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.