PublicMediaCamp

Think the world is moving fast?  Do you think anyone could have described what Search Engine Optimization or SEO was 5 years ago?  Now we are talking about whether or not SEO has a future in a new Social Media World.

For the purposes of this post, SEO consists of three primary things; on page optimization, content, and links. First, simple web site mechanics, including meta tags, headers, on page content, keyword density, and so on, is called on page optimization, and it helps a search engine determine how to best index your web site and maximize search engine results. Second, content, and this is important, is still KING (or QUEEN).  What your web site says, and how it says it, is important both from an SEO perspective, and more importantly from a web site popularity perspective.  Segue from web site popularity and you have the third component of SEO, links.  The more links, the more popular the web site and the higher it will rank in the search engines, especially in Google the most popular search engine.

Good SEO is just like good web site structure; it flows well, just like any good story.  It optimizes how a web site is listed inside a search engine’s index so it can be located based on the relevance of the content and the site structure.  SEO is about the information on the page and the message a web site is communicating.  SEO is similar to traditional marketing which puts forth a message.

So what is the future of SEO?  There was a report that Hitwise put out in March 2010 that tracked the number of visits to the top 20 websites for a week, and for the first time ever, Facebook beat Google in the number of visits for a week.  Facebook continues to rank higher than Google even today.  For those of us in the SEO business we have often wondered who will challenge Google for SEO dominance.   The evidence suggests that it may not be another search engine, but a social network?  Can Facebook be the next search engine, or are we beginning to see a shift in how we search and how we communicate?

Has search changed?  Is it easier to search for things, or to take it to the next step of asking for a referral first and then use a search engine?  What’s the difference between Social Media and traditional communications?  Can you still push a message using social media?  How will Social Media change SEO, the Internet and the way we communicate?  Join us on Saturday May 8^th at PubCampOhio for an interactive discussion on The Future of Search Engine Optimization in a Social Media World.

Chris Robino is a serial entrepreneur who currently runs MaxxNet an SEO strategy and digital media company.  In addition to starting technology based companies Chris has taught as an adjunct professor and written a monthly column for Business First in Columbus, Ohio.