Good SEO Starts with a Good Product

There’s this weird myth that seems to circulate around the industry about how things are done. I hear it the most when I’m at conferences chatting with new faces and getting to hear about their business and why they’re at a show like BrightonSEO or Search Marketing Expo (SMX). I’ll meet someone, introduce myself, and then ask them what they do for a living and what they hope to get from the show. They’ll tell me about their also-ran of a product/service, I’ll give them a deflated “is that all?” look, and then they’ll chuckle and say, “that’s why we’re here. To help it get attention and to catch on.”

• SEO and Product Intersection
• FAQ: How can I ensure my SEO efforts are effective from the start by focusing on having a valuable product?

SEO and Product Intersection

Hi, the Internet’s marketing community called. They said you’re doing it wrong. SEO isn’t going to make your boring product interesting.

Here, look at this:

Search engine optimization can offer a powerful punch for your business. Obviously being someone who works for an SEO company, I totally get that. I understand that creating a website that is SEO’d and therefore structurally sound, usable, and that builds trust is incredibly important. It can help take your earning-nothing website and make it a serious player in your industry. But it can only do that if you deserve it. If your product or service is worth the attention. I’ve mentioned Bruce’s pig/eagle saying numerous times, but I think it holds true (and frankly, I like it). As our fearless leader says, it’s not the job of SEO to put wings on a pig; it’s the job of SEO to genetically re-engineer the pig into an eagle.

In less animal-related words, that means whomever you hire to do your search engine optimization, it is not their job to get your crap site to rank. It’s their job to show you how to fix your Web site so that you deserve your rankings. It may be their job to explain to you how to get there, but it’s not their job to do it for you. It’s your site. It’s your responsibility to make it something. Your SEO can then help get it the attention it deserves.

I think a lot of sites underestimate how much easier it would be to rank if they actually deserved to rank. Often you’ll hear site owners complaining about how unfair Google is and how it’s not right that they’ve been banished to page four of the SERP. And then you’ll go and take a look at their site and you’ll get it. You’ll know exactly why they rank where they do. They rank there because they deserve to rank there. If you’re trying to put wings on a pig and call it a resource…welcome to Google’s toilet. Stay awhile.

Search engine optimization isn’t the first step to achieving high rankings. Having a good product is. Offering something that is better than your competition and serves a purpose to the community is the most important part of achieving rankings. When you offer something of value, that’s when the links come in naturally. It’s when word of mouth does your marketing for you. It’s when people are linking to your content on social media networks because it’s actually interesting and engaging, not because you hire a company to push your stuff. Before you go and hire a search engine optimization company, make sure you have something worth getting to rank. Because if you don’t, you’re just wasting your money, money that would be better invested in actually improving your product.

Step one to a successful SEO campaign is this: Have a product worth selling or a service worth paying for. Otherwise, why would you ever rank?

Have a great product? Then, it’s time for SEO. Let’s talk.

FAQ: How can I ensure my SEO efforts are effective from the start by focusing on having a valuable product?

Effective SEO requires offering valuable products or services. As an SEO specialist, I am here to ensure your efforts will be effective from day one by stressing how crucial it is that your offering something of worth to customers or clients. Let’s delve into this crucial topic.

1. Understanding SEO as a Holistic Approach

To start off on the right foot, you must view SEO as more than just keyword optimization and backlinks. It’s about delivering genuine value to your audience. Valuable products or services naturally attract more attention, leading to better SEO performance. In other words, a valuable product is the foundation of your SEO strategy.

2. Target Audience Research

Begin by understanding your target audience. Conduct in-depth research to determine their needs, preferences, and pain points. This knowledge will help you create products or services that genuinely address these issues, making your offerings inherently valuable.

3. Quality Content Creation

Quality content is a cornerstone of effective SEO. Create content that showcases your products, provides useful information, answers questions, and offers solutions to common problems. This approach establishes your website as a valuable resource.

4. User Experience Matters

A valuable product includes a user-friendly and intuitive website. Make sure your website is fast, responsive and user-friendly to maximize user experience – an important SEO ranking factor.

5. Customer Feedback and Iteration

Collect and analyze customer feedback to continuously improve your products or services. This iterative process ensures that your offer remains valuable over time, helping you maintain your SEO success.

6. Ethical SEO Practices

When focusing on having a valuable product, it’s essential to also follow ethical SEO practices. Avoid blackhat tactics that may temporarily boost your rankings but damage your reputation in the long run.

7. Engagement and Social Proof

Encourage customer reviews and testimonials. Positive feedback and social proof are strong indicators of your product’s value, further boosting your SEO efforts.

8. Analytics and Monitoring

Utilize analytics tools to monitor your SEO performance. This will help you identify which aspects of your product or service resonate most with your audience, allowing you to fine-tune your SEO strategy.

9. Building Trust and Authority

Earning trust and authority in your industry is crucial. Offering valuable products or services builds credibility, which, in turn, enhances your SEO efforts.

10. Sustainable SEO Growth

By prioritizing the value of your product, you lay the foundation for sustainable SEO growth. Google and other search engines favor websites that genuinely benefit users.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Ensuring Effective SEO Through Valuable Products

1. Understand that SEO is more than technical optimization; it’s about providing value.
2. Conduct thorough research on your target audience to understand their needs.
3. Create quality content that offers solutions and information.
4. Ensure a positive user experience on your website.
5. Collect and act on customer feedback for continuous improvement.
6. Practice ethical SEO techniques.
7. Encourage customer reviews and testimonials.
8. Monitor SEO performance through analytics.
9. Build trust and authority in your industry.
10. Prioritize value to achieve sustainable SEO growth.

Follow these steps to set your SEO off the right foot by offering something of real value to your users. SEO goes beyond search engine optimization; it should also enhance user experience by giving what your audience desires.

This article was updated on December 1, 2023.

Lisa Barone is a writer, content marketer & VP of strategy at Overit Media. She's also a very active Twitterer, much to the dismay of the rest of the world.

See Lisa's author page for links to connect on social media.