SEO? Easy peasy. What's the fuss all about?

[OM2]

SEO? Easy peasy.

This is what you do (not in order of importance):

1. Create a website with keywords in lots of places. Use titles where relevant and name images with relevant names. Links with meaningful names have an importance.

2. Submit to search engines and directories.

3. Get loads of links to your website. Links from major website give you more brownie points.

4. Use meta tags (just incase some search engines still bother with them).

AND THAT'S ALL!

OK... I've learnt all of the above are important.

What am I missing?

I'm sure the answer might be very long... but any replies would be appreciated.

Thanks.


OM

[vayapues]

SEO? Easy peasy.

Well, it is not rocket science anyway, but to be truly good, it does take some experience. Especially as the Net continues to get more and more competitive each day.

What am I missing?

Wow, broad topic. Difficult to cover in several forums, let a lone one thread. Instead of trying to put everything about SEO in one thread, perhaps It would be easier to give you a few places to go to find the info for yourself.

Best thing to do, in my opinion, is to read this site, and others, which are maintained by some of the best and brightest in the field.

This site for example is maintained by Danny Sullivan, whose reputation in SEO and SEM is far reaching.

Than just dig in, and do some experimentation. SEO is far from a pure science, much of it is experience and instinct. As you experiment, your skills will grow.

Other sites
seroundtable.com
webmasterworld.com

[OM2]

thanks for the reply.
i'll take your advice.
i aim to become an SEO jedi master.
watch this space.
may the force be with you.

[Chris_D]

Yep OM2- You can do anything yourself - given sufficent research; aptitude; commitment and focus.

However, DIY Brain Surgery is probably riskier than DIY Seo.

But I suppose it all depends on the personal risks you take; and the potential reward.

[mcanerin]

It's not really the rules, it's the details and tactics that get you.

For one thing, if SEO was super easy, then everyone would be number one for their own keywords, and forums like this would not exist, nor would professional SEO's, or the fees they charge.

Chess is easy too. There are a limited number of rules and pieces. Yet, someone usually loses, and someone usually wins, and some people spend their whole lives studying it without becoming "masters". There are tournaments and clubs and so forth.

That's a lot of effort for something so "easy".

The *rules* of chess are easy, the *art* of chess is very challenging. That human on the other side of the board isn't gonna give up just because you learned some rules and read a book on the subject. They know the rules and have read the books, too.

If you don't understand what I'm talking about now, wait until you do a few sites This is one of those areas where there is a big difference between book learning and real world experience.

Good luck - you are in for a ride, but as long as you are adaptable and don't discourage easily, it's lots of fun!

Ian

[OM2]

Hey thanks for the philosopical reply.
What you say does make sense.
But... the starting point for me will be books and websites.
Actually... I'll be taking the plunge and doing a few websites: best way to learn.

[bdnseo]

Getting links in some industries is the stuff that keeps you up at night, frustrated. Take it from me, the techniques are easy to master because they are common sense, but implementing the techniques is another ball of wax.

[mcanerin]

Actually... I'll be taking the plunge and doing a few websites: best way to learn

The best way to learn SEO is to:

1. Read up as much as you can ahead of time.
2. Do a site. Start off with something simple, so you know that your tactics work.
3. then do something harder.
4. bang head against wall because the tactics don't seem to be working, or your competitors must be cheating, or how the HELL can anyone get so many links, or why is that idiot #1? I'm way better than him!
5. Read up as much as you can (again) - at this point, the little things you glossed over the first time will suddenly spring out at you. You'll wonder why you didn't notice them before. Answer: you didn't have the practical experience to sort out the bland generic info from the key information before.
6. Go after that hard site again, but this time with a much smarter methodology and more patience.
7. Succeed (hopefully).

Jill Whalen wrote a nice article a while ago that fits this type of experience pretty well called Evolution of a Search Marketer.

Ian

[stuey]

Originally Posted by mcanerin

The best way to learn SEO is to:

1. Read up as much as you can ahead of time.
2. Do a site. Start off with something simple, so you know that your tactics work.
3. then do something harder.
4. bang head against wall because the tactics don't seem to be working, or your competitors must be cheating, or how the HELL can anyone get so many links, or why is that idiot #1? I'm way better than him!
5. Read up as much as you can (again) - at this point, the little things you glossed over the first time will suddenly spring out at you. You'll wonder why you didn't notice them before. Answer: you didn't have the practical experience to sort out the bland generic info from the key information before.
6. Go after that hard site again, but this time with a much smarter methodology and more patience.
7. Succeed (hopefully).

Jill Whalen wrote a nice article a while ago that fits this type of experience pretty well called Evolution of a Search Marketer.

Ian

Ian,

ROLFLMAO - your comment #4 - nope, never been their myself though

Just joined this forum tonight (i'm usually a DP junkie) and this was the first thread I read.

Looking forward to being a part of the community,

Regards

Stuey

[mcanerin]

Welcome Stuey (and OM2, while I'm at it)!

Glad to have you aboard!

Ian

PS yep, those dents in my forehead are from experience....

[TymArtist]

Also remember that an integral part of SEO is not only getting people to your site but keeping them at your site. That means in addition to keywords, links, and being listed in SE's and directories, you also need useful content that isn't spam or repetititve. You have to get people to convert on whatever it is you're doing, and to do that you also need a good design and structure to get them to go where you want them to go. There's a lot more involved to the entire process, and that's why it's not simple and why people do it for a career.

Consider that it's part of marketing, and marketing is a career too. You can put out all this material, but it has to be material peole want. I've been with the same company for about a year and it's my first go in SEO and getting people to buy from us has been an uphill run of constant optimization and changes. I'm finally just learning what really keeps people at your site, and re-designing around those concepts. If you came into a system that wasn't so perfect, then you have even more work to do.

[bdnseo]

A good understanding of statistics and some form of keyword conversion software installed on your site will go along way to helping yourself.

I suggest statscounter.com or google analytics if you can get an account.

[mphung]

Let's not confuse things that are simple for things that are easy. Running a marathon = simple. Simply put one foot in front of the other for 46,145 yards. Nothing could be simpler. I wouldn't call it easy peasy, though.

Or maybe a better example: making a souffle. If I gave you a list of ingredients, all you need to do is put them together and heat the mixture, right? But unless you have a lot of experience, you're going to need a lot more details than just an ingredients list to make something resembling a souffle.

Knowing in theory how to do something and being able to do it better than your competitors are two very different things.

Also keep in mind that everything is always changing. As soon as you figure out what it takes to be #1, you'll be facing new algorithms, new competitors and new keyword targets. Always keep learning (and may the Force be with you)

[bonnie2315k]

On simplicity vs. ease:

"It's easy to play any musical instrument: just touch the right key at the right time and the music will play itself."

-Johann Sebastian Bach

(Maybe for HIM that was the case.)