Dopp Juice Archive

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Put simply, it’s the art of guessing what a search engine needs to rank your website well in its results. I’ve talked to a number of people who believe this is a magical skill. That you must be a specialist — or at least a highly-skilled web developer to build good SEO. That all you need to do is run your site past an SEO Master and VOILA! Search Google for “good stuff” and your site will be #1! Here are the facts:

1. SEO is not magical. It doesn’t happen quickly and there is no major secret that will propell you to the front lines by tomorrow.
2. A major component to SEO is knowing what key words people search for to find you, and using those words in your site.
3. An even more major component is getting related, respected websites to link to your website.
4. The big secret behind SEO is that it takes work. It takes research, it takes marketing, and it takes analysis. But anyone with a little free time and some motivation can do it.

For a more complete overview of the basics of SEO, check out my article, 10 Ways to Optimize Your Site for Search Engines. Once you have an idea of what you’re getting into, kick off your research at HighRankings.com.This is a necessary skill for owning a successful website. Give it a shot. You can do it.

workshop & publication

Here’s a concept I’ve heard over and over as a law for doing business. One resource called it “The Triangle of Expectations.” It goes like this:There’s good, there’s cheap, and there’s quick. Pick two.

The concept here is that it’s realistic to focus on two of those aspects, but it’s rare to get all three. If it’s good and quick, it’s gonna cost you. If it’s quick and cheap, you’ll sacrifice quality. If it’s cheap and good, you probably need to wait for it. Most of us know this subconsciously. It explains why upscale stores are pricey, why dollar stores sell things that break easily, and why that great free gift has a 4 – 6 month wait attached to it. In our conscious minds, though, we tend to forget about it. We each have our own set of preferences, and we view our world through those expectations (mine is cheap and quick — and I dig through those for the good). When working with clients, however, I’m learning it’s important to figure out their subconscious expectations. They may say, “I want it to look good,” when their biggest concern is getting the message out by tomorrow and doing it under budget. It takes tact to find out what’s most important to a client on the Triangle of Expectations, without suggesting that you can’t provide all three. Everyone believes that it’s possible to have all three. But there’s a big difference between a fast food hamburger and a steak.