Ok, so everyone is trying to figure out this web 2.0 and social networking thing. A lot of companies have started talking to web firms and started looking into SEO (Search Engine Optimization). As they start getting pricing and get worried if they can hire a professional they begin researching google to figure this stuff out on their own.

Many companies are learning that optimizing each page of their site helps their search ranking. So they start creating a list of keywords and filling up a page with a ton of one keyword. So maybe this gets a little help from search engines on this keyword, but let me ask you this. Is one of your prospects going to be able to decipher all this copy that is only focused on search engine ranking? A lot of times this technique makes for a poor page for users. Once you get the prospect to your page do you want them to convert or just leave because the page is too hard to understand and read?

Well, some of you web people may have heard of a newer term called Content Marketing. Content Marketing is an activity that is meant to focus on your prospect, but also help you in ranking.

The premise behind this is by writing content and lots of it, all revolving around helping your clients and prospects, they will use your site and come back often. So the client/prospect is happy and your company is happy because people keep coming back to your site (more traffic) and understanding you are the expert in your industry. Search engines now are finding the main items you are writing about and listing you in those searches and because your site seems popular and useful due to the reoccuring traffic, you start jumping up in ranking.

This is the true form of Search Engine Optimization. Using Content Marketing means you still need to use keywords in your page title, meta tags, headlines and content when possible, but you need to be more focus on your prospective clients interests and give them what they want or need.

So if you want to start ranking in the search engines, get out there and start writing new content for blog articles or other pages on your site.

Good luck!