SEO is becoming more intuitive and less technical

By David Ronald

The ongoing evolution of Google’s algorithms is resulting in search engine optimization becoming more intuitive and less dependent on technical proficiency.

In the early days, success at SEO absolutely mandated the involvement of specialists with deep knowledge of website functionality and the ability to write at least some HTML code. In today’s “modern” SEO environment, however, companies can rank high on a search engine list with less technical acumen.

In a controversial article for Entrepreneur magazine, Jayson Demers listed five ways to achieve SEO success:

• Create interesting content. Write high-quality material that’s relevant for your industry and adds value to your reads. Be original and informative. Don’t worry too much about keyword phrases or presenting your content in a specific way.
• Get others to acknowledge you as an authority. Make your site a magnet for inbound links which Google sees as “votes” for your site’s credibility, trust and authority. Write enough quality content and other sites will link to yours naturally over time. Build relationships with outside blogs and other publishers and they’ll help you get published.
• Become popular on social media. Establish a presence, engage with people often and syndicate great content whenever you can. Eventually, the audience will come to you naturally. Your popularity on social media also plays a role in how you rank in organic search results. For example, if you have 1,000 highly active followers on Twitter, you’ll rank higher than if you have no Twitter account at all.
• Provide a good experience. Make your website aesthetically pleasing. Make it easy for your users to find exactly what they’re looking for. Make your site fast, and optimized for any device. Make your navigation simple.
• Earn good reviews. Establish profiles on sites like Yelp and Angie’s List, then let your customers do the rest of the work for you. Make your presence on these sites known, and people will start filling out reviews on their own.

(Click here to read the full article: http://entm.ag/1e32ybo.)

Many in the SEO community feel that Demers erred by oversimplifying the challenges in obtaining page one rankings in a search engine list. Adam Stetzer addressed the key concerns in a post on Search Engine Watch.

(Click here to read the blog post: http://bit.ly/1hljVa1.)

It’s clear to me that both perspectives are valid. Google search is becoming more intuitive and, consequently, there will be circumstances where business owners can enjoy SEO success without involving specialists. At the same time, however, obtaining and retaining a page one ranking will probably require experts, especially in crowded markets places.

A relevant analogy is the increasing sophistication of computer operating systems—not so very long ago, anyone wanting to hook up a printer to a personal computer required some knowledge of DOS; nowadays, the availability of wizards enables the two devices to be connected at the push of a button. Yet, there is, and always will be, great demand for IT experts to help resolve more complex and arcane problems.

SEO appears to be on the same trajectory.