34 replies to this topic

[pageviews]

I see the checklist SEO people much like the "software" seo people. They grab a copy of WPG or IBP and run the site through the software as if it were a Playdough factory that spits out stars on the back end. These are the same people that have never taken the time to really create a unique site either. Many grabbed a template, hijacked some copy and blame the dot bomb crash of 02 for their failure.

The ones that really scare me are the ones that charge clients. They have a check list for all clients. Every client's needs fit into the copper, gold or platnum program. They never look at the server, site construction (unless dynamic urls are on the list) copy etc. Optimize X pages add X links and call it a day.

[SERPico]

Agreed, Serpico, working from a checklist in and of itself isn't bad, which I think I've said either here or in the actual article comments.

As to my checklist, sorry, a girl's gotta have SOME secrets. My checklist is from 12 years of knowledge, and isn't just something like "Title Tags - Check"! It provides our clients with what we're looking at, why we're looking at it, and what is wrong with what we found (or what is right with it as the case may be).

Of course, if you'd like to order one of our custom site audit reports, you will get a copy along with how it applies to your particular site.

Hi Jill,

Pretty pricy checklist - I can't afford such a big sum of money

The fee for this in-depth site audit starts at $6000.

[Jill]

For the record, Serpico, you get a lot more than the checklist for that sum.

[SERPico]

I'll keep that in mind Jill, someday i may take you up on that offer, when things are starting to pick up for me

[Nueromancer]

Well checklist SEO isn't necessarily bad as long as you understand what you're checking off and why you're checking it off. The trouble comes in when you got a checklist from somewhere, but have no idea as to what it means.

Which is basically the same thing as people reading that you should put X amount of characters in the Title tag, for instance. No you shouldn't. There is no special X amount that is right for every page. But since someone once said it on the internet it somehow becomes gospel. Same with any numbers or formulas for SEO. Just like the 250 words for page thing. I made that number up 7 or 8 years ago and now it's repeated everywhere!

I'm not totaly sure that joe average user would even know what the title of an html page is though certainly i've only eaver seen one of the many sites i've looked at/worked on do titles at all right.

I've seen some checklist programming on websites Linux has a lot to answerfor Ubuntu zelots that dont get xwindows or how to use a CLI or vi. Let alone do basic SQL query's in somthing aproaching a corect manner.

[Randy]

I've seen some checklist programming on websites Linux has a lot to answerfor Ubuntu zelots that dont get xwindows or how to use a CLI or vi. Let alone do basic SQL query's in somthing aproaching a corect manner.

Hunh?

Either I'm totally missing your point or none of that has anything whatsoever to do with an SEO Checklist.

[lorenzlammens]

Checklists, creative SEO and knowing what your doing.

First of all, SEO is a craft, just like any other technical job out there. It requires a deep understanding of the rules of the game, the science of the craft.

The science and technique of SEO:
There is a reason why certain techniques work and why others don't. It is important to research successful sites and make a checklist of the attributes they share. It is equally important to review your own successes and failures and list these techniques in a spreadsheet or whatever analysis software you use, in order to learn about what works and what doesn't and to score the different techniques. Above all, it is extremely important to review that strategy on a regular basis.

Checklist?
From all that work, one could derive a temporary checklist. What that checklist would look like won't change dramatically over the years. But it will grow your list of subtle techniques that work, and teach you which methods should be discarded over time.

Creativity!
And it is that abundance of little techniques that can stimulate creativity. After all, when we build a page, the challenge is to engage the consumer. You cannot put your copywriter or yourself in a straightjacket of absolute rules. By the way: there are no absolute rules.

If you have a list of all the techniques that are relevant to search engines, you can start thinking creatively about your code, about your copy and the technologies you will incorporate. The rules do not need to strangle any of the above, as there is an abundance, and every page can have its own unique mix of implemented guidelines (=the rules that sat harmoniously with engaging content and the right technology for the user experience).

Once you've done that, it is time to let the page out there, wait until it ranks, and then investigate whether the mix was successful or not. If your search engine analysis and subsequent methodology is sound, you should do well.

And such is the art of SEO: to create a set of (ever updating) guidelines based on empirical research and feedback loops. These guidelines are then implemented in such a way that they are not restrictive and encourage creativity, sound marketing and customer engagement.

