If you have an Internet home based business or you use the Internet for any other type of marketing purposes, like blogging, then I am sure you’ll have an opinion about this.
I’d like to hear yours when you get to the comments section where I’ll meet you for a chat, but first let’s look at this topic a bit more closely.
What is SEO?
Search engine marketing or SEO (Search engine optimization) in plain English means that people looking for the content you’re creating, find your sites via typing keywords into a search engine.
It’s not the only way to drive traffic to what you have on offer. Two other ways of doing this are:
- via paid advertising as in PPC, Facebook ads etc
- via social networking efforts. People come to your site via other sites like blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc
There are marketers who do very well focusing on just one of the above three traffic methods but for many of us, we dabble in at least two and sometimes all three.
Where Does YOUR Traffic Come From?
To know where your site’s traffic comes from, you’ll have to use a tool to help you collect these statistics.
Google Analytics is probably the most popular and while it delivers a comprehensive search engine analysis, it’s possible you won’t know what much of the data actually means.
Is there a better option?
I did three years of statistics at University because it was required and while I am well aware of the importance of measurement for Internet marketers, I still find the whole topic a total yawn to be honest.
I opt for something a lot more simple called Get Clicky. It’s by far the easiest web analytics service you’ll find. With Clicky, everything makes sense and there’s no cost unless you feel the compulsion to pay them.
Let’s consider this blog’s traffic statistics for the past few days. In this case I did use Google Analytics.
The graph above shows that although most of the traffic was search engine driven by category, the combined percentages of the two next highest categories comes to almost 60%.
Both of these have nothing to do with search engines, so it’s obvious that most of this blog’s traffic is socially driven since I don’t do any paid advertising.
What Does This Mean For This Blog?
Direct traffic and traffic referred via social networking is in my opinion less targeted than SEO driven traffic.
This means there’s a good chance a lot of people are here for reasons other than wanting to pay me for my solutions to their problem.
They could be here mostly to learn, network and connect with me for instance and just generally because they like reading this blog.
There’s nothing wrong with this but if I had more SEO driven traffic, would it mean a greater potential for this blog to make more money? What do you think?
I think so but is this what this blog is all about?
Making money is the bottom line for every business, however my blog is part of a bigger business picture.
This site is more about building my personal brand and connecting with like-minded people through exploring topics of interest to me and those who visit.
Do you agree that whether you should focus more on SEO will depend on what your site’s goal is?
What Are The Pros of SEO?
- Done properly, SEO saves time as it works 24/7 without demanding as much of your time compared with social networking.
- Delivers long term value. The longer you keep at it, the more likely you can achieve that elusive but all-valuable number one spot in the search engine rankings. Social networking requires your continual input.
- Delivers free traffic. Visitors don’t cost you anything.
- You can do it yourself or outsource it, unlike social networking.
- May well be the most cost-efficient marketing method to increase sales
What Are The Cons of SEO?
- Takes time. Search engine optimisation is an ongoing analytical process which never really ends.
- One is continually at the mercy of the Search engine’s control with their algorithm hold.
- Requires considerable skill and expertise which is why SEO companies exist and why some people make a very healthy living doing this as a job.
- Unless you are willing to take the time to acquire this technological expertise it will cost you money to outsource.
- Let’s face it, SEO is responsible for some incredibly dreary posts. It can seriously inhibit the creative spark.
My Conclusions
Whether your site is more or less SEO driven will depend on your goal.
SEO is important and with more attention to it I could increase this blog’s traffic significantly.
I am happier not writing exclusively for search engines and my happiness comes first.
SEO still doesn’t excite me terribly much so the next best option is for me to outsource where possible.
This does not mean however that I can’t continue to learn more about SEO and make improvements where I can. This is why I am always on the lookout for Marcus-friendly SEO tips. Make sure you read the PS to this post.
Over to you now…
Do you agree with my assessment?
What are your responses to the various questions I posed above?
How much of your traffic is SEO driven?
Do you need to tweak your traffic generation approach and if so how do you intend doing so?
If you believe your followers would benefit from reading this post, please share it with your networks.
Be Happy!
Welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy your visit. May I suggest you...
Hi Marcus,
I run hot and cold on SEO.
I realize it’s importance, and put an SEO style post in once in a while. I also like to write with flow, finishing a draft and publishing within minutes.
Having a mix of SEO and non-SEO type posts works for me. I draw a little traffic in via search engines and the rest of the traffic comes from referrals or social networks, helping fortify my brand.
