Ramblings of a Failed Organic SEO Madman

2011-09-15T10:48:00.007-04:00

Ok, here's the deal. I get asked tons and tons of questions under the covers of emails and whispers across my desk because people hate to feel stupid and for some crazy reason technology and the internet have this dichotomy; everyone wants the 'new and the shiny' but fear to embark into the chasm of the unknown. Of course, there is always Google - a wealth of knowledge and answers but most of the searches reveal technical papers that further the layman's confusion. I know what I'll do - I will recruit a neophyte, a technical dullard and approach topics that are important to us all in our quest for technical and Internet knowledge while putting him through the trials first. That way I'll know what to answer and bring these pearls of wisdom to the people - that's you. The format idea is simple. Our subject will report and I will inject my thoughts, observations, and advise within his commentary with the authority of a 1950s Catholic School principal. It'll be fun.

In this quest, I thought, "Well, the guy/girl better be able to write and have some interest at least on the periphery." So I went with a Blogger. It made sense to me. So my whipping boy is named Randy and we begin our journey with Organic SEO. Take it away Randy...

(Randy clears his throat and wipes the sweat from his brow for effect)

When I hear the word organic, I think about pesticide-free veggies and paying higher prices at the grocery store. Or, I think of a euphemism for the word natural (warning: naked connotations alert). To me, Organic SEO is just a fancy tech term for guerilla marketing on the Internet. For the sake of disclosure, I should tell you that I was conscripted to write about the topic so, in essence, I am quantum jumping into the realm of Organic SEO.

So the layman’s take on it is this: Organic SEO is a game devised by Google. If you play it well, your website gets rewarded with higher search engine rankings. You don’t have to be [insert important Internet person here] to realize it behooves you to “keep it real”- whether you’re selling XYZ service or the finest widget on the block, the search engines want you to play by the rules. But here’s the rub for yours truly: I write a creative non-fiction blog. Because of the very nature of what I do, I’ll like as not be perceived as an “authority” or “expert” on any of the topics I write about. Still, with every post, I find myself hoping against hope that the keywords I use will send me careening up the search engine rankings like an SEO rock star. But, alas, I’m a fledgling Organic SEO practitioner, an industry dullard to whom it seems there could be endless permutations of keywords leading a random Googler to my blog. I have no idea how to use Google Adwords to my advantage or conduct a keyword experiment. I have no freaking idea why “Frida Kahlo,” “castration,” and “feelings” are my top three key words.

A great way to discover what people are actually searching for instead of guessing would be to employ Wordtracker. If you put in your parent search terms, like "castration", you would see the actual long tail searches on the topic. It may shed some light on the questions your site, page or blog is answering - just like Jeopardy. What is…?

Still, I’ve learned a few tricks along the way. For example, when I first started my blog, I assumed that because I’d suffered a head injury that traumatic brain injury would be a viable search term. However, I soon discovered that the term was more geared towards individuals who were seeking physiological information about TBIs. For all you confused lay-peeps out there in the digital hinterlands, I’m referring to the meta data within my site. It took me a while to wrap my head around that whole title-description-keyword rigamarole, too. I knew that I wanted to set my blog apart from the herd with a catchy title. Call it delusions of grandeur, but I had designs on making it my own brand. The term chin music was originally coined in Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage. I liked it, but wanted to tweak it a bit. I played baseball in college: I decided Chin Musik with a “k” would do the trick. For my description, I initially used my tag-line: The next one will be high and tight. But soon enough, I found myself wondering how in the World Wide Web were the BIG THREE (Google, Bing, Yahoo) supposed to know what my website is about. So I changed my description to “An in-your-face creative non-fiction blog.”

Great point here. The software that scours the WWW searching for valuable content does not have a sense of irony or humor. It doesn't pick up on Oscar Wilde wordplay. It doesn't even care if your site is pretty or cool; just content. You know why? It is because of you - users of the Internet. How many times would you use a search engine that return pages and content it "thinks you mean"? Once.<br> It is not to say you shouldn’t be entertaining - you should but when referring to your desired keywords and phrases be overt. Notice I have bolded Organic SEO a bunch - ah ha, right?

I had to adjust my keywords, too, to be a more accurate reflection of what my site is about, holistically. I’d initially used my various blog topics as key words - traumatic brain injury, Major League Baseball, David Foster Wallace – but, in the name of Organic SEO conformity, changed it to “literature blog,” and “creative non-fiction.” To what ends, remains to be seen. Then, egads, there’s the issue of keyword density and placement. Perhaps an apt metaphor for this is standing in line at Dunkin Donuts while an attendant fills up a box with colorful donuts. (Incidentally, why is it donuts instead of doughnuts? Don’t they use real dough?) In other words, there are a finite number of items so you better choose wisely, pal. I’d read somewhere that in order for your site to flourish, you need the perfect density and placement balance. Some experts suggest a density of 1%-5% will give you a boost in the organic search listings. (To all you math rejects, that’s one keyword for every hundred words on your web site or blog.) Likewise, SEO experts recommend placing keywords within the first and last 25 words of each piece of content. Could this be any more arbitrary?

