Learning SEO is Part Hard Work, Part Smart Work
Last Month I Couldn’t Even Spell SEO, now I is one…or at least I’m on my way to becoming an SEO consultant. You see, I’m the “SEO newbie” at Des Moines SEO firm BlueTraffic.
Despite some early misgivings about learning SEO, it’s turning out to be a natural evolution of my experiences, interests, and skills. I’ve built websites and blogs around my own interests for years, so I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the idea of improving online visibility with higher search rankings. That also means I’m comfortable poking around under the hood of a website. And because increasing website traffic depends so heavily on relevant, well-written content, my years as a magazine writer and editor have some merit, as well.
That small measure of relevant experience notwithstanding, I have to admit to being worried that SEO might really be some sort of dark magic or witchcraft that I’d never fully understand. Turns out I needn’t have worried. There really isn’t any magic at all – dark or light. It just comes down balancing hard work with smart work. And, as with most vocations, the smarter you are, the less hard work you have to do.
Right now, I do a lot of hard work. But each day, thanks in large part to direction from my colleagues, I learn more about the art and science of SEO and the work gets easier. For example, writing articles, blog posts, and press releases that offer just as much to the reader as they do to the search engines is becoming increasingly natural. I’m even beginning to discern the difference between good links and bad links.
Perhaps more than anything else, though, I’ve learned that even the veterans in this industry can never stop learning if they hope to maintain their SEO edge. Consider the recent revelations about the impact Google Instant is having on paid listings versus organic listings. This same study means we may have to rethink the way we use long tail search terms, as well. And that’s just one recent example; we encounter news like that almost daily.
I suppose that could seem discouraging – trying to find your way through an unfamiliar landscape that changes right in front of your eyes. But as the newbie around here, I actually find the dynamic nature of SEO to be gratifying because it means, at least for one brief moment, I know just as much as the guys who have been at this a whole lot longer. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say they know just as little as I do! And until we hire another greenhorn and I can turn in my “noob” badge, it’s the one consolation I have.
