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SEO: Science or Alchemy?

In the age of Augustus Rex of Prussia, the European world was filled with men who many regarded as tricksters, and some as possessors of a secret art.  Calling themselves 'Alchemists,' they claimed to posess the ability to transform one element into another--namely, lead into gold.  The recipes were said to be found among the pages of ancient Roman poetry such as Ovid or Virgil.  The practitioners include many whose names have been lost, and others, like Sir Isaac Newton, whose names are as known to us as common household words.  As secretive in their person as in their art, most alchemists never found themselves in a position where their claims were put to the ultimate test.  Johannes Friedrich Böttger was one who did not get off so easily.  Augustus "the Strong" had him locked away into a chamber in the Royal Palace until the day that he could successfully transform lead into gold.  He never succeeded in his efforts, but made a discovery no less precious--the recipe for porcelain, which until that moment had been a secret of the Orient.

A more complete history of this discovery and its impact can be found on the website for which I wrote all content, which currently ranks #1 in Google for the term "antique china."  (#9 for "porcelain")   Its current position did not occur by accident, but through the deliberate efforts of myself, who wrote all of the content, and others who were at that time my mentors.  The process is called "Search Engine Optimization," a service which is purported to guarantee high rankings in the "organic results" of search engines like Google, Yahoo or MSN.  An exact search for the term "search engine optimization" returned 76 million results in Google on the day of this blog's writing.  Clearly a competitive industry; but with so many companies across the world offering this service, how can their claims all possibly be true?

Questions about the veracity of SEO's claims have given rise to broader questions about whether the "industry" is anything more than another manifestation of the snake oil salesman with upgraded technology.  Considering that Google's "ranking algorithm" is a kept secret, consisting of thousands of complex mathematical formulas, can a #1 ranking for any term ever truly be guaranteed?  Or even a listing on the first page?  With this ranking constantly being updated by the engineers at Google and other search engine companies, can SEO really be considered a science that can be learned?  Or will it simply remain in the shadowy, unverifiable realm of the Alchemist until the day its outrageous claims are finally forgotten?

As someone who has had personal experience with the success of certain techniques, such as the one mentioned above, I am partial to the belief that there is a craft possessed by some, but not all, which makes certain guarantees regarding placement in the search engine rankings possible.  However, all claims must include specific qualifications.  The main qualification is that it will require hard work.  The more competitive the industry, the harder you should be willing to work in order to obtain the ranking you feel you should deserve.  This second qualification is one rarely heard.  You should attempt to attain a ranking, not because you have beaten the system, but because you have made your website the true winner.

This was my approach with Antique, China, Porcelain & Collectibles.  My process of Search Engine Optimization began with reading books about antiques.   Second, I began writing articles about antiques and posting them on the website.  In between research and writing, I sought out other antique or porcelain related websites and requested link exchanges.  Soon I was building relationships with other antique authorities on their webs, and websites began to link to us, not because we requested a link exchange, but because they valued the information our website contained.  Eventually I noticed that eBay sellers were quoting our website in their listings.  One day, we woke up and found ourselves in the #1 position for the term "antique china" in Yahoo, and Google was soon to follow.

It is my opinion that if you want to obtain a top ranking for a term, you must first ask yourself whether your website truly merits that positioning.  Is your website the most valuable and relevant resource for the majority of people who would submit that search phrase?  If it is not, you then have to decide whether you are willing to invest the energy to turn your website into one that is; or choose a more accurate phrase.

Of course, there are plenty of particular techniques in addition to simply writing good content and exchanging links, and having knowledge of these will certainly expedite your rise to the top.  In addition, many people can benefit from coaching and encouragement along the way, and it is in these ways that informationarchitech can help you.  However it is important to remember that without personal will and determination, no enterprise, web based or otherwise, can succeed.

We may not be able to turn lead into gold, but with careful study and perseverance, there is no reason why you should not be able to use the knowledge you have to become a valued and prosperous presence on the Web.  SEO is not an exact science to be sure, but it is not entirely mysterious either.  Combining continuous observation with research, the method by which search engines rank websites can be learned.  It is not necessary to understand the precise forumula in order to glean the most significant factors.  Like alchemists, however, SEOs do their best work when put to the test!

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