photo credit: conorwithonen
I’m going to tell you something radical. Stop worrying so much about SEO (otherwise known as “Search Engine Optimization”) and Google search rankings for keywords and phrases if you’re a professional. If you are paying someone to get your website or blog to rank in Google search results for particular keywords, you are most likely wasting your time and money. Certainly producing great content on your blog and consistently utilizing specific keyword phrases (and local modifiers) that resonate with your target markets can provide some visibility via search, but relying on search as your primary strategy will probably leave you feeling disappointed.
Your best clients didn’t find you through a random search on Google and approach you with their assets, did they? Your brand and your influence depend on a positive online reputation.
Trying to rank in Google search results for keywords is a little like playing roulette
Why? The odds are against you. Search has become more personal (what are your personal preferences?), social (what social networks do you belong to and who are you connected to), local (where do you live and where are you currently?) This means that essentially no two people will get the same search results for what they are looking for. Welcome to personalized online search! Trying to show up in search results for keywords has become a moving target, which makes the mysterious “SEO” more like smoke and mirrors.
I’ll give you an example. I recently heard a self-proclaimed guru bragging that he had helped his client (a professional advisor) achieve page one search result rankings for a financially-related keyword phrase. He showed a screenshot of these results in the presentation. Wow! The only problem was, when I performed the same search, along with my colleagues, none of us got that particular result. Smoke and mirrors.
Use Google to build your online reputation rather than ranking for keywords
Page one of Google search results has ten slots, and if you’re not there for the keywords that you are trying to become known for, you’re invisible. Rather than wasting time and money on a zero sum game, why not use Google to your advantage? Why not use the free tools that Google provides in addition to building your own digital assets and profiles to manage your online reputation and build influence? Here are a few tips for getting started on claiming the Google search results for your personal brand:
- Build your Google Places Profile for your business
- Have a website and a blog (preferably on a separate sub-domain or related domain that you own)
- Claim and complete your social profiles on the major social networks (LinkedIn Twitter, Facebook Business Page, You Tube)
Blog on your own domain with authority and produce excellent content
If Google is the old-time equivalent of the Yellow Pages, blogging is the equivalent of giving a seminar, workshop, or presentation to an audience of potentially qualified prospects. Given these two choices, where would you invest your resources? Where do you think you would have a better opportunity to achieve a positive ROI? Build your digital identity through blogging. Now, you can’t just throw up a blog and expect results. You truly need to be a thought leader publishing creative, educational, and inspirational content on a consistent basis. The wonderful thing about blogging is that you can target your audience with your content and build a community of qualified prospects with shared interests and passions. High quality, targeted blog content gets discovered and shared.
Strive for “Shares” in Social Networks instead of “Search Engine” rankings
Sonia Simone inspired me with simplifying this idea of thinking about getting found through connections who share your content with their friends and professional connections. Word-of-mouth is powerful and profitable, and it always has been! By producing great content on your blog, having a presence on relevant social networks, connecting with existing clients and centers of influence, and genuinely participating in social media without being overly self-promotional, you will get the “shares”, “likes” and “comments” that can propel your influence to new heights.
Focusing your efforts on producing unique quality content and building a quality community of connections in social networks around your thought leadership is the future of business growth. Don’t worry so much about mastering SEO, unless you also believe you can compete on price, performance, and product.
