Six differing Definitions of SEO

There are so many definitions of SEO that you can loose count. I will try and list my own definition and the understanding of SEO vis a vis other professionals and the public at large. For me, the definition of SEO is best seen in context of a website’s data.

Website’s data consists of

• content/images/video/products data/code/HTML/Mark up, structured data
• Reviews and testimonials/URLs and page names
• anchor text/external link anchor text/external links/internal links/number of pages
• number of words/use of language/tone and voice/social media/backlinks

So SEO is loosely defined as taking all the above data and presenting the "sum" result in a way that Google will not only understand, but will reward and ranks highly in it index. It is about interpreting data, translating code and explaining language.

 

However isn't SEO is often seen as cheating?

OK let's move on to the definitions defined by role, age, gender and intellect

1. Defined by the web designer and/or developer

SEO is an after thought for all digital projects. The numbers of times I have been in a meeting, sitting through hours of digital discussion on navigation, design, message, user journey (and on and on) only to be brought in at the end with a collective groan "and I suppose we will have to look at SEO."

2. Defined by Creative directors and lesser Digital Marketers

After explaining content strategies and backlink acquisition strings for hours only to be asked, "this is just for search engines, no one is going to read this right!" SEO's definition for many digital marketers is some techie stuff that is a cross between black magic and voodoo coding and is totally incomprehensible to the average digital savvy 'marketing person' AND if truth be known a bit beneath them.

3. PPC, Digital "Paid Search" Consultants

The above opinion is especially prevalent amongst paid search or PPC-driven consultants whose definition of SEO is "a science that is uncontrollable, cannot be relied on and simply not worth the bother." If SEO was that simple then we would all be millionaires, does not work, total rubbish, charlatans and thieves the lot of them.

4. Amateur SEOs up and down the country (paid or unpaid)

It is seen as a collection of HTML markups such as H2, H1s, bold, italics bullet points etc. applied to a keyword or keyphrase; then repeated ad nauseam and then presented as SUCESSFUL (if by some miracle it worked) or a FAILURE which is defined as the client did not pay enough money and with one more push it would work. Alternatively SEO is defined as, take the money, then do as little work as possible and keep silent hoping the client will quietly move on.

SEO is seen as a simple effective way to repeat the story of the The Emperor's New Clothes whilst avoiding prison.

5. Experienced SEO with 10 years experience

SEO is magic, it is an art. Using 'code and backlinks' on a website, which when placed in no particular order and in no particular quantity, Google instantly recognises the site as the long forgotten (but now found) definitive guide/shop/knowledge base for a particular product and ranks that website number one perpetually.

Unfortunately this person does not know which order or in what quantities to present the data in, however does through probability (and rabbit's feet/ four leaf clovers) get it right sometimes.

SEO is seen here as something that made them a lot of money once upon a time but now is something that they don't understand and are desperate to not get found out that they know very little and if they were honest could not careless about.

You will see these 'experts' defining SEO as blog and article writing (till your hand drops off) and build as many backlinks as possible, using any tool possible Majestic, Moz, Href to avoid the need for common sense or rational thought and cross your fingers and pray before client meetings.

6. Reality definition time

The reality is it is not that simple as code mark ups or backlinks. In 1995 it was that simple. Search engine algorithms had not been developed. They often counted the number of times a keyword or keyphrase appeared on page and then ranked the website highest you mentioned that keyphrase or keyword the most lines. With the advent of Google this then included add as many backlinks from any website with your keyword as the anchor text and voil?.

It’s important to note than in 1993 to 2003 there were over 62 different search engines that you may have heard and a host of smaller ones. There were vast directories like Yahoo portals like MSN/Microsoft, AlltheWeb
Ask Jeeves, LookSmart, Lycos and on and on BUT now there is a single search engine player ie Google. (and Baidu abroad).

Why Google has come to the forefront was because they looked at a website's data in its entirety moving far beyond simple optimisation techniques like keyword repetition or keyword stuffing and exact match anchor text back linking.

They move beyond spam backlinking and spam web pages and look to incorporate as many of the above 17 data parts and give them such rules that their algorithm became the most accurate and hence the search results relevant.

The definition of SEO is fluid

Every year new engineers arrive at Google and will bring with them new technologies new attitudes and new ways of further improving their algorithm. SEO will always be about organic search traffic. Organic search traffic as defined as unpaid traffic. SEO’s definition will change and evolve long after Google is long forgotten.

Benedict Sykes