Can only the elite optimize a site for Search? Seth Goldstein joins the podcast to explain why SEO doesn't need always be as complicated as some make it out to be:
Why everyone can do some good SEO
Where SEO professionals fit into the picture
Why SEOs sometimes make SEO sound more complicated than it needs to be
Is SEO Rocket Science? Why SEO Does Not Always Need To Be Complicated
SEO can be very complex. If you're managing a large news site with millions of pages that are both syndicated across the web and topically stale in a matter of hours - doing SEO will be hard and complicated. However, this is not most of the web. And while we, the SEOs, may make SEO seems incredibly complex with principles around E-A-T and algorithms, and whatnot... it doesn't have to be rocket science. A site owner, with a bit of love, elbow grease, and a bit of knowledge under their belts can do things that significantly improve their site and its ability to be discovered on Google.
Some Basic SEO Education Can Go A Long Way
A lot of people still think SEO is about trying to somehow manipulate Google with complex linking schemes and whatnot. The truth of the matter is if you do some basic research and keep up with the industry and regularly learn more about SEO you can walk away with a lot of know-how that you can translate into action.
Sometimes less is more. Even with legit SEO tactics, it can be easy to unnecessarily complicate things. Not that you couldn't go down the SEO wormhole and get into some really complicated things. It's that you often don't have to. If you're a business owner or the like you don't need to always go down the SEO rabbit hole. Instead, you can focus on the big things that move the needle the most in the here and now (and hopefully long term) and maybe one day come back around and perhaps hire an SEO to get into the weeds.
Why Do SEOs Make SEO Sound More Complicated Than It Has To Be?
Again, SEO can be very technical and complicated. But often enough we make it out to sound more complex than it really has to be. According to Seth, a lot of that is about SEOs trying to push their services on sites. The net result can be certain bad actors selling "complex" SEO solutions that are really just snake oil.
At the same time, there can be a bit of SEO elitism out there. As if the only sites SEOs work on are large complex sites with large and complex SEO needs and solutions. When you are out there in the ether that is social media you might walk away with a skewed view of what SEO actually is and who it applies to (as in what kind of sites it is applicable for).
Resources
For more of the SEO Rant Podcast check out our previous episode on SEO and developer relations.