I can tell you without hesitation two basic truths related to SEO.
- There are no reliable, lasting shortcuts to SEO
- You can become your own SEO guru
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. This common cliché’ is certainly applicable to “SEO shortcuts” or self-proclaimed “SEO gurus”. These hucksters try to make a quick buck by claiming to have identified the secret sauce, or they have “cracked the code” to ranking high on Google. Don’t believe a word of it.
Don’t fall for the latest “SEO trick”. There are no real shortcuts to SEO.
They have some of the smartest people on the planet at Google headquarters out there in sunny Mountain View California. Do you really think they can be “outsmarted” by some guy who you never hear of, who sends you unsolicited e-mails. Think of it being as credible as the “lose 30 pounds in 30 days” poster you see taped to a telephone pole. Too good to be true.
Have no fear, all is not lost! You can be your own SEO guru, however. I will provide the basics here for you – FREE OF CHARGE:
- Have original content (not copied from somewhere else) on your site.
- Make sure this content is kept fresh – updated frequently.
- Make sure your content is relevant – it must pertain to your topical matter. GOne are the days where you could have unrelated text loaded with keywords to drive page rank.
- Utilize social media – frequent posts boost SEO.
- Seek legitimate external links (one way – not reciprocal). This is another reason to have good, interesting content.
- Choose your niche – you have a mountain to climb if you want to rank high for a broad topic. It is pretty hard to rank high for a term such as “healthcare” or “sports”. If you have a niche, however it is much easier.
Unfortunately there is no shortcut to SEO. It takes good old-fashioned hard work. Even if you discover some “new trick” and deploy it, watch out. Google will discover it and may actually penalize you for trying to trick the system. Focus your energies on your original content, and follow the suggestions above.