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online business: rebecca leclaire gets honest about SEO

By on June 11, 2013
seo losing my religion

I think I’m losing my religion.
I’m not sure I believe in the doctrine of Sola SEO anymore.

by Rebecca Leclaire

An article called “SEO Modern Day Snake Oil” came into my inbox the other day. You can read it HERE.
At first when I read this article, I was a little offended. After all I have dedicated years of my life to being an SEO expert and getting great results for my clients. But, I agreed with most of what was said… I often reflect on the calls I get from people who have been approached by SEO evangelists telling them the secret to the healing they seek – and I know it to not be true. Most of the time the website is ranking first page and it is claimed that the Google God knows them not. Yes, there are specific things you should do to get your website to rank high on search engines, but not everything out there has to be done or even considered.

What is the reason for my change of heart?
SEO has changed dramatically in the last year. Google’s Panda and Penguin updates to their algorithms (or to put it simply, how they have it programmed to determine if your website is a relevant result for a search query) have switched the focus from how many sites are linked to your site to just how good is your content. “In The Beginning” a multitude of links pointing to your website were viewed as a testament to how many others found your site worthy. But as Google’s programming gets more savvy, you can actually get penalized in your rankings for having sites linking to you that have nothing to do with your industry or subject matter. (See HERE a blog I wrote prophesying what has now come to pass)

Personally, I like this change even though it presented a challenge for me professionally at first. Because, given its purpose, I think we are seeing more relevant results for search queries. But if you have ignored your actual website’s content, and I am not just talking about blogging, I mean the actual pages on your website, and have relied solely on SEO sacraments, you are probably seeing a drop in your results. If you blog about what you do from your voice and the voice of your customers fairly consistently, over time you will have the keywords on your website that you need. I have faith in what I am telling you because I have witnessed it with my own eyes from my clients who have taken up this challenge.

So, now what do I believe?
My approach to SEO has always been one that is multi-faceted. That way one technique or trick can’t make or break your results suddenly. And what I have found over time, is that the best success is combining SEO with Social Media and Demographic Marketing. I am not talking about paying for ads. I am talking about viewing SEO NOT as “Do I rank first over everyone else on Google?”, but rather as, “Where are my target customers, and how do I get in front of them and excite them so I can make some money?” Yes, ranking first on Google may help your phone ring and that is always a goal, but there are so many more opportunities. I like to make a plan that will stretch your budget across both goals.

If you have experienced a dip in your search engine ranking or don’t hear your phone ringing as much as you should, sign up for a consultation with me and we can go over the state of your website and online presence. If you want to try SEO on your own and can’t afford to hire someone, I will share my resources and expertise with you for a nominal one-time fee. You can get your first email FREE HERE.

 

RebeccaLeClaireheadshot0413Rebecca LeClaire draws from an education in Psychology and experience in Accounting and as an Internet Specialist. Her broad perspective of the inner workings of business and understanding how people perceive messages has helped her to build a successful international design and online marketing company. She helps start-ups and public figures create attractive and recognizable brands online, with the web presence of larger corporate competition. Rebecca can coach you to your success too! Find out more HERE.

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