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..1 Quick and Easy Facebook Marketing Tip
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 15th, 2011 at 9:16 am
Hi Ryan,
I always think I should be more SEO focused when I start out Ryan but I usually get to the end of a post and think “Nah” and let it just be what it is.
Thanks for stopping by Ryan.
~Marcus
[Reply]
john Reply:
June 16th, 2011 at 11:27 am
I try to always use SEO which is opposite to you. And there are reasons for it – it depends what kind of website you have. If you need targeted audience then you of course have to write for search engines, and if your blog is just for fun and for people then SEO may give you just some extra traffic – the most you’ll get through social media, ’cause people would share what they read in your blog.
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 8:04 am
Hi John,
Welcome here and thank you for confirming what I wrirte about in my post. It does very much depend on what one’s top goals are.
~Marcus
[Reply]
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Hey Marcus,
I use Google Analytics and it seems to suit my needs right now, but get clicky sounds kinda cool so when I get a chance I will check it out.
Have to admit I never really blog for the search engines, if they find me then that’s great but I wont lose any sleep if they dont, so like you I choose happiness first.
The biggest majority of my traffic comes from facebook and twitter, so I do tend to focus more on the social media side of marketing I guess plus its fun so keeps me smiling.
Sally
Sally recently posted..Instant Profit Seminar – I Finally Believe In ME
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 15th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
Hi Sally,
Well you know what they say “if it aint broke, don’t try and fix it” LOL
Google Analytics does a great job and I do use it but I find I tend to use Clicky more.
Great to hear that you don’t blog for search engines Sally. I reckon the more of us that do this the more search engines will have to come to our party!!
Let’s just continue having fun!
Loved having you comment here.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Hi Marcus,
For me blogging is a passion. It’s a way for me to connect with liked-minded people on a broad scale and deliver messages that I feel are divinely inspired. For now, I’m not sure that SEO is a significant priority. Maybe I will learn otherwise as time progresses but, right now, in this time and place, I just want to be a divine messenger.
A. Leigh Edwards recently posted..3 Little Known Metaphysical Techniques To Help You Get Your Bills Paid
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 15th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Hi Leigh…
I love that… “being a divine messenger” You know that is really how I have been feeling about what I am being led to do more and more which is why I am most content when I follow what I am being led to write about and then I don’t even think about SEO.
Let’s face it, man may think of SEO as powerful but it is nothing compared with what the divine can and does deliver.
Thank you I appreciated reading your comment which is helping me with clarifying my own position.
It is wonderful to be attracting so many divine messengers into my life and you are one of them.
~Marcus
[Reply]
A. Leigh Edwards Reply:
June 15th, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Thank you kindly Marcus:). According to the LOA…like attracts like.
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 8:40 am
Indeed!
Hi Marcus!
Me, just like Ryan here, enjoys a merry mix of happiness, as you would call it, by writing content fluidly most of the time and not just thinking that it’ll be for SEO purposes, and when I’m done, I’d go over it if it’s SEO-compliant.
SEO, as much as we would like to get it off our hands for being too technical a matter, is truly helpful and should actually be a part of our online marketing efforts. It really helps in bringing targeted customers.
The great thing about SEO-driven marketing efforts (and I’m talking about organic SEO) is that prospects find their way into reading your blog or drive them to your site because of a need that they needed to fill or wants an answer to. Once they do read your blog, they could automatically explore the rest of your website and eventually find that you may just have the solution for their problems.
Just my two cents’ worth of thoughts on the matter.
Elmar Sandyck recently posted..Are We Ready For the Zettabyte?
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 15th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Hi Elmar,
Thank you for this comment. I appreciated reading what you had to say as it does confirm what I was suggesting in my post.
I guess the best idea is to have a healthy balance between the two and to make sure that one’s SEO is not happening randomly.
Thanks Elmar for helping me to see more clearly on this matter.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Hey Marcus,
My blog just turned 6 months old and within the last month search engines have been my best performer.
Before that most people found my blog via social networking and blog commenting.
When writing an article I just imagine how someone would phrase a question into a search engine.
How old is you blog btw?
Justin recently posted..Quit Your 9 To 5 End The Grind
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 15th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Hi Justin,
That’s interesting… so you don’t use any specific keywords or build them into your posts in any way?
You have no doubt optimized your blog for one or more main keywords though?
I write freely sometimes without any keywords in mind and other times I do incorporate a keyword or two.
I have to admit I find it comes naturally not to use keywords.
Your blog is doing really well after 6 months Justin. Great stuff.
My blog is a bit of an odd story really. I first started it in July 2009 but it was dormant for 8 months as I had no real clue about blogging or exactly what I wanted to blog about.
