SEO Is So Very Dead

Earlier this summer I had a painful two-hour phone conversation with a prospective client, one that could have easily been condensed to about a twenty minute call. The painful part was listening over and over again to what this guy wanted as he kept talking about himself and expanding the conversation to include peripheral issues. Finally, I used the excuse that my family was waiting for me (it was a Saturday afternoon and they were outside) and that I had to hang up. We ended our conversation by agreeing to talk again the following week.

I never called the guy back.

In most cases I am able to quickly vet a client (and vice-versa) through the exchange of emails and one phone call. I’ve learned that some folks are “tire kickers” looking for a bargain or simply trying to uncover the services you provide including unpublicized SEO tactics.  One crafty young writer contacted me for assistance this past Spring for help with his business, but I suspect that his motives weren’t entirely above board — there wasn’t anything that I could confirm, I just had a hunch. Such is the way of business these days.

So, why am I saying that “SEO is so very dead?” For one reason: I needed a catchy title!

Seriously, what amazes me is what some customers expect when they contact me. In most cases I market myself as a freelance writer, in that I provide web content, keyword targeted articles, and magazine or other print articles as needed. In certain situations I provide additional services (for a fee, of course) which can include submission of articles to one or more article directories, various linking strategies, and certain unmentionable tactics to help a customer gain an edge SERP-wise or otherwise.

These services are agreed upon in advance and usually in detail. Once in awhile we’ll experiment with a tactic and modify it on the fly, by pulling it completely, or trying something else. Spelling out everything in advance is the best practice, helping both parties understand what is expected of each and delivering as expected. Besides, protecting one’s backside is very important when working as a freelancer or a small business operator!

The dead part of SEO involves those tactics which are either no longer practiced or would be considered blackhat. Swapping links with other sites; duplicate content pages; and cloaking are old or terrible SEO methods which either never caught on, have lived past their prime, or are problematic for a number of reasons (including ticking off Google).

On occasion, I get contacted by someone who wants to start a campaign based on some old methodology (doorway pages); if I can convince them to incorporate the latest methods then I have a new customer, but if I cannot then I urge them to seek help elsewhere. There is always someone in the world of SEO who will string a customer along, emptying their marketing budget, and providing suspect results. I’m just not one of them.

So, in that respect SEO is so very dead. Thankfully, much as a chrysalis transforms the insect into a beautiful butterfly so does contemporary SEO practices transform a company’s marketing campaign into something beautiful. Unless of course, the insect is building a cocoon and in that case the SEO will produce a homely moth.

Photo Credit: Cecile Graat