Learn SEO from Your Spouse

Posted by: Date: January 06, 2010

by Mike Moran

Yes, you really can learn SEO from your spouse. If you’re married, you know something about SEO that you might not be putting to use. Think about how you landed your mate. When you do, you’ll be learning something about how to do search marketing the right way.

The other day, I wrote a newsletter entitled, “Search Marketing Is Like Dating,” where I explained how what you know about dating gives you the right attitude for search marketing. Some folks commented that it’s more like marriage than dating and asked me to expand the analogy, so here ya go.

The mistake people make is to treat SEO as though it’s all about getting the first date, by doing anything to attract Google. Instead, you need to think about a relationship, just as you did to win your spouse’s heart. So, rather than chasing popular keywords and algorithm changes, think about the steps you took to find your mate:

Put yourself out there. You didn’t find your future spouse by sitting home on Saturday night. You went out and you socialized. Likewise, you must make sure your Web site has interesting pages and that Google can index them.
Use your network to meet the right people. Some of you met your spouses through dumb luck, but many of you were introduced by someone you knew. Your network tells a lot about you and the people you meet. SEO has its own network, too–the pages that are linked to your pages are the way your pages get introduced to search engines and to customers. If you create pages that others care about, those pages will develop the network that gets them the attention they deserve.
Look your best. When you finally get out on that date, yes, you want to look your best, but being with the right person is more important than how you look. Similarly, optimizing your pages to be their most attractive to Google is important, but doing so for the right keywords makes all the difference.

Stop thinking about search as a first date–it’s a long-term relationship with Google and the other search engines. Even more important, it’s a relationship with the searchers who become your customers. Don’t look for flashy tactics that get you a first look. Instead, concentrate on what will work in the long run. That’s what will make SEO something that drives business instead of just temporary attention.

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