With SEO you too can lose that extra 5 pounds!

By Scott DeToffol

I was throwing around tips and tricks with some SEO pros the other day when the conversation lulled. One of the old hands, a self described reformed black-hat search engine optimizer, remarked wistfully, “When it comes down to it the only thing that matters over the long haul is content and links.” After some smiles and nods from his audience he continued, “You can try all the tricks and schemes, but Google eventually catches on and changes the game and then you’re back to what works anyway.”

It reminded me of people who after years of struggling with the diet-of-the-month game finally give up the shenanigans and start eating better and exercising. Losing weight is not easy to accomplish, but the formula is simple. Getting good search results is much the same: publish good content often, get good links, and (eventually) you’ll show up high on Google.

It is often the case that companies have to become ok with publishing information about themselves, their products and their industry. Many fear competitive leaching, breaches of etiquette, or are just plain shy. This is a new age of media and business and companies must engage online. So how does a company who has never published more than a website-on-a-stick and occasional press releases get started publishing valuable content online?

I recommend starting with a blog. I know, blogs seem almost pedestrian now-a-days. But you have to start somewhere and the act of putting thoughts into a post and clicking the PUBLISH button can start the ball rolling. I also recommend using WordPress. Sometimes a good tool can be a motivator. Anyone who can use Microsoft Word can learn how to publish a post in WordPress with a 10 minute tutorial. And WordPress takes care of most of the search engine optimization out of the box. Add a few plug-ins and you are golden.

Now, what to write about? If you’re entrenched in your business like most folks, you probably take for granted what other people don’t know about your business. Ask your customer service people what they get asked about and write a new FAQ as a series of articles. Talk to your salespeople, they know what questions people have about your company. Start a one way conversation. If all goes as planned, it will turn into a two way conversation and then you’re really on to something.

Getting links isn’t complicated – just publish content that people want to link to. It will take time for your audience to find you, so you have to reach out and participate in the online community, pointing people back to your site and blog. There are plenty of professionals who can help on this front, and their job will be much easier if they have strong content to work with.

Like any lifestyle change the beginning is hard, the initial results are motivating, and the goal is worth the effort. Start today.

Scott DeToffol is a Minneapolis based online marketer and technologist helping clients connect and convert at LYNX Interactive Marketing. Contact Scott at scott@lynx-marketing.com or via Twitter: @scottdeto