Ron McCoy June 26th, 2012
I’m preparing a brief course (workshop is more like it) for Denver business people that want to learn some basic SEO (search engine optimization) skills. People that may find the course to be helpful could be entrepreneurs, traditional marketing professionals, and even non-marketing business managers who want to have some frame of reference for working with internal marketing staff or external SEO consultants.
Search engine optimization isn’t a practice of applying voodoo, tricks, or magic. For any still in that mindset we say wake up! Search engines are smarter than you think, and they’ll continue to improve. And the smarter search engines get the better they are at rewarding hard work from those that create good websites full of useful and engaging content.
This means that many already possess the most essential SEO skill. It’s knowledge. More specifically it’s knowledge about their business, product, industry, category, company, the list goes on. To have the knowledge is the first step. To then express that knowledge in a way that search engines can understand and reward you for is the second. One way or another some of the knowledge you have about your area of expertise needs to be put online. Otherwise no one will know, i.e., if a tree falls in the forest, et. al.
Every day there are new stories to tell. When looking for topics to write about or record in a video here are a few:
- If you have a thought, theory, or opinion about how to do something well then share it. You needn’t wait until all the evidence is in. Just put it out there. Refine/revise later if necessary as new information becomes available.
- How to (fill in the blank). Write ups about how to do something are among the most popular short articles online.
- Every day in the professional experience of you and/or your organization there are many stories that would be the basis for an interesting writeup. Find a way to capture these (even a portion of them) and you’ve struck potential wealth of valuable content.
- Be honest and admit what’s probably already obvious to your customer/clients. Some things are difficult. Writing about these might help identify solutions.
- So you don’t like to write? Fine. Do you talk? Does anyone in your organization talk? Video interviews are a potentially rich source of tapping into the knowledge of those around you. Preparing a transcript of the interview is a way to put the text information online post-interview.
- If a client/customer agrees then doing a writeup about them and their experience with you company can be good for all concerned. It’s free publicity for the client. Throw in a link to their website and it’s a reward too.
- From the ham sandwich you had for lunch to the latest product announcement in your industry there’s a never ending supply of things to try and write about. Others will value your perspective. They may or may not agree with you but we’re not seeking agreement but rather engagement.
- If you or your organization are “perfect” in every way then this may be a hard one. Chances are though that occasionally you might commit a misstep or two. Write about it and explain how the problem was corrected. Admitting you’re capable of making mistakes isn’t a weakness. It builds credibility.
- Dust off your crystal ball and put a thought out there about what you see happening. People often find predictions to be interesting whether or not they come true.
- Make an announcement about an award or contest you’re sponsoring. Follow-up with instructions on your website for entering and publicizing the eventual winner(s). Promote it.
- Build a community by asking others to chime in on their opinions. People often like to be heard. Blogs are great for doing this and social media can be too.
- Locate a recent article from a trade publication in your industry and comment on it or state your reaction. Make a statement … take a position. You might even make the original article publisher aware of your response and possibly stimulate some exchange.
Ron McCoy is the Director of Affinity Track Internet Promotion. He is available for speaking engagements in the Denver-Boulder area on the topic of SEO and internet marketing.
Affinity Track is a Denver-Boulder based company providing SEO and internet marketing services. Ron holds a Masters degree in Business Administration in marketing and finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He worked in senior corporate marketing positions for numerous years before becoming an SEO. In his spare time he struggles to play Bill Evans piano transcriptions.
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