Whenever there is an update in the algorithms of the search engines or there is an update in some way or the other related to search , the blogosphere gets flooded with posts about what is SEO and why SEO continues to have its existence despite of rankings being affected and the display and presentation of search results being different, instant or real time.
This I think reflects in a great way the lack of awareness about the true meaning of SEO among the people who want to adopt SEO as a part of their online marketing campaigns. This in turn makes the SEO professionals and the companies jittery and they try all the ways and means to start sending messages over the web about what SEO actually means.
The search industry got its true existence because of the search engines and because of the fact that people flock the search engines when they want to find about the local or the global availability of some product or service.
With the improvements in the search results and the incorporation of speed in the display of search results the search behaviors are also changing and people are have diminishing patience to search for more beyond the first page and now it is beyond the first 3-4 results.
In spite of, all these changes and developments in the search scenario I think SEO still continues to have its own original true meaning and existence.
Now, what is the true meaning of SEO or SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION. As the term suggests optimization – The best possible way adopted by a site to be visible and found on the search scene.
But, I would like to add to it that it not the visibility on the search engines only but on the web holistically in the best possible ways by means of links, references, comments, videos, news, blog posts, discussions, etc.
For achieving and forging the way ahead for such a presence we need a lot of effort , time, strategy, planning and a quest for a quality web presence which a true SEO will surely try to give to any website that he/she is working on for optimization.
As no search engine gives you a high ranking until you have ethical on-page and off-page optimization which proves that you are popular and recommended by the web world.
Way back in 2000 also SEO meant to achieve a quality web presence and now in 2010 also it has the same basic connotation with added value of additional search options as the web has grown multifold since its early days.
Though SEO is also referred to as advertising but it has a different twist to it than PPC, banner ads, affiliate marketing, etc. As the benefit of SEO does take time to accrue but goes on escalating with time . But, for other marketing methods the benefit stops or discontinues to flow when you stop paying.
I am not against any other marketing methods like PPC, banner ads, affiliate marketing, etc. but they have to be incorporated at the right time of the web journey of the website and then stopped or reduced . But SEO is such a method which starts with day one of your website and gradually goes on becoming richer and goes on adding value to your website and the effort of tuning your website in accordance to the search engine algorithms goes on continuously.
Currently, the SEO blogs mention that we need to change the definition of SEO, but I think that we need to understand and put forward the true meaning of SEO. AS the definition of SEO has not changed but its true meaning has got blurred by the shining reflections of the other media of marketing.
If SEO loses its importance and existence then the search engines will lose their true meaning for ranking websites keeping the quality web parameters in mind as they will become a platform for just displaying Ads. Only those search engines will survive in the long run which can rank quality searches and help people find what they are looking for on the search engines. Else search engines will be the domain of those corporates who can spend more for visibility.
Recently, we have seen what Yahoo faced by giving too much importance to banner ads. The same fate can be faced by search engines who will give more importance to paid search than organic search.
A proper balance of display of paid and organic search is needed from the search engines and the same balance is needed by the search marketers depening on the need of the website.
But what is of utmost importance is that the SEOs need to educate the clients regarding the differences between paid and organic search and also spread awareness about the same.
Let us make the web better and focus on quality rather than make it a money making machine only for some. As the SEO techniques offer a global platform and equal platform for SMEs who have limited budgets and is one of the best web presence stategies for SMEs.
