader by making them think they know everything they need to know just from your single post.

The same thing applies to content on your site when you’re writing it for SEO purposes.  Every single piece you create, whether it’s a blog post or content informing readers of your products and services,  needs to include a call to action.  Whether that CTA is about leading them to a particular product, a subscription service, or inviting them to come back and learn more about the knowledge you’re sharing – it’s vital.  As industry leaders and experts on these topics, we have a duty to perform as role models and set the standard.  We should be doing all we can to ensure that if someone utilizes the information we give, that we are equipping them for success.

In the archives of my own blog, you’ll find various tips for beginner SEO as well as other tactics, and I’ll be implementing a sign up soon to provide regular information, reports, and tips for those who subscribe.

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