SEO isn't complicated , but very important

[Christopher Alarcon]

Hi Everyone,

SEO is a scary thing when you first hear about it, but it shouldn't be. After reading books, and forums from though leaders in this topic my view has changed. I wanted to share my view, and hopefully this can give you a better clarification. And in the end help you monetize your product, or online presence.

A lot of companies out there are claiming to help rank your site high for an enormous price. You can bet that these companies are using "black hat" SEO tactics. No one can guarantee rankings! In a nutshell “black hat” SEO tactics may involve having dozens of links link back to your site to increase "authority", this is just one of the many. While your site may indeed rank high, you can bet that this will only last for a short while. Google is always pushing new updates to refine its search engine, and prevent "black hat" SEO tactics from working. And if they catch your site using these tactics you may get penalized. The fact that Google is striving to provide the most "relevant" search results is good news for you. This is because you don't want to read irrelevant content when searching for answers on the web.

Ok back to SEO, which stands for "search engine optimization". Just as the name sounds you're optimizing your site, blog, product, or anything that can be displayed on the web for a search engine. When people think search engine they automatically think Google. This is no surprise since Google dominates about 2/3 of other search engines (Bing, Yahoo). However, it's important to not limit yourself there. Search engines are everywhere! Where exactly? YouTube, Facebook, and Amazon to name a few. Yet most people only think Google. Big mistake.

The thought of optimizing your site for multiple search engines can be overwhelming, but not if you understand SEO. One of the most important goals of a search engine is to provide the user with information they're looking for. Google as well as other search engines have complex algorithms that take into account different factors. Some of these factors include: page authority, and content relevance. Let's put in perspective of a small business that sell tennis shoes. If this business has content about their shoes in the homepage, but also references dressing shoes this may lose some points. This may be simple and almost "common sense”, but sometimes the answers to complex problems are simple.

I've only touched the surface on SEO, but just know that it's not complicated. You now understand what "black hat" SEO tactics are, and that you are better off staying away from companies that offer this service. You also understand the basics of SEO. If you’re a company or blogger that aims to push the best content for your user, then you’re off to a great start already.

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on SEO. Do any of you guys struggle with this (real estate agents, property managers, investors) or help others in this area?

If you guys have any questions or concerns I'd love to help.

-Chris