Eye of Google
When it comes to the idea of Big Brother, Google really tops the list these days. Google knows more about your website than you do, which makes search engine marketing all that more interesting because even when you are implementing ineffective or harmful methods of which you are not aware, Google and the other engines know it.
Achieving SEO is not terribly difficult. There are some basics you should understand and some no-no practices that are published by Google. Beyond that it is more a matter of diligence. Like sports there is preparation, training, game time, and analysis involved with SEO. Do you want it more than your competitors and if so then how hard are you willing to work for it?
Diligence in regards to SEO comes from producing regular quality content written in a way that puts emphasis on the keywords and phrases you are targeting. Your content should also be natural. One method I find useful is choosing a message or topic and then writing about it for several ways, or numerous times over the course of a few weeks.
Blogs are useful for this, but unless people are commenting on your posts from other sites then your link backs may not be rich. You can publish articles on your website and then build static link backs to those from relevant sites. Of course, interesting content is ultimately what draws readership.
The ultimate no-no, and one that I find surprisingly ignored, is when people attempt to trick, fool, or cheat the search bots. Any sort of tomfoolery or black hat method is guaranteed to result in your site being penalized or having it completely banned from Google. The best SEO is the open and transparent type intended to be perfectly clear with the engines what you are set to achieve.
Whether you do your own SEO or outsource it, or a little bit of both, make sure the methods being applied are consistent, persistent, and legitimate. Your SEO technique is an extension of your business, your product, and you need trust and credibility with the engines and your customers.
[tags]automotive seo, search engine optimization, black hat, link back, natural, organic, methodology, technique, Google[/tags]