Then I started to blog more seriously from March last year (So in reality this blog is about 15 months old) although it has never been a very micro niche blog.
I just liked the freedom of writing about a few different areas that are all related in a way. At the same time I don’t think this has helped this blog to move forward as much as it could have.
I have at many stages thought about abandoning ship and becoming more focused in one area than another via a new blog.
Most very successful bloggers I have spoken to have had more than one blog as learning steps along the way.
I have learned a great deal with this blog and if I started again I would obviously avoid the mistakes I have made here, many of which are foundational setting up issues and can’t be changed when one has been at it for a while.
I guess I would have done this already if this blog was not performing at all but this has not been the case. Hmmm attachment there? Ha ha
It has had many ups and downs all in line with my own development. The Universe has also slowly been leading me down a different path to the one I envisaged which was to teach people to be successful in business from a conventional angle.
Because of my own success with using LOA from a business point of view however I am finding I am being led to focus on this more now as the conventional ways are just like going back to the cart and horse.
So I am again faced with whether this blog needs to move more in this way or stay with what it is and I’ll start a new project.
I am becoming increasingly interested in Glen Allsop’s email blog concept and he is one to take note of being as successful as he is at 22!
Apologies for the long answer but maybe it was more for my own purpose than for you.LOL
~Marcus
[Reply]
Justin Reply:
June 15th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
Dang Marcus, you are a writing machine today.
I read on Diana Simon’s blog that she is also changing her blog concept.
I subscribed to Glenn’s forum on Viper Chill to get some ideas and insights on blogging.
I hear what you are saying about starting over and doing it again and knowing what not to do in regards to blogging.
If I started a new blog now I could streamline it to where my current blog is much quicker.
It seems that most are still doing the old blogging model but maybe that is too outdated as far as standing out.
I am still learning as I go and my goal is to earn a full-time income from my blog while also providing help to others.
I didn’t realize that you had been through so much in your blogging journey.
Your blog is in a handful of blogs that I enjoy reading.
Justin recently posted..Quit Your 9 To 5 End The Grind
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 8:38 am
Hi Justin,
Thank you. I am really pleased you enjoy my blog as I do yours.
I am sure you will achieve your goal Justin. You are doing very well so far.
As for being a writing machine… Hmmmm I don’t think my ego was too impressed with all the expression because later on the same day I spilt a cup of tea all over my laptop which has consequently died.
Interesting and food for another post no doubt. Ha ha
~Marcus
Marcus, aloha. This is one post on which I cannot write an epic comment. The whole topic of SEO is beyond me.
Naturally, I do the “basics” when posting a blog, however, beyond that I have neither done much nor do I care to do much. As you correctly asked, Marcus, it depends on the purpose of your blog.
For what I am doing, my “strategy” is working well. Could the results be better? No doubt. Is it worth my effort? Absolutely Not!
What I find makes the biggest difference for me is the catchiness of my headline. The better the headline, the better the traffic.
Take good care, Marcus. Enjoy a glorious day. Aloha. Janet
Janet recently posted..6 Sizzling Men of Triberr by Janet Callaway | The Natural Networker
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 9:19 am
Hi Janet,
I did not think this was a post that would lead to an epic comment Janet, however you still managed to express your thoughts on this topic very clearly.
I have spent a lot of time on SEO in the past but the more I learned the less I felt I knew Janet.
More importantly I just didn’t enjoy doing it so I stopped giving it so much attention.
I agree that the headline makes all the difference Janet. I always find myself being attracted to posts by the headline so if ti works like that for me I know it must be the smae for many others.
Thank you for adding your valuable contribution to the discussion Janet.
~Marcus
Marcus Baker recently posted..Is Search Engine Marketing Worth Your While?
[Reply]
Hi Marcus,
Funny, I just checked my stats at Google Analytics today and found a little over half of my traffic comes from search engines.
I’m happy with that right now as although I do pay attention to keywords and such stuff, I don’t want it to take the fun out of writing my blog posts.
Maybe with time I’ll get better to fuse both together, haha.
As always, great content!
Ilka
Ilka Flood recently posted..The Pain of Disconnect
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 8:43 am
Hi Ilka,
Sounds as if you have everything under control there but I agree we have to be having fun with our writing too otherwise it wil become unsustainable for us.
Thank you for adding to conversation Ilka.
~Marcus
[Reply]
It’s true. The majority of my site’s traffic came from search engines. With reliable SEO you can surely dominate your niche and become a leading brand in a couple of months. There are other sources of traffic that you might consider and for me, article marketing and video marketing are my best bet to give you a desirable amount of visits.
