Search Engine Optimizations is very important for a business if they want their website to be a success. There is no doubt about that. Getting found in the search engines is one of, if not the most effective way to get targeted, qualified traffic to your site. There’s a problem, though. It’s only half the battle.

I’ve noticed recently that many sites out there are obviously focusing on Search Engine Optimization. Just Google something like “Seattle Plumber” and you will see what I mean.

  • Home pages crammed with content
  • Keyword stuffing everywhere
  • Keyword links galore all over every page and footer
  • Copy that sounds like a robot wrote it for another robot to read
  • A complete lack of attention to user experience or conversions

You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all been to those sites. The ones where you just get mad and click the back button. Hopefully this is not your site.

Humans come to your site, not just Google

I feel like we’ve been duped by Google. We know that it’s important, but we’ve put Google at such a high level of importance that we’ve forgotten about our customers/clients. We’ve done everything in our power to get our sites higher in the search engines at all cost. But, I believe that the cost is way to high in many cases.

What’s the use of getting traffic when no one is staying on your site? When no one is signing up for you newsletter, or calling your office? Isn’t that the main point of a website—to get people to take action?

It’s a little like having a brick and mortar storefront jammed with advertisements and cluttered with newspaper clippings. People would wonder what you are doing and would question the quality of your business and product. Not to mention the trust factor.

High quality brick and mortar businesses use layout and space wisely. They don’t over-saturate the space. Same is true with a website.

All in all, I, personally, think the SEO thing has gotten lopsided.

Time for balance

Don’t get me wrong. SEO plays an important role. You need traffic to your site, or your site is worthless. At the same time, your site needs to be a joy for your users to interact with. They need to feel in control, and not like they just entered a hurricane of keywords.

There’s also a huge benefit for businesses who try and find the balance. When you put more focus on getting your site to have a quality user experience, your conversion rate will go up. People respond more positively to attractive things. A cluttered, keyword stuffed site is not attractive in the least.

There are ways to have the best of both worlds. This is not an either/or scenario. We would be wise to put equal time into both sides of the website coin: traffic and conversions. Get a steady stream of visitors and knock their socks off by providing a great experience. Give them a reason to fill out your form or call your office. Don’t make it harder than it has to be. Google will understand.

Further Reading

 

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