Here's a Dozen Reasons Why The Term SEO (AKA Search Engine Optimization) Is Obsolete

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By Hector Cisneros

I often hear the term SEO in conversations. This happens when consulting with clients or just talking with friends or associates. Yet, few of the people I speak with have a handle on what SEO means to the average business owner. Sure, if you ask them what SEO means most will retort "Search Engine Optimization". However, if you take the question just one step further, you find that the person you're talking to gets stymied, and often resorts to a reply of "I don't know what's entailed". By the same token, I ask prospects what kind of marketing they are engaged in and they will say I have a guy who is doing SEO work for them. Again, when I ask specifically what their "SEO person" is doing, I get the reply, "I don't know"! The truth is - SEO is not just one thing. Twenty years ago SEO did mean on page Search Engine optimization, but today SEO involves hundreds of ranking factors and dozens of both on and off page elements that need to be optimized to maximize your results. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will cover a dozen factors that show the term SEO is vague at best at that we should be using a new term like Search Marketing or Content Marketing. So pull out your checklist and get ready to cross your T's and dot your i's as we pull back the curtain on the term SEO.

The Tao of SEO Revisited and Revised.

Courtesy of Pixabay

By Hector Cisneros

Six years ago, my business partner wrote an excellent article about how back in 2012, most SEO experts claimed, (what seemed to the average businessman) supernatural knowledge of what worked in search engine optimization. They almost always spoke in the cryptic vocabulary of their industry, making it difficult for any businessperson to understand what they were doing. To make matters worse, it was common at that time to gain search ranking through the use of so-called black hat trickery. This is something that is still used occasionally today. It used to be widespread. In fact, SEO has evolved into a multifaceted marketing endeavor with many moving parts. Any expert who tells you they know exactly how it all works is at best stretching the truth. There is a Taoist saying that goes, “Those who know do not say, and those who say do not know. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore what has evolved from what once worked in SEO marketing to what works today. My business partner’s article written in 2012 was ahead of its time since it foresaw many of the things that are required for success today. So, get ready to delve into search engine marketing from a whole new perspective as we explore “The Tao of SEO Revisited and Revised”.

Free Cool Google Tools to Raise Your Ranking

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Pixabay

If you ask about the cost of doing SEO work, most businesses will tell you that outsourcing your SEO work is costly and time-consuming. You don’t normally hear people say, “yeah, it’s easy to do, and I use these free tools.”  Well, what if I told you Google provides a number of software tools to improve visitor experience, make your website convert better and raise your search engine ranking. Would you use them? In this episode of Working the Web to Win we will highlight and explore more than a dozen online software tools. Google provides these tools free for any would-be internet marketers. So, fire up another browser tab and get your mouse ready to click on some cool tools as we explore Google’s free SEO tools and apps to raise your ranking.

Team Tech - Your Secret SEO Ranking Weapon

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

Have you ever noticed how big corporations always seem to have the best marketing? They always seem to have the best search engine position, great commercials, websites and always seem to be omnipresent. Above and beyond having more money than small businesses, they have a secret weapon. They don't do their marketing by themselves, they have a team or in some cases multiple teams of marketers working on their behalf. This team approach allows them to do more. Have multiple minds working on their behalf allows them to come up with better marketing ideas, it allows them to more research, testing and to monitor their efforts. It also lets them make adjustments when necessary to maximize their return on investment. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore how Team Tech Marketing wins the online marketing battle when it comes to SEO and content marketing.

What Your Webmaster Should be Telling You!

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of  www.flickr.com

If you have a website, then you know your webmaster has the power of life or death over it.  You probably also know that he or she speaks in tongues, where terms like “Link Equity,” “SERPS,” and “Meta Tags,” have a meaning all their own.  In today’s blog, I will part the curtain and allow you to see what the wizard of the web is doing as they pull and tug on the strings of your website.  I will also show you what you need to know to make sure your web presence is a strong one and not just a billboard in the desert. 

The DIY Online Marketing Solution

Courtesy of Pixabay

By Carl Weiss

“We’re Number ONE!”

That’s what everyone strives for in the USA. Whether you’re talking sports, business, academics, or keeping up with the Jones’, Americans are extraordinarily competitive. This is especially true for online position of Google search. Ever since the first search engines appeared more than 20 years ago, website owners vied for the top spot on every keyword combination imaginable. Today, a Page One position is more competitive and more important than ever before. There are nearly 600 million websites and only 14 to 20 Page One positions for any specific keyword combination. Talk about competitive!

