Everyone wants the latest version of what already works. We had The Web (let’s call it Web 1.0), but it wasn’t good enough, so we came up with Web 2.0. SEO has been successful and continues to be successful for those who understand it, but it’s apparently not good enough. So now we have “SEO 2.0” being pushed, which is supposed to be to SEO what Web 2.0 was to The Web.
Isn’t SEO a part of Web 1.0 and by default a part of Web 2.0? Many would say that several components of Web 2.0 would be classified as advanced SEO strategies, yet some would say they are SEM strategies. Maybe that’s the problem; we don’t know SEO (optimization of the site) from SEM – all of the other related search marketing components, including Web 2.0 strategies such as blogging & Social Media Marketing, or maybe its because the lines are often crossed or confused by many (i.e. discussing the SEO of a blog which is a Web 2.0 component).
Is it time for a true standards organizing body for the SEM industry? Sure we can all agree as to what are good SEO/SEM practices, but I am speaking of something formal (perhaps the W3C will adopt SEO standards? – kidding). We, in the industry, use lots of terms coined by industry experts, pseudo experts, any anyone who wants to make an impact on the industry and has a voice, and now we have SEM 2.0 in the air as it hasn’t fully caught in the mainstream.
I recently read an article written by one of the biggest proponents of SEO 2.0 who stated, “Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as we know and detest it is obsolete in this day and age”. Here is my problem with this statement. If we look at SEO as an evolving standard or best practices for building search engine friendly websites, then is isn’t dead or obsolete; at least not as long as we have web sites. In fact, if we can agree that SEO is about best practices, then as the practices evolve, we can have new versions, but is it the practice of SEO that is evolving, as in a new way to optimize web sites for search engines? I don’t think so. Lastly, if we truly detest SEO (and those that know its value and how to use it don’t), why do we want a version 2.0 of it?
That’s my 2.0 cents on the topic, I’d love to hear yours.
