Jun 25 2009
Has Social Networking Replaced 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?
