Nov 12, 2012
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I Love the ‘New’ SEO
3 Necessary Skills
The promotional marketers and the die hard spammers have left the scene. They have no need for SEO anymore. Why? Because SEO isn’t what it used to be.
What it used to be involves manipulation, meaningless jargon, and automated software. What it now involves is hardcore research skills, the ability to write at a targeted audience, and a personality that effectively interrupts, engages, and educates that audience.
1. Research
Starting a new SEO campaign is like joining a new group or organization. The first thing anyone wants to do when they join a group is get to know the people in that group. How do they think? How do they speak? How do they react to certain things? How can I develop a greater relationship with them and avoid confrontation?
With SEO, it’s the same concept. Who is my target audience? Where do they hang out on the Internet? What kinds of things capture their attention? What types of things would they take the time to share with their friends? Questions like these allow me to develop a strategy as to how and where I should approach these people and with what materials. I hone in on a few very important subjects:
- Choosing the most relevant keywords and phrases
- Using appealing videos, graphics, and other forms of media
- Speaking the right language
- Providing information at the right time and in the right place
2. Writing
If you’re a professional writer, blogger, or journalist by trade, you’re probably an SEO expert without even knowing it. The ability to create interesting content about a popular topic in a way that no one else has before is like striking gold in the inbound marketing world.
Finding a way to establish that initial spark of interest in someone can easily lead to an entire network of fans, followers, subscribers, and connections.
So how can one become a better writer for SEO purposes?
- Don’t think about SEO when writing.
- Practice by creating a blog centered in a subject you love and excel at.
- Research what people enjoy most about that subject, and write about it.
- Accompany your content with relevant and attractive media.
- Find out where your target audience is hanging out online (i.e. Reddit, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.).
- Share your content on those websites, and see how people react.
- Watch your analytics, take notes, and start over the process with your findings.
3. Personality
Like I said before, a personality that effectively interrupts, engages, and educates a group of people is priceless. With a personality like that, you can rule the world. That’s why I enjoy the ‘new’ SEO. I get to be me. People appreciate the human-to-human connection, leaving behind the sales pitches and overly optimized content that crowds them on the Web.
As a human being, the first thing I do when I search for information on the Internet is try to find content written by someone who knows how to genuinely relate to my needs without being fake. I feel like many of us try to be too funny, sarcastic, or smart when we’re really not. People can pick up on that, and it’s not a good thing.
A rule of thumb to anyone who wants to develop a larger following: Only write about something you actually care for.