Article printed from SEO-News: http://www.seo-news.com
  HTML version available at: http://www.seo-news.com/archives.html

Putting SEO Under the Microscope
By Shout SEO (http://www.shoutwebstrategy.com.au) (c) 2009

There is not a day that goes by that people recommending search
engine optimization (SEO) don't come up with yet another
interesting idea or opinion on a topic in their field. They are
all so focused on structures and procedures that they often
forget that not everyone agrees with their viewpoints and
practices - that is, if their technical mumbo-jumbo can be
understood.

The following are 5 SEO topics that are frequently discussed and
disagreed upon:

1 - The Importance of Content Structure & Keywords

While keywords may add great value from a technical, algorithmic
ranking perspective, their presence may not always entice the
audience to explore the site they are visiting. The content may
seem boring and unappealing, rather than grabbing and
fascinating. In that case, the psychological triggers that will
tell the reader to continue browsing will be missing, as will
the desire to share the information with their friends and
family.

SEO experts will never agree on which is more important when it
comes to keywords and compelling content. In the end, it will be
up to the website owner or manager to decide what is more
important to him: search engine rankings or sales.

2 - Pro or Con Reciprocal Link Exchange

A 'reciprocal link exchange' is an effective and efficient
way of driving traffic to a website and improving the search
engine placement of participating websites. At least, that is
what some experts believe, while others are fearful and refuse
to swap any kind of link that may refer to their business.

Artificially manipulating links may not be the best SEO idea on
the market, but there is definitely nothing wrong with link
trading programs that exchange links of companies endorsing a
relationship, or business related directories.

If you do decide to participate in a link exchange, check the
links regularly and report the dead ones to the webmaster so
they can either be fixed or removed.

3 - Should the H1 Headline and Title Tag Match - or Not?

Many SEO consultants are skeptical when they notice sites whose
H1 header is different from the title tag. One may wonder what
the reasoning may be, because this action may confuse and upset
the audience. Users click on a certain headline because they are
interested in its content, yet when the search result is
complete, and the header and title tag do not match, they may
find themselves confronted with a completely different message,
which may be something they are not interested in. That is very
disappointing for the user, even if it may result in a higher
ranking.

4 - The Relevance of a Website's Age

Although many web designers believe that the age and history of
a website are pertinent, it is not quite clear if search engines
actually do use an 'age' or an 'age of links' metric to inflate
incumbent rankings. Search engines check keywords, pay-per-click,
link building and other SEO features and don't necessarily
verify when a website was built. All they care about is how user
friendly and SEO strong the site is, which means that a younger,
highly efficient site should absolutely be able to compete with
more mature competitors.

5 - Reporting a Competitor's Spam Activities

Spam is a reality and spammers should be reported. At least,
that is what a number of SEO specialists would argue. Others may
disagree and point out that those who are extremely vocal about
competitors' manipulative tactics to enhance search engine
ranking are usually the ones abusing it the most. All they are
trying to do is shift the focus away from them.

Anyone reporting spam should not publicly announce their actions
because, even if spammers are breaking guidelines, the SEO
community is vehement about socially shunning those violating
the "code of silence". As unethical as this blackmail may seem,
it should not stop you from warning the search engines about
illegal activities and, at the same time, reap some of the
benefits associated with this. In the end, you will have to
market and protect your own site and business.

Here are several arguments in favor of spam reporting:

  * Taking out spammers will increase the value of the
    Internet and help search engines provide more accurate
    search results.

  * Your own ranking may improve by eliminating a
    competitor.

  * Removing manipulators will leave more room
    for your site to achieve better rankings, to increase
    visibility and to boost your sales.

  * You can learn from researching spam activities and tactics.
    You will learn what is inappropriate, what the engines
    do/don't tolerate and what penalties can be expected for
    which unlawful actions.

  * As long as you are clean yourself, reporting spammers can
    gain you trust with the search engines.

These are a few reasons against it:

  * If you are engaged in certain types of spam, or unknowingly
    benefit from it, you can accidentally hurt your own website's
    ranking.

  * It is unethical to blow the whistle on and hurt other SEO
    specialists. People have been arguing about ethics for
    centuries and in the end it will be up to each individual to
    decide what is more important to them and to their website.
================================================================
Shout is one of the fastest growing online marketing companies
in Australasia. Shout specializes in (http://www.shoutwebstrategy.com.au) SEO, Search Engine
Marketing, website conversions, usability testing and social
media marketing. Not only does Shout (http://www.seoresources.com.au) SEO achieve top search
engine rankings for the most competitive keywords, they deal in
all things web that help maximize ROI on your website.
================================================================

Copyright © 2009 Jayde Online, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

SEO-News is a registered service mark of Jayde Online, Inc.