Disinformation or Experts Who Simply Don't Agree?

Disinformation seems to be running rampant throughout the search engine optimization and Internet marketing community. Each "Expert" has his/her own opinion about what should or shouldn't be done to optimize a website for the highest rankings in search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and others. Here's my take on the matter.

First, and most important, if you are currently enjoying top search engine placement, and the traffic you are receiving from that placement is delivering qualified visitors with a high conversion ratio, then you should make NO attempt to change your current strategy. "If it works, don't fix it". However, if you're one of the multitudes who's been constantly fed large doses of hog wash by self proclaimed SEO specialists, and your Internet marketing strategy seems to deliver little or no qualified visitors, then you might want to read further.

For so many website owners, the idea of top placement (#1 through #10 positions) in search engines is the most important goal in their Internet marketing campaign. It's understandable that these people are focused so intently on this goal, after all, every other article written about Internet marketing claims that ranking high in search engines is the most important aspect of your website promotion campaign. And nearly every SEO specialist on the Internet will stand behind this claim. Just ask yourself, what is the source of this information? Who has the most to gain, if everyone believes that SEO and top search engine rankings will bring you fortunes untold? Of course the SEO companies and search engines themselves have the most to gain, so wouldn't it be wise to question the motivation behind such claims. Especially, if you're one of the majority who is trying to make their way to the top of the search engine game.

If you're like me, then you may be experiencing some frustration with this system. I do not claim to be an expert on SEO tactics, nor am I an Internet marketing guru who claims to have all the answers. I am simply a website developer / graphic designer trying to deliver a superior service to my clients, and at the same time, I try to keep myself educated on the most successful strategies for marketing my company online and offline. I read a lot of articles, and when I feel that one of them is worthy of my customers attention, I will put it in the NEWS section of my home page at www.amistudios.com. And I'll tell you this, the amount of information that is published daily is staggering. Sifting through the numerous articles on Internet marketing and search engine optimization strategies is a never ending process. But I do it because it helps my customers and it helps me stay informed about what's important in developing an online marketing strategy.

The problem is that every expert has their own opinion about what works and what should be thrown out. Personally, I feel that every form of online marketing has it's place in developing an effective overall campaign. For example, two recent articles I read, by two opposing authors make claims about cross linking. One says that it doesn't matter, don't do it! The other claims it does matter it should be the main focus of your marketing strategy. I'm more conservative in my approach to this topic; I believe that both arguments have valid points, yet at the same time neither is completely correct. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the fence at all about this, and here's my point.

Yes, cross linking is important, because you can and will receive a lot of targeted traffic by strategically placing your links, on other websites; Let me say this right now "Targeted traffic should ALWAYS be the goal in developing an online marketing campaign". After all, that is where sales come from. You want visitors to come to your website for the specific reason of buying your product or service, and sales equal profits. Profit being the reason most people go into business in the first place. Therefore, getting as many links to your website as possible is very important to delivering traffic. The more inbound links you have the more potential traffic you can generate.

On the other hand, the opposing author who claims that cross linking does absolutely no good, is absolutely half right. Cross linking does not and will not help your search engine ranking, page ranking, or Alexa rating. In some cases, abuse of cross linking could result in your page and even in worst case scenarios, your entire website being banned from some search engines. However, if your main focus is on ranking high in search engines or having a high Alexa rating or page ranking, you should reconsider your online marketing strategy. This can be a frustrating and unprofitable approach to promoting your company and it could cost you a lot of money. An effective linking program is very useful in your overall campaign, when done properly. But it should not be the only marketing technique you are using. An effective marketing plan, both online and off-line, will have several different techniques integrated into the overall strategy.

In summary, when developing the overall strategy for your online marketing campaign, it is important to include as many tools, tactics and methods as your budget can support, in the initial stages of your plan. This will give you a greater advantage in reaching your goal then if you were to focus on any single technique. Through continuous testing and analysis you will eventually narrow your arsenal to what most effectively delivers results.

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