What Exactly Does SEO Really Mean Today?

courtesy of www.dreamstime.com

By Hector Cisneros

I often hear people talking about SEO as it were, some magical secret, that when implemented, would instantly land your website on page one of any search engine. They use the acronym SEO as if it was a single element used in internet advertising. The reality today is that the term SEO no longer holds any real meaning. That’s why you hear marketing professionals using phrases like Search Marketing, internet marketing and content marketing. In this article I will provide a clear understanding of the term SEO and what it now means for any business.  I will also provide you with a litany of the success factors needed to achieve organic page one results.

How to Avoid Being Caught in an SEO Phishing Net

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of marchmediachicago.com

Have you ever received a solicitation claiming to be able to help you fix your SEO issues?  They will use acronyms like SEO, SERP, ALT Tags, or catch phrases like “Content Marketing”, “White Hat”, analyze, keywords; or they talk about fixing your Penguin, Hummingbird, Pigeon or other Google algorithm issues. How do you know if this solicitation is legit?

What’s a company to do in the face of all this cyber-babble?  How can anyone distinguish legitimate solicitations from honest companies versus unscrupulous ones that are just phishing to get their hooks in you?  This article is devoted to helping anyone learn some of the telltale signs that an email or cold call is legit, or if it’s looking to take you by hook, line and sinker.  We’ll actually dissect a phishing email to provide a real world example.  First, let's start by understanding the true nature of the World Wide Web.

Internet Marketing: Lessons Learned & Best Practices Part 4 – Content is King

By Hector Cisneros

Photo Credit: blogger.com

When we started our journey in content marketing, we never envisioned our blog would grow to 35,000-plus page views on average each month.  We wrote articles because we wanted consumers and businesses to understand the sea change that was taking place in Internet marketing.  From our humble beginning of one blog a week to the phenomenal following our blog has acquired, we’re amazed and grateful for what has transpired.

Internet Marketing: Lessons Learned and Best Practices Part 1 – The Big Picture

Compiled from 20 Years of Marketing Success 

Courtesy of Flickr

By Hector Cisneros

Today our world is evolving at breakneck speeds.  All aspects of our lives are changing right before our eyes. The Internet, in particular, is moving faster than most segments of our lives.  Marketing has moved on from a single-dimensional communications medium to a world of multi-dimensional and bi-directional communications mediums.  Newspapers, TV, radio, magazines and even billboards are moving to the Internet as part of their communications draw.  People have access to their computers, (smartphones and smart devices) 24/7 and use them everywhere they go. 

Can DIY SEO Work For Your Business?

By Carl Weiss & Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

If you own a small business and have a website, or plan to launch a basic business website in order to get more visibility, no doubt you’ve heard about the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website. This is especially important if you plan on selling goods directly on your site.  The rub is that many times web designers spend more time fretting on form rather than function.  As a result, many websites we’ve surveyed don’t have many of the On-Page SEO elements that are needed to get properly indexed by the search engines. 

Has Google Given Everyone the Bird with its Pigeon Update?

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of www.dailymail.co.uk

Many website owners were startled in late July when their page rankings on Google suddenly flew the coop.  When the dust and feathers had cleared, it was apparent that the world's most popular search engine was once more tinkering with its algorithm.  However, it wasn't until quite recently that Google not only admitted that they had once again thrown a monkey wrench into the works, but they had also given it a name: Pigeon.  In this article, we'll discuss what "the flock" this means to businesses hoping to achieve Page One ranking on Google.  We'll also let you know how this algorithm change now affects local businesses, who previously ranked organically, may now be forced to pony up money for pay-per-click campaigns.  And that's not chicken feed.

Are You Ready for the BIG Game?

By Carl Weiss

When fall is just around the corner and anyone mentions “the BIG Game,” most people immediately think of   And why not?  With a viewing audience of over a hundred million people, for a sporting event that commands nearly $4 million dollars for a 30-second TV ad, this is one game that’s hard to beat.  Well, at least it is on TV.  When it comes to that other BIG Game, the online marketing game, we’re talking about a whole other arena.

the Super Bowl.

Extreme Website Makeovers – Fixes That Boost Traffic, Conversions and Rankings

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Pxhere

Has it been two or more years since you last updated your website? Is your 

website getting any significant traffic? Does Google, Yahoo or Bing consider your website a black hat feast filled spammy with links? Is it not showing up in organic search in these search engines’ first two pages? Is the special phone number you bought to track visitors ringing off the hook or is it dead silent? Are your visitors bouncing off your web pages faster than bouncy balls on hot pavement in the summer, or are they sticking like superglue and reading every word? Are people filling out your landing page forms to connect with you? Are they following you to your social nets and connecting with you there? Are your site’s visitors converting into sold customers? Is anybody complimenting you on your website, saying how useful it is and they’re delighted they found you?

