Finally…What was all that other junk? What do the spiders want to see? What are
the best words to use? Where do I place them?
Don’t worry, the above chapters are not a complete wash. The more you learn
about the web, the more you will learn how ideas overlap. Good usability is usually
equal to good search engine optimization.
Some people stress search engine optimization so much that they forget about their
visitors’ needs. SEO is just one part of the site-building puzzle. Ultimately, it is
your social impact or cash in the bank that is a measure of success, not where you
rank for some random search query.
In the Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell shows how small changes can bear
amazing results. If you can learn to include some of those little extras that make
your site better than your competition’s, site, you will find that others will do your
marketing for you. That is why I think it is more important to understand the
concepts of the web and the goals of search engines versus just learning the flavorof-
the-moment optimization. If everything else is good, then you do not need to
worry as much about optimization.
Plus, knowing the above in addition to doing search engine optimization will allow
you to draw lots of visitors and have a higher conversion rate. On the web, when
you lose a customer, it is usually forever. The last thing you want to do is draw
prospective customers into a minefield they are sure to regret.
Each and every page is a chance to capture or lose customers.

Focusing a Site & Combining Site Ideas

One time, a person contacted me asking for a bit of help with their site. They
wanted me to submit their site to directories. When I looked at their site I saw it
sold handmade hemp jewelry and SEO services.

In the real world, you would never see people do something like this, but many
people think it is fine on the web.
On the web there are even more alternatives to your business than in the real
world. Because of this, you need to focus on the consumer that much more.
It is fine to have many unique ideas and revenue streams, but each site should
cover its own specific niche. If you cross industries within your site, you weaken
your brand and may offend many people. What are the odds that someone is
looking for SEO services while shopping for hemp?
Even within the specific niche of SEO, I can have a site for linking, one for
keyword research, one for pay-per-click…the list goes on. Most websites fail
because they fail to properly focus, not because they are too focused.