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 8:20 am
Hi Paul,
Welcome and thanks for adding to the discussion here. Certainly if we want people to find us then we have to lead them to us and SEO does a great job doing this.
~Marcus
[Reply]
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Hi, Marcus!
this is 100% that SEO takes time to get results, so most important thing we need to know is patience, believe me if one have patience every thing is easier.
Regards
Usman recently posted..FirstHosting Affiliate Program – $10 for 1000 referres – No sale required!
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 8:02 am
Hi Usman,
I agree with you and as long as we are prepared to committ to whatever it takes then of course we wil see the results.
Thanks for adding this important point Usman.
~Marcus
[Reply]
SEO work has evolved as a relentless hack as opposed to contributing to the realization of a meaningful semantic web. I have been concerned about this problematic since serving on IAB Europe’s Search Council many years ago. I can only say that my heart, mind, and imagination are divided on SEO for all the right and wrong reasons.
Stan Faryna recently posted..J. Alfred Prufrock, Zeldman, blogging, and I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
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Great post Markus.
I’ve been trying to learn SEO to improve my small offline business and I agree that:
- it takes time
- it’s frustrating being at the mercy of search engines
- requires knowledge.
But it’s worth it. I’m far from being an expert and I’m seeing good results. Write some good content and do some blog commenting and you should get some traffic. It’s hard work though.
Anita recently posted..Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets
[Reply]
Hi Marcus,
I agree that it depends on your goals whether you should focus on SEO or not. In your case, I guess its more efficient to drive traffic through social networking. You are building a personal brand, therefore you need more interaction with other people. I’m not sure if I made a point. If you don’t mind, may I ask which traffic gives you more income?
[Reply]
[...] http://www.marcus-baker.com/network-marketing-internet-business/search-engine-marketing-worth/ – Marcus Baker [...]
I think you hit the nail on the head with “Unless you are willing to take the time to acquire this technological expertise it will cost you money to outsource.”
If a term is competitive, then it takes an awful lot of work to get a decent position. I often see smaller companies spend a fortune on SEO and probably have very few extra sales from it, when other marketing methods would have been far more effective and instant for them.
In many cases, I think people would simply be better using old fashioned print methods to tell people about their website, which is often forgotten about in the rush to do everything on-line.
At the end of the day, it’s the amount of relevant visitors which matters, not where they come from.
Richard recently posted..Do your own SEO – Search Engine Optimisation
[Reply]
Marcus,
This is great!!! SEO is something I definitely need to work on. Most of my traffic comes form direct traffic and referring sites. Thank you for sharing
Lynda recently posted..Hale Grove Promo Code Hale Groves Coupon Codes
[Reply]
In SEO the main aim is to make a site visible in organic searches under a particular keyword.It is the way to boost the e-commerce.
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 20th, 2011 at 9:41 am
Hi Zain,
SEO certainly has its place in driving traffic to sites via careful keyword placemements. Thanks for adding to the discussion here.
~Marcus
[Reply]
I used to use ppc almost exclusively, however, the expense and ever changing algorithms caused me to rethink my methods. I now use such methods as Article Marketing, Blog Commenting, Video Submission, submission to bookmarking sites and other organic methods almost exclusively. I plan to set up and create traffic with facebook.
Recently I’ve seen quick SEO ranking results by using Onlywire to bookmark my posts and then apply my other methods.
What is your most effective traffic creation method? What combination of SEO methods have you had the best results with?
John recently posted..How To Use Blog Commenting to Create Free Leads and Drive Traffic
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 20th, 2011 at 9:11 am
Hi John,
Welcome to my blog. It is great to have you visit and leave a comment too.
I use all the methods you use John and I too also use Only Wire which I think does an exellent job.
I think it’s worthwhile making sure your blog or websites are set up correctly in terms of keywords when it comes to SEO.
I have to say that I generate a lot of traffic via social media and blog commenting although this is more business social media than SEO driven.
~Marcus
[Reply]
I need to work on SEO because it’s very useful to improve traffic to our blog.Thanks so much for your sharing
van025 recently posted..Getting Fast Loans- What You Need To Know
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 20th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Hi there,
Pleased you found this post useful. Thanks for leaving a comment.
~Marcus
[Reply]
I have to say Marcus I’m quite enthusiastic about SEO as a topic, although I’m by no means a maestro of it’s ever fluctuating intricacies…
I tend to agree with your conclusions here with a couple of additions.
