Why is SEO losing ground?

  • February 4, 2011
  • seo
1 Comment
Search Engine Optimization has been an ongoing battle for years. Companies vying for who can get you on the first page of Google. Who can shoot me from page 4 of the results, to page 1 by next week? Who can knock my competitors to page 2 so I dominate the 1st page?

I believe the battle is slowly coming to an end. SEO is losing ground because search engine results are becoming secondary to social media influence. I, for example, no longer “trust” the first page results on any search engine because of the way it excludes, provides stale content, and how it was most likely an SEO money battle of who can pay more than the other to get superior search engine positioning.

I am not saying that search engine optimization is obsolete. I am saying that we, and many others to follow, are slowly but surely trading our trust in an algorithm.. for a trust in our “friends” and social network circle. 

Here are some points that I have been talking about in my recent presentations: 

  1. People shy away from ads
  2. I do not want a billboard, or the 1st page results on Google telling me what to do… I rather ask YOU!
  3. As people become hip to the SEO competition, they see it as manipulated, sorta paid results with a seniority based model
  4. We, the people, do not necessarily have a voice in SEO. We do in social media

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1 Comment
    • SHERRI L. McLENDON
    • February 5, 2011

    Gary, like you, I don't think SEO's obsolete. I think it's moving into its next phase.And because there is a system of exclusion and preference, it becomes possible to make decisions about content key words and medium in order to align those choices with one's values – and increase engagement with prospective clients.

    I recently began testing this concept using one significant, organically derived key phrase via selected delivery methods. As a result, I have now moved – quickly – to #1 in search results for that key phrase.

    I think what's happening is that it's not going to be possible to manipulate SEO based on the current standard: a simple search to identify key terms, which we embed into copy. Pros who can look at then multi-tiered layers of meaning resulting in search results, and respond accordingly, will quickly silt to the top. Everyone else will end up somewhere behind page 3.

    I adore social media and the way it enables connectivity. However, social media influence works only so much as our connections actively forward information about their preferences to others. Because so many users are uneducated about the way this works from a marketing perspective, I think we have to educate users about the benefits engagement lends to the marketplace – an idea that goes beyond clicking the "like" button.

    I love that you raised this question! Please keep 'em coming.
    My best,
    Sherri L. McLendon
    Professional Moneta
    http://www.professionalmoneta.com

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