Why is Search Engine Optimization not going strategic?

Search Engine Optimization professionals are facing a conundrum today.  While most practioners consider this field as a purely tactical, the search engines, notably Google and Bing,  are attempting to shift the focus.

The problem arises because the practice of search engine optimization or SEO, is trying to serve two masters at the same time – 

1. The search engines, and 
2. The website visitors. 

 

Unfortunately, and probably due to the historic reasons, we end up serving the two in that order!

Now search engines are striving to flip the priority.

But the nomenclature does not help. The name itself suggests that webmasters should make their website optimal for search engines.  The deck should be cleared for the bots to crawl and other artifacts (like links) added to boost the search ranking.

In short executing a set of tasks targeted toward meeting search engine requirements.  

Note that the phrase does not mention the searcher! 

Matt Cutts (+MattCutts) , Head of Google’s Webspam team, has been advising website owners to focus more on creating better user experience for their primary audience i.e. human visitors. He has been cautioning them not to stray into the gray practice of gaming the algorithm.  Search Giant’s consistent message has been – you focus on creating superior value for your users, we will take care of rankings.

But it also gives the following advice to webmasters that is at the nuts and bolts level.

Bing is not behind in belaboring this point. In a recent blog post Serve the searcher, not the engine their senior Product Manager implores that we should focus on the users.

Given such repeated advice by Search Engines for creating higher user experience, you wonder why they have not taken major steps in shifting the focus away from tactical matters. They can begin by changing the nomenclature that is not focused on users in order to turn the spotlight on to the users. 

Superior User Experience

Rechristening also makes sense in taking the practice to a more  strategic level. 

The current execution is mostly tactical. It is centered on tasks like “keyword density”, “link building”,  “indexing” and “crawling.”  Such preoccupation leads to cutting corners to stuff keywords or bait links however you can or to create different experiences for humans and robots. Wider consequences and fallout are rarely on the radar.

Businesses, both small and large, give in to the temptation of gaming the system. In the last two months we have seen some instances where Rap Genius, resurrected a practice banned more than five years ago to boost search ranking.  Just last month, Expedia saw its organic traffic plummet when Google handed it a penalty.  The SEO community believes that low quality paid guest blogging was the culprit.

It is time to go strategic and to focus more on what maters to your users. Technology is sufficiently advanced to take care of locating the content so you do not have to bother about robots. Algorithms are getting smarter in catching the correct signals (Big data) and separating the noise.  Once the focus is on users who drive the business, this practice will move out of the cubicle and climb up in the value chain.

But in order for that to happen, the focus of the practice needs to change first. Search Engines may take a lead in shedding the term SEO and replace it with something more representative, like Superior User Experience or SUE.

Will Bing soon be looking for a new parent?

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Businessweek reported that the potential Microsoft CEO candidate, Stephan Elop,

“…would consider ending Microsoft’s costly effort to take on Google with its Bing search engine, and would also consider selling healthy businesses such as the Xbox game console if he determined they weren’t critical to the company’s strategy,..”

 

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Maybe just a Test Balloon?

At this point this could just be second guessing, based on the opinions of some people who are said to be familiar with Elop's thinking. Search experts, however, were quick to analyze such a move. +Greg Sterling  made some great arguments here.

One obvious speculation was to whom Microsoft could sell Bing to!

+Danny Sullivan, of Search Engine Land held the view that Bing is too strategic for Microsoft to “just walk away” from the search engine. Bing is deeply integrated with the Windows Phone and other Microsoft products.  In his view it would be too disruptive for Microsoft to disengage from Bing. 

Yahoo and Apple are the two names being bandied about. 

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Possibility of search engines overseas, like Alibaba, Baidu and Yandex  acquiring Bing is being mentioned. This does make some sense, since the next (and potentially explosive) round of growth in Internet will come from Asia (and Africa). Along with more people accessing Internet, demand will rise for search engines that are better customized to the regional needs (my earlier post).

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But Competition also spawns Innovation

Competition is another reason why Bing needs to exist. Healthy rivalry does not let players sit on their hunches. It spurs the urge to innovate and to do better. Blackberry learned that lesson too late.  Microsoft’s Web Based Office 365 (and recently announced real-time collaboration), are two current examples.

 Note the differences between how Bing and Google describe Bing

 The problem that is generally associated with Bing, is that it continued, for far too long, into “me too” mode, trying to grow by doing the similar things as Google. It did not create much deeper differentiation.

Bing found it difficult to shake off those colors!

 Where search engines have not gone before

Search is one of the fundamental processes of discovery. But it is, by no means, need to be uni-dimensional.   

Facebook is proving this by building their Graph Search. By thinking differently, Bing could grow into other, less explored frontiers in searching, area that will be as natural as Googling something today.   

It is not that Bing lacks the brainpower to step into the unchartered waters. It is their managers that lacked the will (or vision) to venture forth.