Coding vs. Content: Is there an SEO magic bullet?
For some reason there is a pervasive belief that SEO is a process that can be applied to any website. I have clients ask us to optimize websites that were written years ago without a thought about how they would be found, or more accurately, searched for on the Internet.
I guess this idea has been talked up by a lot of firms that are proponents of the coding side of the argument. In other words, most optimization work takes place behind the curtain – a process that few would understand and is too high-level to be explained anyway.
This idea makes sense, in a self-perpetuating kind of way. After all, if it is so difficult to figure out the inner workings of the Google algorithm, barriers to entry in the SEO space are high. Effectively keeping those without genius IQs and degrees in Computer Engineering out of the business.
Of course, there are those (myself among them) that believe the barriers to SEO aren’t daunting at all. In fact, they aren’t really even there, from a high-level coding and computer science perspective.
In my experience, the most effective optimizers are those with a compelling story to tell. Simple as that.
Once again, we default back to the time-tested rule: content is king.
So if you are looking for search rankings and a robust presence on the Web, focus on what your customers want, need, and are likely to search for. Then tell them your product story and how it satisfies their want, fulfills their need, and is the product they are searching for.
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