SEO Is...

In the early 1840s, a very wise person coined the phrase “never talk about religion or politics.” Opinions regarding these two things are arguably the most deeply held beliefs among most Americans. We either agree, or we don’t. Vehemently. In either case, it’s best-in polite company-not to discuss these topics and potentially incite a row. We say, add to this list of taboos the topic of search engine optimization. SEO professionals have widely varying opinions as to what’s best when it comes to getting a website seen, and everyone believes his or her method is the best, without question. Well, we’re ogres and we've never been too keen on obeying the rules, walking on eggshells or candy-coating the truth. As such, we’re going to lay a little SEO knowledge out there for you. Pick up what you can use.

In the early days of the Web, back in the 90s, search engines cataloged websites. Their “spiders” would then download the page and crawl the content looking for links and topics. In August of 1997, John Audette of Multimedia Marketing Group documented the phrase “search engine optimization.”

I searched teacup poodle; why am I seeing results for oolong and earl grey?

Initially, the search engines’ algorithms relied on webmasters to provide information letting the engine know the content of the site via keyword meta tags and index files. It didn’t take long for programmers to start looking for ways to game the system, coming up higher in end-users’ search results. Eventually, a simple Web search would return links to sites that had nothing to do with the actual query. Webmasters were stuffing meta tags with anything they could remotely associate with the product or information actually being displayed.

An old internet marketing joke goes (something) like this: 

A SEO expert walks into a bar, bars, pub, Irish pub, tavern, watering hole, beer, wine, whiskey, whisky, shot, shotgun, rifle, pistol, bandolero, tequila… You get the idea.

Search engines adapted. Traditional methods of utilizing keyword density, inbound links and link farming used to get businesses a spot on page one of Google. Now, those practices may get your site flagged for spamming.

Wait, so SEO is dead?

We didn't say that.  There are still lots and lots of companies out there willing to sell you a $500+/month SEO package of blogging, link building and general Internet voodoo. Some of the old practices are still very valid in modern marketing. More important, however, are things like quality/original content, frequent updates, social sharing and well written code utilizing embedded keywords, heading tags and alt image tags.

The old SEO methods of telling people you had something (keyword stuffing) and then not delivering on content are dead. Search engines are getting better at showing us what we’re truly looking for. Thank you, search engines.

Sound off!

Do you have any SEO experiences – positive or negative – or is there anything you’d like us to blog about? Get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or via email. 

City Ogre, Country Ogre, Focus Ogre

Not actual focus group participants

Recently, some of the ogres had the opportunity to conduct a few focus groups. If you're not familiar with what a focus group is, fear not. Basically, it is an arena where a small group of people who have something in common are presented with topics for discussion. From this discussion, a group or individual hopes to gather some insightful data. Sometimes, the person moderating the group has to redirect the conversation, or summarize what's been said for clarification. Apart from that, the participants are the focus of the group. When more than one focus group is held, there is a bonus data set. Neat, right? The bonus data are the observable differences in culture across sample sets. Bet your bottom, it's neat!

What was cool about the focus groups we conducted was the sense that we were in geographically varying locations, when in actuality, we were in the Pensacola metro area.

One of the events was done in a town near Pensacola. The area was wooded and buildings were tucked in and among the trees. The whole feeling was laid back, natural, and welcoming. The people with whom we spoke used the words “open” and “family” freely. It’s safe to say we were taken in, openly, and treated like family. Participants in the focus group were eager to share ideas and willing to hear one another’s views. Information flowed freely.

Another of the focus groups was held in a central part of Pensacola. The tone of the event was quite different from the previous. People we met could be compared to New Yorkers. They knew what they wanted, knew where it could be found, and they didn’t mince words or waste time. Their interaction during the focus group was boisterous and varied. Some participants were lively and animated, while others remained mostly quiet. There was definitely a big-city feeling; not that we were concerned with getting jacked or anything. We were in amazement at the contrast between this and the previous group.

A third focus group was held in what could be considered a borough of Pensacola. Neither in the country or the city, this location proved to be a combination of the two others. Interesting. People were in a hurry, but not so much that they didn’t have time or interest in sharing opinions or giving direction. Participants turned out in overwhelming numbers. Though they clearly had somewhere else to be, they stuck around as long as their voices were being heard.

We’re always fascinated by different cultures, even if they’re subsections of the larger. We would like to hear from you. Have you had similar experiences when working with groups? Let us know here or on social media. We do the Facebookand the Twitters.