What does the "new SEO" have to do with search engine optimization and to what extent is SEO part of content marketing or vice versa? In this two-part article, I would like to discuss possible answers and consequences of the "new SEO". You can find the second part here: Positioning of SEO in the Marketing Mix .
The excellent article SEO 2014 – Nothing comes from nothing aka. Real Company Shit by Marcel ends with the words
“There is definitely a lot to do for all SEOs out there, provided you are ready to take on the challenge!”
These challenges are causing uncertainty in the SEO industry, and rightly so. One of the biggest challenges is breaking down old structures. Not just in our heads, but also in terms of methods and processes. Added to this is the overall corporate thinking and feeling aka Real Company Shit that Marcel already mentioned . In my opinion, SEOs have to break away from their beloved three letters if they want to devote themselves to new areas such as content marketing , or they have to concentrate even more on the core SEO activities. Namely, optimization for search engines . To explain this, I will start with a summary of the activities that some colleagues refer to as "New SEO".
Table of contents [ Hide ]
1 The “New SEO”?
2 Onpage SEO is and remains the core task of search engine optimization
3 Off-page SEO is dead! Rest in Peace!
4 Content Marketing? – SEO or not SEO??
4.1 For me, content marketing is largely not SEO!
5 Conclusion
The “New SEO”?
I would like to start with a few points from the book “ Google Semantic Search ” by David Amerland . It is primarily about the special challenges in the age of semantic search. Amerland sees himself as an SEO and describes the following new SEO activities as necessary:
Creating extensive content that connects everything your business does in a meaningful way
Guiding the online conversation in social media uk phone number data networks in ways that extend the boundaries of what your company and brand does
Using your social network profiles to link to content that adds further value to what you do
Amerland sees the following examples as components of the “new SEO”:
Good quality content that delivers value to the end user
Websites that offer an excellent online visitor experience in terms of case of use, content and navigability
Businesses that are being talked about on the web, on blogs, and social networks
Businesses whose content is reshared on the web across social networks
Businesses with a strong social component that actually engages their prospective customer in a way similar to a person
Businesses that stay current and generate consistently fresh content proving that they both have something to say and that they are part of the current online conversation
Setting a monetary value to reputation
Understanding the need to build and maintain trust
All of this is about achieving the main goals of trust , reputation and authority . These are undoubtedly important goals, but let's be honest: what do these points have to do with optimization for search engines as defined by the term search engine optimization? Most of the activities and goals that Amerland attributes to the "new SEO" are common practice in areas such as PR , marketing, social media or usability optimization. So nothing new!
Amerland's book is definitely worth recommending, but I find the view that SEOs should be responsible for the above-mentioned activities questionable.