Learn SEO | Search Engine Optimization Tips and Techniques

It has been 10 months since I last posted anything to x7SEO.com.  A lot of things have been going on with several large projects that have occupied almost all of my time.  But during these 10 months something interesting has happened.  This website has moved to the front page of Google for the search term “learn seo”.   x7SEO.com had been bouncing around between 20 and 40 for quite a while but now it is showing up on the front page…. number 6 in fact.   I am curious how this and subsequent postings will affect this ranking and whether or not I can maintain it by writing here again.

Contrary to what some SEO experts might say, search engine optimization is not some deep, dark and mysterious art.  What SEO is, is a study in patience and technique. It really is as simple as that.  Google and the other major search engines make it clear on what will and will not work when it comes to moving a website to the top of the returns.  We all know what those things are; fresh content, relevant content, original content, one way organic inbound links, etc….

But the most important step in the search engine optimization process is time and patience. Even though the Internet is a blazing fast method of speading the word, SEO does take time. Each step forward requires a little tweaking and monitoring the results then retweaking.  It really is a never ending cycle.  Time will be on your side when it comes to an SEO project but you must be willing to wait.  I have found in my personal experience that in order to see a website consistantly rank in the top 10 on Google, I must be willing to work at it for about 12 months.  If you are a patient person then you should do fine with your SEO efforts. Just realize what you do today may not produce fruit for another year if you are relying totally on search engine optimization to bring rankings and traffic.

What it your opinion and what has been your experience with the time factor of SEO?

Online relationships have certainly evolved over the last 18 months to the point one starts to wonder if social networking has overtaken SEO for getting your website in front of interested viewers. In the past on site search engine optimization was the name of the game. I have always been an advocate of SEO planning from the moment the initial idea for a website is presented. Now I begin to wonder if pure onsite SEO is where it’s at and if it is worth the effort when social networking can drive a better quality of visitor.

What do I mean by “better quality of visitor”? Referrals have always been the golden nuggett in sales.  Isn’t that what social networking is all about at its core? I find something I like on the web and I share it with others who like the same thing. Simple but very effective. Through social networking referrals I know the visitors want exactly what I have to offer, whether it is a product or service. Someone has told that visitor about my website and has recommended they visit it.

I am starting to believe that social networking will surpass SEO as the primary means of getting a website in front of the right viewers.  By having social networking as my primary means of traffic generation I am freed from having to worry whether or not I have offended the powers to be that control the search engines; I am free not to worry about correct keyword to text ratios or page layout. I am still concerned with inbound links but beyond that all the other apsect of SEO can go out the window.  As long as I have a good service or product and good quality content tha solves a persons problem, then I should focus on developing relationships with my visitors and their contacts.

True I may not get as many visitors but the visitors I get are more apt to use my service or purchase my product based on the fact that someone referred them.  What do you think? Has social networking overtaken SEO?

Got a pleasant suprise this morning while looking at Bing. This blog is on the first page of returns for the search “learn SEO” on Bing.  I am at number 10 but everyone knows the importance of first page listings.  I have been hovering between 15 and 20 on Google for about 6 months so it will be interesting to see if there is an increase in traffic.

We all know that fresh original content and one way inboud links are good for SEO.  How can a blog be used to get these inboud links and to display content that the search engines like? I have in the past said that for each new website being built there needs to be an accompanying blog that supports that website and has a different domain name. By using a blog to display regular updates with news and information about your sites service or products, you are creating fresh content that will be linked to your site as well as one way inboudn links to your site. This is especially good if you have a large static website that would take too long or be too cost prohibitive to redesign in a more SEO friendly fashion.

By building a blog under a different domain name you do a couple of things. First you establish a second identity in the same industry. This second identity can be developed to the point where you are considered and expert on your particular field of interest.  As your build your blog you can use it to display the latest news and achievements from your company as well as your industry niche. When these news articles are written you have the opportunity to use anchor links in your text to link back to your original site.  Of course it takes time to build credibility so those links will be effective but with good quality original content you can achieve that status in a few months. Quality is definitely the key to this process.  In addition to anchor text links throughout your articles and news you have the opportunity to use a keyword based link from your blog roll back to the original site.  Place a banner ad on your main site displaying a visual link to your blog and set up a Twitter account with an auto updater plugin so your blog entries will post automatically in Twitter.

Before long your secondary web presence (blog) will be driving traffic to your site and you have the opportunity to actually rank more than one site for the same company high in the search engines.

What is your experience with using blogs and websites together.

Here is my example:  Main site at www.bbq-festivals.com and blog at www.bbqhub.com