Who this is for
If you build web sites Sees That the public, then this is for you. If you build stuff that's hidden behind firewalls and forms, or for Target Stores, this probably will not help you a bit.
Learn SEO Because:
It will make you a better developer
Truly future-proof not is about SEO spamming search engines. It's about:
* Clean canonicalization practices;
* Accessibility-ensuring 100% visibility of Appropriate content to web users and search engines;
* Building sites fast;
* RESTful URLs;
* Smart information architecture, supported by Equally smart database design;
* Security-not letting the casual browsers and search engines find stuff They Should not.
Huh.
A lot of That sounds like good development, too.
I know you're not Causing any SEO problems. But I still see lots of sites:
* Linking back to the home page at 'default.aspx';
* Loading pages in over 10 seconds;
* Using AJAX search engine as repellent;
* Presenting information Structures That look like steel wool after 2 hours in a microwave.
Clearly it's not you, but someone's up to no good. Read the rest of this article and then check the guy you share a PC with.
It will help you understand why SEOs are dry and the pain
SEO is a huge list of things That are simple, but not easy. It's an endless list of to-do items. Every One Of Them is a no-brainer if you're a decent developer, and if you do Them ahead of time.
Once the site launches, or That new feature goes live, SEO fixing problems Gets Tougher. You will not have time. Your manager, who thinks SEOs are idiots, will run around like headless Them chickens. Or something else. I know from painful personal experience That, post-launch, there are always 10 Reasons That a change is one line of code has to wait for at least six weeks.
On the other hand, 85% of your site's search-driven clicks will come from organic search results. And a huge chunk of your site's traffic will come from search. SEO screw up, screw over the Entire Business.
That's why we're dry and the pain. This stuff is really important. And it's easy for you, but really hard for everyone else.
It will teach you marketing, without giving you the marketing Cooties
That do not suck SEOs are very Similar Likely to you. We're geeky, creative and cool stuff like building. We like to win. And we want to buy expensive cars Eventually and sailboats.
Also we're marketers. We learn stuff like personas, competitive analysis, That kind of thing.
If you want to talk to a marketer who will not infect you with some horrific virus That makes you use terms like 'engagement' and 'roll rate' and (God forbid) 'ROI', talk to an SEO.
It'll save you a lot of time. And misery.
At some point, your CEO is going to use Google to search for the products you sell. Then, she's going to storm into the VP of Marketing's office and say:
"Why the f-k do not we rank for 'briefcases'?"
The VP of Marketing last week just started and knows his last three predecessors had a tenure of one year. Total. So he sas the only logical thing:
"The development team screwed up the site!"
Then the CEO will storm over to the VP of Development. But he has a ready answer:
"It was not in the specification."
That will lead the CEO back to the VP of Marketing, who will then hire an SEO consultant in hopes of saving his job.
The SEO consultant will draw up a huge list. Means Huge 50-100 fundamental changes to your site.
That will lead to a meeting Where You, the VP of Development, the VP of Marketing and the CEO Confront the SEO all the while trying to Blame Each Other for the utter crap sack of SEO your site has become.
And, finally, you'll have to work nights and weekends. Because the VP of Marketing's job is in jeopardy. He's kicking as much blame as Possible to the VP of Development. That would not matter, an except the VP of Marketing, did some of this kicking in the last board meeting. So now the VP of Development's job is in jeopardy. That really pisses him off. He's made it clear, your life will be a living hell.
Or, you can learn SEO basics, Develop Them for from the start, and make everyone happy. Your nights and weekends are saved!
Works for Me, Either Way
Regardless I'm happy. If you continue to treat SEO like a fungal infection, I'll continue to get hired for lots of money to point out why the web site is a failure. If you build sites with at least a little SEO in mind, though, I get to concentrate on moving up in the rankings, moving into an INSTEAD OF Them.
No comments:
Post a Comment