SEO is a Tactic, Not a Strategy
October 4, 2007 by ian
SEO is no more a strategy than printing business cards.
It's a tactic that forms a large and essential part of your internet marketing strategy.
I had a phone call today that went like this:
My client (who I respect extremely - hence Yoda, and not Boba) wanted to use SEO to build their online business.
It can't do that. It can build traffic - hopefully relevant traffic. But it can't build business.
SEO is important. It's the only online marketing tactic with near-infinite scalability. You don't pay by the click, so successful SEO lowers your cost per acquisition.
But focus purely on search engines and you'll miss other crucial issues:
- Usability problems that prevent customers from buying;
- Analytics showing that e-mail generates 90% of all sales;
- Hidden opportunities in the social media world;
- Deeper technical issues with the site that would make fulfillment a nightmare;
- Similar issues that, if corrected, could reduce delivery time;
- Overall site performance issues;
- Design choices that drive away the best customers;
- Less-than-optimal marketing copy;
- Or a host of other stuff that might crop up.
So pay attention: SEO is a tactic. Not a strategy. Internet marketing is a strategy.
Now, young padawan, go meditate on this, and tell me what you find...
Technorati Tags: internet marketing, seo
Join the Conversation:
imnotadoctor says:
October 4, 2007 14:46
Ian,
Your new cartoon figure rocks!
Solid point! Time to share with the office.
wilson says:
October 11, 2007 03:19
Great blog. I really liked it. I have also created a lens in same niche. This is my first time, hope u guys like it. Here’s a brief intro: : Running your own Internet Marketing business is really the best way to make money in the world. You get to set your own hours. You can work from almost anywhere in the world. All of your efforts go towards YOUR business and YOUR success, rather than a large corporation's. You write your own paycheck. http://www.squidoo.com/internet-marketing-business/