In her recent article, “C3NY: SEO Not Dead, Just Evolving,” Mary Lisbeth D’Amico wrote that “SEO [search engine optimization] is not always considered the sexiest part of the business.” That’s apt and true, because folks in the industry, especially journalists who have tech beats, think of social media as alluring and hot and sexy. However, this focus on social media belies the important facts about SEO, and D’Amico is right in pointing that out.
Industry executives at the recent C3 search industry conference in NYC this week were intent on making the the point that SEO not only matters, but is not dead. In fact, it isn’t dead by a long shot. Indeed, SEO is crucial when it comes to the way companies find their way to customers and their wallets.
Of course, with the explosion of social media, the way in which strategists who analyze and use SEO has changed. As John Shehata, executive director of search & social media at ABCNews.com said, “We are no longer simply SEO experts, we are content strategists who are thinking bigger.” Shehata also noted the fact that mobile devices have had a influence on SEO analysis.
As mentioned, Shehata wasn’t the only executive who discussed the importance of SEO. Ticketmaster’s SEO Director Patricia Atrian spoke of the role it plays in their social media and content strategies. A good relationship with Google, as Atrian noted, is another way Ticketmaster has enhanced its SEO tactics.
Do you use SEO for your business strategy? Do you have a team of content strategists working on SEO?
