SEO and Web Maintenance

We get asked about SEO (search engine optimization) a lot, and our response is almost always "If you do your site right, you won't have to worry about it." Since that response is pretty much the antithesis of what every SEO vendor on the planet says, we get a lot of skeptical looks in response.

We may even lose business over it.

But, sometimes, we're actually right.

According to Google's own blog:

While it's true that linking is a significant factor in Google's ranking algorithms, it's just one of many. I know we say it a lot, but having something that people want to look at or use—unique, engaging content, or useful tools and services—is also a huge factor. Other factors can include how a site is structured, whether the words of a user's query appear in the title, how close the words are on the page, and so on. The point is, if you happen to see some low quality sites linking to you, it's important to keep in mind that linking is just one aspect among many of how Google judges your site. If you have a well-structured and regularly maintained site with original, high-quality content, those are the sorts of things that users will see and appreciate.

Loosely translated, if you build the site properly, maintain it (update the content) regularly, and have unique stuff to talk about, Google will find YOU, usually without a whole lot of effort.

Keep that in mind next time you talk to a SEO "expert."