| Defining SEO |
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Written by Shari Thurow October 25, 2006 Search and Usability - Defining SEOThis is in response to a number of posts in LED Digest 2270 regarding search engine optimization (SEO) and usability. I am aware that I rubbed people the wrong way. Sometimes, I do that on purpose. Not always one of my greatest qualities, I understand, but I almost always do it to make a point.I honestly do not believe the vast majority of people truly comprehend what SEO truly is. I don't care that my definition does not "jibe" with the current buzz speak. Example? Somehow, search engine marketing (SEM) has come to mean search engine advertising, when in fact search engine marketing encompasses a wide variety of search skills: pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, optimization, paid inclusion, etc. I know that my definition of SEM is far more accurate, and I am not the only person who thinks this way. Of course, I never coined the term SEM nor came up with the original definition. Here are a few of things that I would like to mention from LED #2270... Before that, my apologies to Brett Atkin for misspelling his name. Honest mistake (typo). His comment: > ... SE spider "usability" is involved in SEO, but that is > not what most people think of when they think of usability. Honestly? If people do not think of information retrieval usability when they think of usability? Well, that is their mistake, their huge oversight. I choose to broaden my knowledge about usability through training courses, seminars, workshops, online and offline readings, and (of course) a formal education. Apply what I learn to the sites I develop. Learn from experience. I'm glad I maintain my perspective rather than what "people" think. If I went along with what "people" think, I would really suck at my job. > Isn't the point of getting one's information into those > information retrieval systems to create publicity, sales, > pass on knowledge, just be found, etc...? Too many people think "Google" when you say the phrase "search engine" to them, which is why I prefer to use information retrieval system. Just a personal preference, not meant to be condescending. Being a developer, I work with site search engines all of the time. Sometimes, I work with the commercial Web search engines as site search engines, too. That's when I really, truly see usability come into play. It's not about "being at the top" only. Relevancy is so incredibly important. Writing, designing, programming, scripting, archiving, etc. is so crucial in making your site search engine results more accurate. Having worked on huge portal sites (greater than 100 thousand pages) where search results absolutely, positively need to be accurate, I see the connection between usability and search -- how they really are not separate concepts. People just got it into their heads that SEO means getting at the top of Google. People got it into their heads that "search" only encompasses querying behavior. It doesn't. Maybe if people worked on site search engines, they might see the big picture. I noticed long ago that if one makes their site search results more accurate through the interface and content, the commercial Web search engine results tend to follow suit. It's not only about access, it is also about relevancy. When marketing is added too much into SEO, I think perceived relevancy becomes more of a focus than actual relevancy. But I digress. Another topic for another time. > What does archiving have to do with SEO? I am just going to assume (and please correct me if I am wrong) that this is a completely ignorant question. Archiving is incredibly important to the optimization process. Anyone who has redesigned a site with new and outdated URLs understands that. The first part of the search engine process is spidering, which means access access access (emphasis mine). I understand that the first part of the SEO process is keyword research. And a major part of the Web site usability process is keyword research (for labeling). However, it is not the first part of the spidering process. If humans and search engine spiders are not delivered to the most appropriate Web address, the site / page loses credibility. People remember getting a 404 Error page. People remember not being delivered to a page that does not give them the most accurate information. A page can lose outstanding link development. Search engine spiders remember which sites delivered outdated / redundant / orphaned / etc. Links and content, and many of these sites do not get as many pages in the indices as they can. In addition, having testified in court cases as an expert witness, I have personally seen the burden of proof not met because Web site owners did not archive well. Not having an archiving plan is a big mistake, another huge oversight. So you see? SEO is not only about marketing. It never has been. SEO has been in existence long before Google and Yahoo emerged. I do not want to have such a narrow view of SEO, to think of it as marketing only. No regrets about thinking less of people's narrow view. Some people need to be educated or re-educated about SEO. SEO ignorance (genuinely not knowing) is one thing. Everyone, including myself, is ignorant about many things. Choosing to remain ignorant, which I characterize as stupidity, is another. Off my soapbox. Sincerely, Shari Thurow, Webmaster/Marketing Director Grantastic Designs, Inc. Comments (0)
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