Who Needs Cyber Babble?

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of Flickr

If you think that cell phone-speak is an arcane corruption of the English language, you will appreciate this article where we cover how cyber babble got its start and how it continues to proliferate online.  Ever since the first computer geeks started noodling around with computer code, there has been a disconnect between the way technical people communicate with one another and the Queen's English.  As different as the language was back in Shakespeare's day, to the present idiom, the question is one of whether cyber babble is just a flash in the pan, or whether it represents a true evolution in our mother tongue.  So, if you don’t know a SERP from an ALT tag, this is the article you’ll want to read.  OMG, LOL (Oh my God and Laugh Out Loud or Lots of Love depending on how you use it).

Does Internet Ranking Really Matter?

By Carl Weiss

About two years ago, a client wrote me in a panic. The client had received an email from one of our competitors saying they weren't ranking on Google search, and that the firm said it could help them do so. What stood out for me was the phishing email never mentioned what my client was ranking for. In fact, Website name ranking as a whole isn't important. For most businesses, only ranking for the important keyword in their industry matters. Overall ranking for most visitors (being number one) for the most part, is the dominion of large companies that have spent the time, money and labor (doing whatever it takes today), to get widespread name recognition. I showed our client the email was just a “phishing expedition.” That only industry keyword ranking mattered. I also pointed out they were showing up on Page One of Google, Yahoo and Bing, for no less than 12 important keywords in their industry. You can read the entire article called "Is Google Calling or is it Someone Else?" by clicking here.

What's Up With SEO?

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A  Principled Guide To Search Engine Marketing

By Hector Cisneros

When it comes to working the web to win, there have been a lot of changes over the years; 

none more so than Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Since Google's most recent update  called Hummingbird, many website owners and a number of professional optimizers have found themselves in a quandary when it comes to generating Page One search engine results.

SEO used to have a very specific meaning. Today, if you ask 100 different SEO experts what SEO means, you will get 100 different answers, many of which are still rooted in the way Search Engine Optimization used to work. There is an old saying that goes something like, “If you ask a carpenter how to build a house he will tell you use wood, a hammer and nails. If you ask a mason how to build a house, he will say with brick and mortar. Well Internet marketing experts also follow this line of thought. They base their answer on what they do (their particular niche of expertise) or who they have asked (Google, Yahoo, Bing, or third party research results). This article will aggregate what is known from many sources and provide answers that haven’t changed (even after Penguin, or its new successor, Hummingbird). If you are looking for a leg up on what it takes to climb up the ladder to Search Engine success, read this article and pass it along to your friends so that you, too, will know “What’s Up with SEO?”

English: A Saw-billed Hermit (Ramphodon naevius) Deutsch: Ein Sägeschnabel-Schattenkolibri (Ramphodon naevius) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is SEO Still Important Today or in the Future?

By Hector E. Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

SEO is a term that is bandied about as if it were the holy grail of Search Engine Marketing. But what is SEO really? It is optimizing your website? Or, is it optimizing what you post to your web properties? Is it key word sensitive, key phrase-centric or is it something else altogether? My answer to these questions may surprise you. SEO is no longer just one thing. It's not just optimizing your website for proper Meta tags and matching content. It has grown to mean so much more. In this article, I discuss how Search Engine Optimization (a.d.a., SEO) has evolved into Search Engine Marketing (a.k.a., SEM). I will discuss how what was once a single-faceted injection has evolved into a multifaceted ongoing process. In this article you will find information on how a company can improve its search ranking, specific methods to follow that will insure a strong ranking position. Best of all, you can accomplish all this without resorting to tricks, gimmicks or deception that tries to bypass the search engine ranking systems.

Teams Win in the Search Engine Game

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

I often use analogies when I talk about advertising and marketing. Words like war, battle, game and winning all come to mind. Like most Americans, I enjoy a good football game. The rules are well-defined. We have professional referees keeping the game honest and of course, you have the players and their performance that makes winning or losing happen. In contrast, the search engine game has unpublished rules, Google is the referee throwing hidden flags and there are lots of players are trying to cheat the system.

Is Google Calling? Or is it Someone Else?

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

Recently our company was approached by one of our clients who held in his hand a printout of a form letter he had been spammed with that read as follows:

Hi,

 I recently visited your website, “www.abc123xyz.com”,  during a routine survey of sites which may be capable of higher search engine performance through Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Efficient SEO brings an increase in online sales or leads. I hope this information may be of use to you, if not then I apologies for any inconvenience caused.
So, here's a summary of my findings on your site: