วันอาทิตย์ที่ 29 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

Is SEO Still as Relevant as it Was in the Past?

By Jan Shimano

There is no question about the fact that we all want to optimize our websites. It will bring us the targeted and free traffic that we want. The other alternative to searching out free traffic is to use pay-per-click (PPC). I would imagine, though, if we were given the choice, we would all vote for the free traffic any day. However, one of the problems is, many people become overly dependent on SEO and when the search engines make even minor changes with their algorithms, the free traffic sometimes dries up overnight.

However, I believe that it is still necessary and beneficial to develop our SEO skills. Some think that it is very complicated and difficult to learn. In my experience, I have found it to be way easier than learning the ins and outs of PPC. Even when I first started my internet business, I found it took very little effort on my part to reach the first page of Google with my articles. Actually, the first time it happened I thought it was a fluke, but it continued to happen. It was then that I realized that the little I did know about SEO was sufficient to get me on page one of Google each and every time.

As a beginner, I was under the impression that there were well guarded secrets to ranking well with the search engines. I thought I would have to take a few courses to be effective at it. That was not the case. There is so much free information available on the Web, that a person can be educated and ready to take action in no time. I also searched on YouTube and found a number of instructional videos that helped me a lot. I now actually have people asking me what my 'secret' is.

I do, however, recommend that you always have a few back-up systems in place. After all, if you do get caught in a major algorithm change you could lose all your traffic overnight. As mentioned, pay-per-click would be one. Another alternative is to be an affiliate for other companies and products. It is free to register with Clickbank and you can be up and running with very little effort on your part.

It's a great idea to actually create a product of your own. That might sound quite intimidating to most of you, but producing a monthly newsletter or an e-book is not as difficult as you imagine. You could even list your e-book on Clickbank and have other affiliates sell your product for you.

You don't have to entirely rely on SEO to get high rankings on Google or the other search engines, such as Yahoo or MSN. However, for me personally, it is still my favorite way to rank highly. I do realize, though, that in this business things can change literally overnight, so I have involved myself in some alternatives.

So is SEO still the powerhouse it used to be and is it still as relevant as it was in the past? My answer to both of these questions is a big YES. Obviously, there might be some changes in the future, but if it is free traffic that you are looking for, then I think getting a good understanding of SEO and puting it into practice is essential.

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