As search engine algorithms become more advanced and people are less and less able to function without an internet connection, SEO has to become more sophisticated. We can’t completely rely on the “old faithful” strategies. Of course, optimized keywords, valuable content, PPC (Pay-Per-Click), and linking are all still vital for a successful website- but they aren’t alone anymore. A focused marketing strategy is quickly becoming one of the most crucial aspects of creating and launching a successful website.

Hence, SEOM- Search Engine Optimization Marketing. What I mean to say by this is that using traditional methods of SEO are no longer enough. These days a strategic marketing plan is going to be the difference between a site some people visit and a site that is well-known. A couple things to keep in mind when formulating a marketing plan for a website…

* Audience- What is the audience you are trying to attract? What type of keywords does that audience respond to? This is where your SEO keyword tools come into play. They will help you decide on keywords and give you the statistics on those keywords including the all-important search volume information (if there is no search volume, there are no searchers, and you need a new idea for a website). It is vital to think about your audience, if you create a site without keeping them in mind then you might as well have not created a site at all. Remember, even if you rank number one on a search engine doesn’t mean that searchers will like your site, and if they don’t, they will move on to whomever is number two.

• Testing- if you think you have an amazing idea for a website but aren’t sure if it will be popular then test it out. This is where PPC (Pay-Per-Click) can come in handy- if you have the funds. Create a few PPC ads describing your potential site and launch them. If you find your ads are getting loads of clicks, then chances are your potential website will be popular as well. If not, then maybe re-think your idea. 
• PPC can be a really great way of finding out what types of sites people are interested in visiting and what sites they aren’t. Try a couple different ads to see which earns the most clicks. A note of warning: yes,PPC is awesome and helpful, but it is also expensive. So keep an eye on your daily budgets and when you have enough data to draw a conclusion, consider trying for organic optimization on the keywords that are working for you. 
•  Competitive Analysis- Who else is occupying the space you want? How well do they do it? Are you trying to push your way into a space where there isn’t any room? For example, maybe you have a brilliant idea for a new search engine… well, that’s gonna be an uphill climb! Google owns (I mean OWNS) that space, and if something cataclysmic happened and they no longer ruled then Yahoo, Bing, Ask.com, and many others are queued up to take the top spot.
• You absolutely have to consider your competitors. If you want to compete in a space that already has a household name, then you might want to consider another idea. On the other hand, if you have a creative or niche idea for a site then it is probably worth proceeding. You just need to have put in the research and analysis into your competitor sites so your website can beat them not only at the ranking but also at popularity. Any decent marketer worth his pricey suit would tell you that in order to compete you have to know the market inside and out- and the same is true online. 

SEO works really well. SEO works better when paired with a focused marketing strategy. It isn’t all about rank (and it truly pains me to say that); it is also about what your audience likes and responds to. You might be the best-optimized site on the internet, but if searchers don’t like your site, they won’t visit and you will have a top ranked mess on your hands. At the end of the day, it’s about getting searchers to come and stay on your site, and that takes a solid marketing strategy.

There are some who would have you believe that all top ranked sites cheat in order to be number one. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Websites with top ranking are at the top because they employ expert SEO companies that use Search Optimization Software. They have optimized keywords, and quality content- that is why they are highly ranked. Be this as it may, there are still plenty of people trying to cheat the system. Some use masked keywords to achieve a (very) short term ranking. Masked keywords are words that you have incorporated into your website that don’t actually have any relevance to what the site is actually about. Some instances of this are using celebrity names, political events, or top news headlines in order to lure people to your site. This will probably work for a very short while, but all those customers visiting the site weren’t actually looking for it in the first place and were only attracted to it because of misleading keywords- they will leave your site immediately and never return. However, losing face with customers will be the least of your worries, because when a Search Engine discovers you have been cheating them, they will ban your site from all search, permanently.

Another popular method of scamming (and it is a scam) Search Engines is using noscript tags to hide content that the customer doesn’t see but the Search Engines do. Noscript tags are supposed to be used for alternate content in the event your site content doesn’t appear or a script is not executed. Instead of properly using noscript tags some websites fill them with high ranking keywords/content that has absolutely nothing to do with their site. The Search Engines spiderbots read this content and assign the site a high rank- at first- it doesn’t take long for the bots to recognize the farce and immediately erase the website from memory. Let me stress there is no coming back from this, no excuse in the world will save you from being banned. If you cheat a Search Engine, they will enforce the harshest of consequences- without asking questions.

The lesson? Do not even attempt to fool a Search Engine. You won’t ever be able to outsmart them and the repercussions could be devastating to your business.