"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" ~ Mark Twain
Too many bloggers are drawn to hyperbole. They like to write big, bold headlines declaring absolutes - the world in black & white.
However, as you know, the world does not usually work in "black & white", but in shades of gray, often making these declarations either wrong, or at best, over simplified.
Recently I have been seeing a lot of the "SEO is dead!" and "Content is the New SEO!" or "Social Media is the New SEO!" type headlines and claims.
As a passionate believer in SEO, and someone that sees it working every day; I am frustrated by the misinformation, especially in an area that is already so cluttered with confusion.
Admittedly, the SEO industry is undergoing a lot of changes right now, with changes to Google and the inclusion of Social Media data in the search engine results; however I would argue that this makes SEO more important and more challenging than ever.
Content is the New SEO
I don't know if this comes from the belief that "true" SEO is all about black hat practices or gaming the system; or the idea that it is simply about keywords and meta tags, but Content is not the "New SEO" - it is very much part of the old SEO.
The more content you have, the more keywords you can attempt to rank for. Long-tail keywords have long been part of Search Engine Optimization strategy and all of the keyword research that goes into it.
It is probably still possible in some industries that are late to internet marketing, or not yet very competitive, to just write industry related articles and be found on search engines, but it is much more productive to know what terms/words your potential customers are using to search for your product or services, and to then write articles relating to them.
Content creation, in that it creates more long-tail keyword optimization, a bigger website, and encourages more linking, is very much a part of SEO. Maybe it is only latelyr, that more companies are willing to explore or engage in content marketing as a strategy.
Social Media is the New SEO
There is definitely a shift into integrating Social Media more into the search engines, a shift that will probably not only continue, but accelerate in the future. However, at this point, it is only negligible as an influence of search results for most people.
Is this a reason to abandon SEO? I would think that it is instead a reason to add Social Media to your SEO strategies.
SEO is not dead, or dying, or even ill. It is evolving to meet the ever changing dynamics of search engines, but is still a very important aspect of getting found online and bringing qualified traffic to your website. A good SEO strategy will incorporate aspects of traditional SEO, content creation, and social media marketing.
As long as there are search engines and people using them to find products or services, there will be a need for SEO.
As always, your comments and questions are welcomed and appreciated.