Search Engine Optimization discussed in Newsweek

In a November (2005) Newsweek I found an article in the Business section about search engine optimization (SEO.) Well-done Newsweek. Did the article inspire the small-medium enterprise? Well, not exactly. The practice is described as a “Shadowy world,” and optimization firms are likened to lobbyists.

Lobbyists? Now that fills me with pride.

Brad Stone gets it right in several areas though, including his comment that some sites appear at the top due to unscrupulous methods. This is true, but not for long.  Google (and Yahoo! and MSN) are too big and too smart to let “search engine spammers” skew their results.

The fact that SEO is being covered in a magazine like Newsweek is inspiring to me because it helps bring the opportunity into the mainstream. SMB’s have so much to gain from SEO, but many of my clients aren’t yet making the investment because evaluating the service is difficult.  And with everything else that’s competing for your attention throughout the day researching something new often gets re-prioritized. Hey, I get it.

The article targets the consumer/searcher more than the business-owner, and the tone of Stone’s somewhat dark portrayal of the SEO industry plants the seed of fear. Granted it’s warranted to some degree, as there is plenty of deceptive advertising out there ("TOP 10 SEARCH ENGINE PLACEMENT GUARANTEED!!!") as well as over-promise, under-deliver among "SEO specialists." My advice in moving forward is simple-- gather information and select someone that understands where the internet fits in your business model (and someone that you trust.)

The SEO opportunity for the SME is of course huge, especially for geographically-bounded businesses, but when they have reason to fear the vendors they will hold off on the investment.

OK, back to the shadows.