Search Engine Optimization Steps 1 – 10 12

Writing by Nick Stamoulis on Thursday, January 31, 2008 Leave a comment

Dave Davies wrote a 10-step search engine optimization process in 2004 that consisted of the following steps:

1. Keyword Selection
2. Content Creation
3. Site Structure
4. Optimization
5. Internal Linking
6. Human Testing
7. Submissions
8. Link Building
9. Monitoring
10. The Extras (all those things that didn’t fit in the first 9 steps)

He recently updated his list and now it looks like this:

1. Keyword Research & Selection
2. Competition Analysis
3. Site Structure
4. Content Optimization
5. Link Building
6. Social Media
7. PPC
8. Statistics Analysis
9. Conversion Optimization
10. Keeping It Up

I like the update for several reasons. First, competitive analysis needs to be right up there at the top, near the beginning of the process. In his first list, Davies didn’t even include that, possibly because in 2004 most industries didn’t have a lot of competition. From this point forward, though, most businesses going online will have a lot of competition, and most of it will be stiff. Competitive analysis is very important.

I also like the addition of PPC, statistics analysis, and conversion “optimization” (though “tracking” may be a better word) to the list. But I’m not sure I like social media being where it is and I’m definitely sure I don’t like content optimization following site structure.

To me, content optimization (aka creation) is a part of site structure. In some ways, I understand why you need to structure your site before you create the content, but it’s also a repetitive process that you will come back to. You have to make sure that any new content you develop down the road conforms to your site structure so be sure you’re planning for the long term.

Link building and social media go a little bit hand in hand. But I think you need to specify what you mean exactly by social media. Does it include bookmarking and blogging? If not, it should. Or maybe blogging should be in its own category. I would definitely include blogging as a part of my overall strategy, but you can fit it into link building as well as social media. In fact, a lot of these categories flow into each other and are difficult to define.

If I were to create a list, it would look like this:

1. Keyword Analysis
2. Competitive Research
3. Keyword Selection
4. Website Template Design
5. Content Creation/Site Structure Tweaks
6. Article Marketing and Blogging
7. Social Media Marketing
8. Other Link Building Activities
9. PPC/Other Online Advertising
10. Analytics
11. Conversion Tracking & Optimization
12. Maintenance

I’d be anxious to see what the process looks like in five years.

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