SEO is So Easy a Caveman Could Do It?

That’s the impression many have when they contact me to change their “meta keyword tags” so that they can rocket to #1 on Google.  To which I quietly think to myself — that’s one smart caveman!

I then respond with the comment — “if it were only that easy.”   I go on to explain how, after you search for your targeted keywords, look at those numbers in the right hand corner of Google that will look something like “Results 1 - 10 of about 1,633,000 for…[your keyword phrase here]“.

If all 1,633,000 sites/pages/documents could simply attain #1 by changing keywords — then how could a search engine even work?  There would have to be 1,633,000 #1’s.  But we know that isn’t the case so the next comment I get is “Well, then I want to at least in the ‘Top 10′!”.  Sure!  No problem!  Tell me what makes your site better or more relevant for that phrase than the 10 sites already listed in the “Top 10″?  Silence…

The simple definition for optimization:

op·ti·mi·za·tion
1. the fact of optimizing; making the best of anything.

Making the best! That is one of the keys to optimizing your site — making it the best! From design, to clean code to content to thinking of your target customers first (and search engines second).

Now, the cave guy we see on T.V. is smarter than most I’ve met — and yes, I have met a Neanderthal or two in my travels.  But SEO, while easy for those of us who have studied search and SEO for years, is just a tad more involved than what your average caveman could handle (sorry cave guy).  You have to be willing to learn, study and know the rules of the game you are playing in and comprehend the reality that the only thing consistent in SEO will be your ability to be nimble in your SEO efforts.

The smartest cave guys and gals also know that SEO is not set in stone. Algorithms change, search engines hiccup, cheaters play the system and bugs exist. That is why one has to realize the SEO is not a one time done deal. It’s an ongoing effort for perpetuity — well, at least until we evolve again.

Read this great overview of the Top 10 Resources for Search Engine Optimization that you can use to get more familiar with all that is actually involved in SEO. And just maybe, you too can be as smart as a caveman!

At your service,
Judith