Search Engine Optimization - Friend or Foe?

A murmur about SEO that whispered through the lines of a new fellow writer on Associated Content, intimates how intuitive findings reaped through an experience with Google Analytics outweighed theories about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Using a story about personal experience she did get great returns on her article about toilet training her three year old.

Somehow, this newbie's mention struck a chord of truth, which then led to a new post-it reminder on my 3D desktop - check out responses to Google Analytic I scrawled. One thing led to another including a much needed organizing of said 3D desktop, which later moved on to visiting Alexa.com.

The breaking SEO news is that, apparently (theoretically?), Google has cheapened up their keyword tool, restricting the searches to commercial enterprises.

Alex.com is where I found an article by Marty Weintraub, which truly speaks common sense. An option for those who rely on advertising in the right places is to go to a paid analytics search company instead of getting freebies from Google.

Weintraub coins the term "user herding" and describes how this could lead followers to the slaughterhouse as Google's "Suggest" feature narrows itself into fewer keyword listings. Not too far down the page, the phrase dumb ass gets stuck in my head.

So, in order to get rid of dumb ass, I start singing the Simon and Garfunkel tune "Sounds of Silence" . . . dum de dum. . . to the neon god they prayed . . ."

More and more, the Internet becomes less of a people place. Are ideals such as "People's Media" are going the way of the obsolete?

An intuitive (non professional) search of my own material shows the highest-ranking article in the last five years has the word personal in the title.

Okay. Granted it's way less than scientific, but the same theory has haunted me ever since the very earliest adventures on the World Wide Net. What about humans and the neon god of the "Sounds of Silence"?

"A Personal Meaning of Christmas" has gathered page views continually since it's first publication even though it's not really my best work. But, the bottom line is that it's a story about Christmas that is viewed steadily throughout the entire year, because of the phrase "personal meaning," theoretically.

It's difficult to imagine that the word Christmas could be cued as an SEO word all year long.

I believe the reason this Christmas story gains popularity each passing month is because it addresses basic human interests. It is something for people, and perhaps even their children or grandchildren. The SEO keyword here is people.

The Internet doesn't have to be an impersonal, cold place. Google's move to reduce keyword availability narrows a pathway to herd writers and advertisers both into a narrow gate.

It reminds me of a country auction house where cattle are herded through a long labyrinth to their final destination where they wait stupidly to be auctioned off to some unknown fate.

The chatter about how small businesses are essential to the economy becomes just that - chatter. Marty Weintraub makes some very good points.

Just one question: Who buys the products that will necessarily cost more due to the resultant higher advertising costs of paid analytics? Will it be the cows in the cattle pen? I think not. They've never even learned SEO in the first place.