Firstly I’ve noticed recently that as Google (let’s face it, there’s really only one Search Engine that matters) is becoming more intelligent, and doesn’t need such clunky keyword usage to pick up on what you’re writing about. It’s becoming easier to write naturally but still cater to the search engine’s eye (with a basic grounding in SEO)
Secondly, it seems to me that the foundation of SEO is understanding your target market followed by some solid keyword research. Finding the right keywords is what it’s all about…
I do agree that how much you focus on SEO depends on the aim of your site, but generally it’s so useful and long term that there’s no point in avoiding it!
Couldn’t find the PS to the post which you hinted at by the way!
Thanks mate, I enjoyed the way you considered and explored this topic here…
Jym recently posted..Underground Blogging Secrets Review – UBS Unearthed
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 22nd, 2011 at 7:44 am
Hi Jym,
You always add value when you comment and I really appreciate your input here.
I agree with you about ‘King Google’ and also about the fact that it’s IQ is on the up which is good for us as bloggers.
I also agree that effective selection of keywords is the answer in many ways. Most people tell me they can’t find keywords that aren’t competitive but this is the challenge I believe, to get in the heads of searchers and come up with lesser searched for keywords.
As long as there is a sufficient search number it’s often easier ranking for those keywords than trying to fight to rank for top tier keywords.
Mind you getting in the heads of searchers is not that logical. The other day I noticed that someone had come to one of my posts by searching for “tin roof” – yes… go figure!
Sorry Jim. There was a PS but I removed it and then forgot to remove the reference from the post so than you for letting me know as now I can go back and fix this.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Nice post Marcus. Internet marketing is such a broad topic that may take years to learn. I’m a slow learner and a newbie in SEO; I’m a person who has to take it step by step when it comes to learning multiple topics. Right now, I’m still learning the ropes of SEO by reading as much information as I can get my hands on. Like you said, SEO depends on a webmaster’s goal. I agree with the things you’ve said here, and I like your blog because it’s catered for both human beings and search engines.
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
June 22nd, 2011 at 7:30 am
Hello Hulbert,
Welcome to my blog. Always good to have new visitors.
I think you are wise to be taking your time with SEO Hulbert. It is a very involved topic and not one that too many people can get their heads around very fast.
Thanks too for the feedback about liking my blog for it’s dual approach. It seems to be working just fine for now.
Apprexciate the comment.
~Marcus
[Reply]
My chief purpose is to make money through the SEO. It does take a lot of time to understand how things work and actually get results and contrary to the belief that u need just a few hrs a day, SEO’s really take a lot of one’s time, some might even have to work around 10- 12 hrs (yes more than regular jobs), but once things start working, SEO will surely get you more income than a regular job.
T.S.Eliot recently posted..The "Isms"
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I think for SEO good contents and quality links are required.If links are relevant and from high PR sites, your site will optimized instantly and there will a lot of relevant traffic on your site.
Nawaz recently posted..Men Haircuts and Men Haircut Style
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Hi Marcus,
It is another nice and informative post.You well explained the topic and I really likes cons of seo.No doubt Search engine optimization value increases day by day and we cant deny its importance.
waterpearls recently posted..DriveScrubber Review & Coupons
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
July 5th, 2011 at 9:16 am
Hi,
Thank you for your feedback here. SEO definitely has its place so we can’t ignore it.
~Marcus
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The best way to promote online business go for SEO of the site.There is no science in SEO.It demands only frequency and consistency.
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The game on the Internet changes every week and the things you were doing may not work as well at this moment but some things are standard for instance quality and relevancy.
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 8:57 am
Hi Monroe,
Point taken. Certain criteria will always be consistent. Appreciate your comment.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Hey Marcus,
I think absolutely it is. Especially moving forward, where everyone relies on search engines for information, services, and products, it makes the most sense. Other mediums just aren’t going to survive.
Andrew
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[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
September 30th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Hi Andrew,
Welcome and thanks for leaving your expert opinion here. I think search engines are here to stay and since most people use these to find information one has to make sure one is set up to maximize their capability as well as use other methods.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Search engine optimization is really worth, base on my experience on doing SEO it really saves time and more valuable. SEO is worth it Marcus!
Eli Knobloch recently posted..Repo Cars
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 4:36 am
Hi Eli,
I agree with you that SEO is very powerful and worthwhile. Thanks for your feedback.
~Marcus
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SEO is one of the great strategies to get famous online and of course in generating traffic as well as money. I’ve been doing SEO and it is really worth it.
Earl Farmar recently posted..Repo Cars
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 4:34 am
Hi Earl,
Thanks for sharing your view here on this topic.
~Marcus
[Reply]