This is a commonly debated topic by many bloggers on the Internet. Some argue that it is more important to write for search engine than to write for viewers. Some would spend hours writing for Google, making sure that the articles they write have a good targeted keyword density. Some would spend days revising the design of their websites, making sure the code structure and everything else are properly on-page search engine optimized.
SEO is important, but...
It is, indeed, very important to have keyword targeted content and SEO optimized code structure. If you are just starting out your Internet career, focusing on keyword targeted content and SEO on-page optimized website could take countless hours a day, for a couple of weeks, or even months. Why? This is because search engine optimization itself is extremely complex. SEO specialists have high-paying salaries. If you think about it, it might take you a couple of hours more to do the same tasks that a SEO specialist can accomplish.
If you are a SEO specialist, the situation would be ideal; you will be able to write for viewers while making sure everything is properly SEO optimized. Writing keyword-targeted content is an art itself. If you don't do it properly your viewers will be annoyed by the excessive amount of keywords on the articles you write.
Simple on-page SEO can be accomplished easily. For example, if you are a blogger and you use Wordpress, there is a plug-in called "All-in-one-SEO" and it will fix your blog with some SEO modifications with just a few steps. That, really, is all you need for an average blogger who does not specialize in SEO.
What about off-page SEO? Off-page SEO, or sometimes referred to as targeted, quality link building, is actually the important part of search engine optimization. If you ask a SEO specialist, he will tell you that Off-page SEO is what truly matters. Any good programmers with SEO knowledge can modify your website to make sure the code follows what search engines are looking for.
For an average blogger who is not a SEO expert, things like:
- making sure your signatures on forums and blogs are properly written with links to your website
- submitting useful, unique, and quality articles to article directories
- networking with other bloggers writing guest posts
- ...etc, should be enough.
Why focus your precious time working on something that you don't specialize when you can spend your valuable time producing something that is valuable to your visitors? Quality content should be a blogger's primary focus, especially when one is just starting out.
What exactly is quality content?
Quality content is a piece of knowledge that is valuable to others. But that's not the only thing your visitors are looking for. Knowledge is all over the place on the Internet, why should yours be the one that people are looking for? People are not only looking for knowledge, they are also looking for a voice.
Let me put it straight, people are attracted to your blog because first you provide something that's valuable to them; secondly it is because your voice has become an influence. When you insert your own voice into the knowledgeable articles that you write, people follow you because you have become a leader; People follow you because you are making a change in their minds, their thoughts; you are effectively establishing your authority in them.
Authority is what's really important!
When you become an authority, people will come back to your blog more frequently; people will read more in depth of what you write; people will be attracted to link to you; One-time visitors become regular viewers. You page views will increase! I believe page view is slightly more important than unique visitors.
Some webmasters will hire writers to write hundreds of short, poor quality, solely-for-SEO types of articles on their website. But you know what? Google is looking for authority and you will never out-smart Google! (P.S. I'm just referring to Google because it's the dominant search engine) Look around, all popular blogs have successfully established their authorities in their perspective audience and markets.
Look, I'm not saying that SEO is not important. SEO is very important which is why SEO specialists have high-paying salaries. But SEO should not be the primary focus for bloggers, especially for starters. Here's my take on what bloggers should do:
- Start your blog
- Do some simple on-page SEO
- Start writing for viewers
- Work on off-page SEO by participating in forums, blogs, and article directories when you have time
- Establish your authority
- Then you can start thinking seriously about, perhaps, hiring SEO specialists to take your off-page SEO to the next level
Of course, if you can write for both views and Google at the same time, congratulations! But I don't think that applies to the general public of the blogosphere.
What do you think?
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