Why I Write for Connection First and SEO Second
Sure, SEO is important, but is it everything?
You and I both know the Internet is a powerful tool that can empower anybody with enough ambition (and time) to make their voice heard, connect with like-minded people, and conduct business with an entirely new audience.
The Internet of Things has moved from futuristic theory to undoubtable reality as a Pew Research Group report discovered in 2016 when they found 79% of all American adults were shopping online, with 15% of them making a weekly online purchase.
Trying to reach this treasure trove of potential customers has been met with challenges, added marketing costs, and inconsistent results. Many purveyors of online stores, businesses, informational outlets, organizations, and creative content have focused on tailoring the presentation of their product to better position themselves in search engine results, called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
IS SEO REALLY WORTH CHASING?
Keeping up with the technicalities (and often mysteries) of how search engines like Google and Bing curate search results is a task few of us understand but all of us want to master. Getting to the top of the search results for a keyword or phrase is the holy grail of business, right?
The resounding emphasis on SEO as a marketing tactic has certainly paid dividends for countless individuals and businesses in the first part of the 21st Century, but its ultimate “usefulness” is fading out. Consumption habits are changing, and general perceptions of how the digital space works are pretty fluid.
Vying for a high-ranked spot on search engines has been the tried-and-true method of business owners for a while, and for an obvious reason. Online consumers want to be able to find exactly what they want quickly and easily, a desire social media and companies like Google tackled using precise behavioral algorithms. Intentional or not, the result has been a hyper-niche market directed by the individual’s characteristics and preferences.
ENTER THE MACHINES…
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are just now beginning to impact search results, but the takeover was inevitable. Relying just on keywords, proper photo quality, and readability will be overshadowed by the preferred interests, vocabulary, length, and color palette of the specific individual entering a search term.
This means “black and white” guidelines for a website’s quality will continue to drift into obscurity. Trust and reputation will rise in value, and that is what I always keep in mind when creating content on behalf of other business owners. People will want to use targeted keywords in their content, and that’s fine, but long gone are the days of stuffing keywords into written content and other “black hat” methods meant to manipulate search engine rankings.
AUTHENTICITY OVER EVERYTHING
For me, shares on social media and on-site reviews will always be more effective at growing an audience, and it makes sense why that would be the case—people trust their friends and other unbiased sources. Every time your site is shared on a social media page, you gain access to an isolated network of the sharer’s confidants, acquaintances, and anonymous admirers.
Sure, not every one of their friends or followers see the content (those pesky algorithms), but those who do see it may interact with it though shares, likes, and comments because they have similar interests and values as their friend and they trust their judgment. From my experience, that’s exactly the kind of person I want visiting my client’s page because they are more likely to enjoy their work and become a sustained member of their audience.
Word-of-mouth still travels, and quality still counts. Millions of dollars could be spent on marketing research and constant SEO monitoring (see: campaign finance records), and more than likely, a swarm of visitors would result. But the spiffy website and expensive stock photo can all too easily hide subpar quality behind a veneer of professionalism.
WE ARE THE FUTURE
Rather than worrying about the fly-by-night or “get right quick” techniques that are out there, I encourage my clients to focus instead on quality and authenticity. Ask yourself if you would stop and read the content. Would you share it? If so, you know you have something good. If not, it might be time to re-evaluate why you’re writing the content (or hiring a ghostwriter) in the first place.
More than ever, the market is determined by what we buy (literally and figuratively) more than what is being sold. Your browsing habits—including what you listen to, how much time you spend on certain pages, and even the way your pupils react to certain posts—will be viable market factors in a not-too-distant and hopefully-not-Orwellian future. Every one of us can play an important role in crafting the culture of the next century. Let’s make sure we use our voice wisely!