[Nueromancer]

Hunh?

Either I'm totally missing your point or none of that has anything whatsoever to do with an SEO Checklist.

hobby programmers or rote taught progammers who use code they have borowed blindly with out knowing wtf they are doing eg how to do a many to many relasionship in mysql - my point was its not just a problem in seo.

http://worsethanfailure.com/

maybe we need an SEO version of worse than failure

--

oh and dont get the OO zelots who insist on using an Object's even when the aplication does not lend its self to the model.

[Nueromancer]

[font=Tahoma]Checklists, creative SEO and knowing what your doing…

First of all, SEO is a craft, just like any other technical job out there. It requires a deep understanding of the rules of the game, the science of the craft.

Well i'me not sure that all of us would agree that Technical jobs are a craft rather than a profession that’s part of the problem that Jill is alluding to a profession SEO would know why they are doing stuff.

I certainly consider my self a Professional (AB1) and not a fraking technician (even tough I started as a Mech Eng Technician)

Though my response is colored by coming from the Uk/US background where technicians and engineers are considered as the lowest of the low.

Some one I know told be about the head of BT’s RnD labs wife who when she said her husband was an Engineer was told “oh that’s nice dear what sort of cars does he work on”

[lorenzlammens]

Well i'me not sure that all of us would agree that Technical jobs are a craft rather than a profession that's part of the problem that Jill is alluding to a profession SEO would know why they are doing stuff.

I certainly consider my self a Professional (AB1) and not a fraking technician (even tough I started as a Mech Eng Technician)

Though my response is colored by coming from the Uk/US background where technicians and engineers are considered as the lowest of the low.

Some one I know told be about the head of BT's RnD labs wife who when she said her husband was an Engineer was told "oh that's nice dear what sort of cars does he work on"

No offence intended.

As a European the word technique implies 'mastery'. The connotation is quite different. I'm a Belgian citizen, you might have heard of Belgium: the nation that was for sale on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. And yes, it's a real country!

What I meant to say is that the job has a technical element to it, as that it requires a fair amount of engine analysis, ranking analysis and customer behaviour analysis.

SEO is as much an art, a dance with the customer and the search engines and requires high level professionalism. It is ultimately a marketing job that requires you to think about demographics, customer need and awareness and the best way to both raise a products profile and create a satisfying buying experience encouraging (and facilitating) repeat purchase.

I don't often hear about SEO in this context, but that is exactly where it belongs.

[Andy_Seo]

I think the problem lies in certain people believing there are hidden secrets in terms of optimizing website. SEOs should concentrate on making sites accessible with good quality relevant content for their target audience, rather than believing in algorithm myths. Some clients also believe that the industry is like a switch; from bad rankings to good rankings overnight.

[George]

(still laughing at Jill going for the ask--- WTG!)

I agree with the notion of working from a plan. One thing I find particularly frustrating with clients (and sometimes my boss) is that every site is different and needs a different plan. It's like cooking. Sometimes you need flour, sometimes you need sugar and sometimes you're grilling a steak.

Hitting a site with a series of SEO and SEM activities is a poor substitute for a true marketing plan. SEO ultimately has to be a branch of marketing. It can't be the end product, and too many people are pitching just that solution now.

[Jill]

Offtopic

(still laughing at Jill going for the ask--- WTG!)

You mean on sphinn? I totally hated to do that, it's not my usual style, but I really did think it was getting overlooked by mistake!

[nethy]

Will I get swarmed if I say that a simple generic checklist will get a lot of sites a long way?

I mean, the difference between a checklist optimisation and no checklist optimisation is probably going to be comparable to to the difference between checklist optimisation and professional optimisation in many cases.

You could come upwith a generic checklist that could be put to use by most site owners that would make a difference between 10-20 UVs a month to .5k-2k a month eventually for a lot of sites. I'm not sure how you'd can keyword research but its not really rocket surgery is it?

A checklist for develpers would be even more useful, though it won't nessecarily result in traffic. It'd have to be a different checklist though.

[Jill]

Again, there's nothing wrong with using a checklist for your optimization as long a you understand the reason you're checking off whatever it is you're checking off.