Is Search Engine Optimization the Powerhouse it Used to Be?
March 30, 2009 by Jan Shimano
Filed under SEO
There is no denying that it can be very beneficial to optimize our websites. This will bring us much appreciated targeted and free traffic. The alternative would be attract traffic using pay-per-click (PPC). If we were given the choice, I imagine that we would all choose the free traffic over the paid. The problem is that many become overly dependent on SEO and when the search engines make major changes with their algorithms, overnight we see our free traffic dry right up.
However, I believe that it is still necessary and beneficial to develop our SEO skills. Some think that it is very complicated and difficult to learn. In my experience, I have found it to be way easier than learning the ins and outs of PPC. Even when I first started my internet business, I found it took very little effort on my part to reach the first page of Google with my articles. Actually, the first time it happened I thought it was a fluke, but it continued to happen. It was then that I realized that the little I did know about SEO was sufficient to get me on page one of Google each and every time.
As a beginner, I was under the impression that there were well guarded secrets to ranking well with the search engines. I thought I would have to take a few courses to be effective at it. That was not the case. There is so much free information available on the Web, that a person can be educated and ready to take action in no time. I also searched on YouTube and found a number of instructional videos that helped me a lot. I now actually have people asking me what my ‘secret’ is.
I do, however, recommend that you always have a few back-up systems in place. After all, if you do get caught in a major algorithm change you could lose all your traffic overnight. As mentioned, pay-per-click would be one. Another alternative is to be an affiliate for other companies and products. It is free to register with Clickbank and you can be up and running with very little effort on your part.
It’s a great idea to actually create a product of your own. That might sound quite intimidating to most of you, but producing a monthly newsletter or an e-book is not as difficult as you imagine. You could even list your e-book on Clickbank and have other affiliates sell your product for you.
So you do not have to rely entirely on SEO to get great rankings on Google or the other search engines. For me personally, though, it is still the most effective way for me to get on page one. It’s good to keep in mind that in this business things can change in a twinkling of an eye, so you should still involve yourself with some alternatives. Never put all your eggs in one basket.
So is SEO the powerhouse it used to be? I believe it is. Yes, there might be tweaks to it in the future, but if it’s free traffic you are looking for then I highly recommend you learn everything you need to know about SEO.
