Part of an optimization specialist’s job is to pay attention to search trends. Lately, I’ve noticed a rise in interest about organic SEO. It seems the general public is catching on to the fact that there are two kinds: “forced” and “organic”. What’s the difference? What’s organic SEO all about? Why can’t it just be optimization? Here’s the skinny:
Forced SEO
“Forced SEO” isn’t the technical term; technically, it’s just “SEO”. It’s cold, it’s calculating algorithms and it’s search engine based. Forced optimization can get your site up to the top rankings in the search engines rather quickly, but the optimizer has to walk a fine line to do it. Methodology includes:
- Paid links
- Link submission sites
- Keyword dense articles, blogs and web content
- Viral article submissions (5 articles, 50 sites)
There is nothing wrong with this type of optimization, as long as your optimizer knows what they’re doing. It’s fairly easy to move over the edge from “white hat” to “black hat”, so careful consideration should be taken to decide a step-by-step approach for your site ranking. As well, many links will expire after awhile and will need to be done all over again to keep your placement.
Organic SEO
Organic SEO is a kinder, gentler genie. Many SEO professionals will explain organic optimization as “results from any search that you haven’t paid for”. Others will give you a bit more of a technical response, “Algorithm driven results given to you by any search engine once you plug in specific keywords.” Me, I’m biased. I’ll tell you, “It’s the way to go.” Methodology includes:
- Writing great, user-based content
- Offering guest blogging spots
- Paying attention to link exchange requests to get the most useful links for your readers and visitors
- Article submissions to select sites (5 articles, 1 site)
- Adding links to your site because they’re useful, rather than because they’ve linked to you.
Organic SEO may take a little longer than “forced” optimization. However, the results are long lasting and build a steady traffic pattern. As time goes by, with good, informative, engaging content you’ll start noticing linkbacks you didn’t request – other webmasters linking to you because they like what you have to offer their own visitors. Eventually, if you and your optimizer do your jobs right, you won’t even have to worry about article submissions. Visitors will come to you anyway.
In part 2 of “SEO Simplified”, we’ll cover how organic SEO works, not just what it does.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Shelly thanks for your encouragement. We do try to give honest and valuable information. You of all people know there is so much crap and bullsh*t out there that sometimes it's difficult for people starting out to get “real” answers. We are not looking to change the world just to share the information as we get it. My take is… Keep it simple it will come back 10 fold!
Gabriella, this is fantastic advice. Something that we tell our clients often – that it takes time, commitment and patience but, in the end, it's worth it. Thanks, as always, for sharing great stuff.
yes, of course they can… Now if we can get the client to see it that way :)
Exactamundo! A lot of people forget the other “free” linking they can generate with their blogs or even posting on other blogs. Great relationships are forged that way. For example I have been adding links to my “Favorite Links” These people didn't ask me to give them links. I did because they are worthwhile to my readers. Just like our link added to others blogs. You get the point… .Thanks Don
Hey jon lolol 140 characters or less the answer is yes.
SEO helps add potential customers and the number of quality leads to your website as well. In fact, most organizations can adopt Internet marketing and advertising strategies to generate better business.
cant i do both? shouldn't i do both? i feel that the answer to both ?'s is yes.
twitter training has killed my ability to type long sentences.
Organic seo, because it is completely genuine and open usually engenders additional backlinks you never even have to ask for. Even if they aren't keyword rich text links they are still additional pointers back to the content or site you are trying to promote.
Once again, writing great compelling content seems to be the way to go. Not only in SEO, but blogging and sales and everything.
Thanks for the great article.
DM
Comment Guidelines: The comment form must be filled in with an actual name. This blog is actively moderated, and comments with keyword names will be deleted. We reserve the right to edit or delete any comments using keywords, spam or splog-like URLs, or suspicious information in the comment form.
Linking Guidelines: We welcome links that encourage and continue conversation, such as links to related blog pages. If you've written about (or read elsewhere) the article topic and feel the piece would enhance ours, please, do share. Again, this blog is actively moderated. If we come across a link we don't feel enhances the conversation, we'll simply unlink it.
{ 15 trackbacks }
[...] Gabriella on August 17, 2009 In part one of “SEO Simplified”, we talked about the differences between forced and organic SEO. Never mind the differences, [...]
Go white hat! RT @SocialNicole: Yay organic! RT @SEOcopy: SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ow.ly/1rMoc
[...] Written content – Yes, written content is the favorite form for SEOs, because search engines have no way of understand the content in images, videos or audio files. We push the written word, explaining how to write it for SEO and visitors, often to the extreme. [...]
[...] while managing your SEO campaign remember the ultimate goal. Ultimately, you aren’t building a website, working on a blog or [...]
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ow.ly/1tPF1
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ow.ly/1ujja What is the difference
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ow.ly/1zxtp
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ow.ly/1zxtp
Someone asked - Forced vs. Organic #SEO Simplified ~ http://ht.ly/1Ohfv
RT @SEOcopy: Someone asked - Forced vs. Organic #SEO Simplified ~ http://ht.ly/1Ohfv
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ht.ly/26txi - an easy explanation
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ht.ly/26tB3 - an easy explanation
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ht.ly/2I2ze - Please share
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO http://ht.ly/3k8Hp - How Does Organic SEO Work? http://ht.ly/3k8HC -To the misinformed ppl out there
SEO Simplified: Forced vs. Organic SEO #Natural search #Organic SEO http://t.co/VmVAagb8