Another great point here, Randy. Keyword density is also compounded by keyword placement. When does the keyword appear, how often, in what sequence, what are the subsequent supporting terms - this is the vortex of the Google algorithm, which changes as frequently as the weather. The best bet here is to use a supporting tool, like Google Analytics. You can shift and massage the content and keyword placement based on search success and ranking improvement. SEO, like, exercise, is never a destination but a journey and a practice. Randy is spot on in regard to the denisty calculations, however. There are a number of free services on the WWW that will tell you your word count based on keywords to verify your efforts.

Admittedly, I suck at structuring content around keywords. I mean, if it’s organic then why do I have to pigeon-hole myself to committing to search terms in a certain place? And yet I grovel for search engine attention. Against my better judgment, I came across some industry specific terms the other day that had me snorting Pike Place onto my laptop: short tail and long tail. I was pretty sure these terms had nothing to do with getting your dog spayed. In no time, I learned that they refer to the number of keywords people use to find your website. But what I still don’t understand is who or what determines which words and phrases are coveted? Ach, I have no freakin’ clue! Short tail, long tail, stubby tail, tailbone, no tail – it’s all the same to me. All of this hoping for hits on keywords is akin to waiting for money to fall from the sky. The very thought of it makes me want to tuck my tail between my legs and skulk under the coffee table. Oh, I suppose I could always adopt at PPC approach.

Not a fan of PPC - it's an apparition. Unless, you are pushing for a retail window, like Christmas, its costs could easily surpass its value in no time at all. And you'd be no better for your efforts.

Problem is I don’t market products on my site. And every time I think of the letters PPC, I revert to the maturity level of a kindergartener and think “Mother may I…” Kicking this around intellectually, it kind of freezes my browser that there’s an industry trend towards informational sites. I mean why should be penalized for being eclectic? I suppose I could always sell duct tape wallets or some other worthless, kitchy detritus. PPC my arse. The frustrating part is I want what everybody wants: traffic! And don’t even get me started on backlinks. The first thing I think of (besides two sausages on the plate next to my pancakes) is, damn, how am I gonna get people to link to my site? To compound matters, I have this niggling little habit of taking creative license in linking anchor texts that may or may not be an accurate reflection of the link. Does everything need to be so literal? It sucks that I get penalized for it and I wonder if there should be a different rating system for non-conformists like me. Anyhoo, I came across some more head-scratching terms in my SEO foray. Black Hat SEO. Black is the absence of light. Absence of light is darkness. Darkness = Evil. In an attempt to receive high rankings, some SEO practitioners apparently rely on some seriously sketchified methods. The SEO cats who play this game do so at their own peril: the search engines penalize web sites for illegitimate practices. I think of Black Hat SEO as the equivalent of driving cross-country on a donut instead of a steel-belted radial. It’s a quick fix that’ll get you started, but not made for the long haul. For all my frustrations, I desperately want to be a White Hat guy, galloping in on his palomino, debonairly scooping up his SEO Princess and riding off into a mottled sunset. The fact is I have neither the skills nor the time to go algorithm chasing down that nefarious path in the name of results. Google PageRank may be the golden chalice of the tech world, but as far as I’m concerned it’s just another high fallutin’ formula I can’t wrap my noggin’ around. Just thinking of the term algorithm, my eyes gloss over into that 1000-yard stare, my mind goes into self-defense mode… a numerical weighting system… blah, blah, blah. What it means is you’ve been a good boy, Johnny, and for that you shall have a cookie. If a higher ranked page links to you that’s good, you’re part of the cognoscente, you’re in like Flynn, you’re part of the inner circle. Is my site indexed with the Big Three? Hells no. I dunno, it just seems like an extraneous step to me. Why in the name of all that is inter-connected can’t Google just recognize a good web site and index it by default? Instead, effin Google has to put me through the paces. By now, you probably have a pretty good idea that even the most basic aspects of Organic SEO elude me. Still, I’d feel like a bonafide poopy-head if I didn’t give you some informational doggy bag. So here it is folks, a dynamite link to get you into Organic SEO ship shape: http://bestseotools.net/. Now go ye forth and conquer.

In addition to Randy's find, keep in mind we also provide these services (www.envative.com) should you not have the ambition to tackle the project. The goal here is to make sure you get some valuable information, armed to conquer new terrain and get a better understanding of what we provide for services and how they are executed - SEO is just one of them. I hope we succeeded and please follow. We are outta here!

Welcome to the Envative Blog

2011-05-03T14:26:00.000-04:00

Envative is a professional web and mobile development company with web design clients all across the country and even several international clients. Our web design and mobile development office is located in Rochester, New York. We specialize in web design and development, mobile apps, and database administration and integrations