Book Review: The Truth About Search Engine Optimization
Written on April 15, 2009 by Susan Payton
I tend to not talk about Search Engine Optimization a lot. Why? I guess I felt I didn’t know enough about it to be the SEO Eggspert. But I just finished reading The Truth About Search Engine Optimization, and I realized I know more than I thought.
Let me say, I’ve been meaning to get this review out a lot sooner, but it honestly took me about a month to get through this book. It’s thin and the chapters are only about 4 pages, but it is so chock full of goodness that I could only read a chapter or two before I had to put it down and mull on what I’d learned.
What did I learn?
- As I suspected, those companies that promise to get you to the #1 spot on Google are scammers.
- It takes hard work to move up the search engine results, and even then you can’t guarantee placement.
- The more links you have within your website or blog, the better you rank.
- The more websites or blogs that link to you, the better you rank.
- Metatags and keywords aren’t as important as they once were, but they help (and hey, any little thing you can do is worth doing)
- A good title is important for improving SEO
I learned a lot more, but this is a post, not a book about a book, right? Author Rebecca Lieb knows her stuff. As the cover says, she’s an “Internationally known Search Engine Optimization expert.” Great title.
I highly recommend this book if you don’t have a dedicated web and SEO expert on staff. It’s important for small business owners to have a full understanding of what goes on behind the scenes of their websites. Just having a site does not guarantee anyone will find you online.
A solid understanding of SEO is key for building traffic and as a result, new business. Buy the book. Do it. Do it.
PS I just found a cool video that explains SEO nicely:
Here’s a great post from Small Business Trends called Five Tips for Avoiding Deceptive SEO Companies. Check it out.
Very well written. This is the kind of information that is useful to those want to increase their SERP’s. Keep up the good work.
Very good review. I am glad someone enjoyed the book. I know for me it wasn’t that great. There was a lot of information and none that really made sense to me.
Marketing Forums–
Thank you very much!
Pandora Battery–
It’s great and easily digestible, since the chapters are too short. Maybe you should hire my company to do your SEO!
Susan
Great review. I’d add a caution, as someone who works with small biz owners on marketing through (among other things) blogs and websites: SEO is not some golden ticket into riches. It encompasses a huge and hugely diverse collection of tools and actions, both on and offsite, and none of these will rocket you into fame and fortune. In my experience, the best approach to SEO is to treat it as a group of necessary administrative tasks, but focus on the two most important aspects of running a blog/site:
1. Content
2. Relationships with other bloggers/site owners
Good point, Sheryl. SEO is just one component of the larger picture. Goes well with other marketing and PR efforts.
Susan