Why You SHOULD NOT Always Take Google's 'Advice'

Can I first of all say I have just joined this forum and I just wish I had known of it earlier. The level of knowledge that members have on subjects of great interest to me ie., SEO & PPC, will, I have no doubt, help me to continue improving and maximising my returns from my internet marketing.

My first post on another forum provoked a somewhat 'heated' response when I advised against believing the 'instant page 1' claims of SEO companies and also advising that no SEO should be done before testing on PPC.

The 'heated' responder quoted that Google themselves recommend getting an SEO involved in website design from the start.

I learnt long ago that because Google's objectives are different to mine I don't always follow their advice. I hope members find my reply of interest and I would welcome your views and opinions ... heated or otherwise!

'As far as Google recommending that you involve an SEO from the start of a website design/internet marketing campaign I DISAGREE.

Before I comment why I disagree I would state this: Google are undoubted experts at running a search engine, determining SEO algorithms, and squeezing every penny out of PPC advertisers etc.,

However, just as manufacturing footballs does not gift the company directors with the skills of Ronaldo, neither does running a search engine gift those in Google with internet MARKETING prowess. Perry Marshall for example, has infinitely more knowledge of getting the best out of Google PPC than they do themselves.

There are two words beginning with 'R' which differentiate Google's objectives from mine - they want 'relevancy' I want 'results'.

Yes, I have to follow Google's relevancy requirements to achieve high SEO rankings and a high PPC quality score, but I do not do it so slavishly that I lose sight of my real objective which is getting RESULTS ie., getting my website to convert visitors into sales which equals profit for my business.

What many SEO's and their clients forget, or perhaps never even consider, is that a 1st page ranking (even for volume potentially profitable keywords) is of little use if the website does not convert visitors into sales or subscription to a database etc.

SEO's are often so hell bent on stuffing the site with SEO criteria that by the time a 'holy grail' 1st page ranking is achieved it is only then that the website is revealed as a conversion 'duffer'. The poor old business (and by now they could be VERY poor) has spent all that money on SEO for ... ?

You do not make money from generating visitors to your website ie., SEO/PPC, you make money from CONVERTING those visits into business.

In short, give me 100 PPC visits a month that convert into 10 sales over 1,000 SEO visits that convert into 1. Of course the real 'holy grail' is a combination of volume SEO and PPC visits and volume conversion but only the elite few achieve this.

My objective is RESULTS not the cache of seeing my site on page 1 of Google SEO.

If I can achieve both, fantastic, but I know without any deliberation which one puts 'food on the table'.

Which brings me back (albeit after a lot longer than I expected!) to why I disagree with getting an SEO involved at the start of a website design/campaign.

I advise doing a PPC campaign first with simple website pages which test keyword conversion and therefore help to establish which keywords you should optimise for SEO. At the same time you should test your website design, headlines, copy, pictures, colours etc., and track the results on Google's conversion optimiser to establish the 'winning' format of your site design.

Then, and only then, in my opinion should you involve an SEO.

If you get an SEO involved from the start you are in grave danger, as I think I may have made clear, of inadvertently having the wrong objective ie., No1 SEO rankings instead of No1 site conversion and profits.

And, by the way, I practise what I preach. I have multiple 1st and 2nd page Google/MSN/Yahoo SEO rankings for high volume keywords with a site conversion of 35%+.

I also regulary achieve PPC CTR's of 15%+ (often 30%+) again with site conversions of 35%+.'

Your views and comments would be much appreciated.

Colin Parker