I hate it. I really do. SEO is 180 degrees in the opposite direction from what I am passionate about. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love traffic. I love e-mail inquiries slamming my inbox from the contact form on my business site. I love to hear the phone ringing. I even love to answer questions from existing clients using up un-billable time, just keeping the relationship going. But the process of traditional SEO is excruciating for me. The thought of sending an e-mail asking for a reciprocal link makes me want to scream.
So I quit! I'm not doing it any more. And I'm not hiring someone else to do it for me. I'm changing the entire way that my business is presented on my web site. Here's why:
I am happiest when I'm designing. That's what I do best. Incorporating the goals of my customer's business into an elegant, simple and useable design is a process that I lose myself in. I forget to eat lunch.
I also love to communicate with people. I'm one of those guys who can spend an hour on the phone talking about "stuff" without even thinking about it. If we're talking about web site or blog design, I can talk for much longer. So what does a designer do with a new business web site that has a page rank of 2 (otherwise known as Google's basement)? Start a conversation.
The more I read about Social Media Optimization through blogging, the more it seems like a no-brainer. Here's what I've learned:
Imagine promoting your web site by simply talking (writing) about what you're passionate about? And, it gets better. People with common interests or needs can post comments to your blog thus starting a conversation. As the conversation grows, so does the optimization, and so does the reach of your web site. It can't help but grow.
The optimization grows in several ways: First, when someone posts a comment, it usually includes a link to their web site or blog. This is also true of comments you post on other blogs- each comment includes another link. As blog owners take notice of your content, links will appear in the form of references to posts on your blog. Google loves blogs!
The social aspect of the optimization also grows. Relationships in business mean contacts and referrals. Relationships built by blogging can come from places you never thought about. The process of reading, commenting, and posting about your passion is much more pleasant than trying to come up with a way to use "Best Blue Widgets" several times in the sales text on a page (even if you're passionate about blue widgets).
There are lot's of ways that a blog can help you grow your business, including gaining exposure for your web site. I'll be exploring them as this series continues...