People still ask me whether SEO, or rather, Content Optimisation is still needed? Remember back to the last post I submitted, in the post I made the observation that search engines are only at grade 1 or 2 in the scheme of things. Although very complex to engineer, in terms of them being able to recognise exactly what you are writing about and ascribe some sort of 'worthiness' rank to your writing is a long way from the truth.

Search engines need to be fed very slowly and with bite-size pieces that are easy for them to digest. Think of a two year-old child, their food has to be in spoon-size chunks. The search engines have progressed mightily since the web was introduced but they are still babes-in-arms comparatively.

For instance, if you decided to post an item comparing the value of "Flooglevalves" as opposed to "Flipplevalves", your audience might understand what you were saying if you only referred to them metaphorically or using synonyms but you can bet your last dollar that Google or any other search engine will not. You would need to actually use the words "Flooglevalve" and "Flipplevalve" several times throughout the post, along with some other copywriting 'Tricks of the Trade' to avoid losing that same last dollar!

Google, Google+, Yahoo, Bing, all the various search engines, all need babying and correct feeding practices stay right at the top of their requirements. That's not to say that you can get away with feeding them mush, just rubbish packed to the brim with keywords! They need prime, wholesome food in tiny pieces, information that they can absorb but which is also directed at the people you want to attract, use the words they would use in social media if they were trying to find you.

At the same time you need to make sure that your whole site has enough relevant information in it regarding the topics you want to promote. Since Panda and, to a lesser extent Penguin, that is an even more important strategic weapon. Your audience and what they are interested in has to be the focus of your content marketing. Because they are the very things you want to rank well for, they must become the very foundations of your site.

In life, in teaching (In fact I used to have a Physics Teacher, Mr. Milligan, who astounded me one day by stating in exasperation when I couldn't supply an opinion,"Hooker! You are not here to learn, you are here to learn to think!) it always has to be about your audience. What they expect and want, maybe need, should be the most important thing in your mind(s).

This has always been the 'Golden Fleece' as far as search engines are concerned, all of them! The desires and problems facing your audience are, or should be, your number one concern.

And where does that leave us as far as SEO is concerned? Right where we always have been! Optimise your content or die!

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