Why Traditional SEO Is Dead – Customer-Centered SEO Is the Future

The world of SEO is evolving at lightning speed, and it's time to rethink our approach. A significant portion of the thought leadership on the current state of SEO is sometimes missing the mark. We've become so entangled in the complexities of algorithms, keywords, and reverse-engineered ranking factors that we often lose sight of the fundamental purpose of Google – matching its users with answers to their queries that genuinely meet their needs, whether it's information, navigation, or transactions. It's not about you or your company; it's about the user!

The Saga of Company XYZ: A Paradigm Shift

I remember a recent client, let's call them Company XYZ, who came to us with preconceived ideas about what SEO was. They believed it was all about gaming the system, stuffing keywords, and hoping for the best. (I was curious about where they got these ideas from, but the internet. ????♂? )

Their past experiences had left them frustrated and skeptical of the entire SEO industry. We wanted to show them a different path, which started with a quick history lesson...

The SEO Battle

SEO grew out of believing we (outside experts) could manipulate Google's algorithms to favor us and our businesses. It quickly became an ongoing battle where we tried to outsmart their systems. Google corrected, plugged the holes, and inadvertently created new gaps to be exploited (or new SEO strategies employed depending on what SEO practitioner told the story), ad Infinium. Classic hacker narratives.

But what if we took a step back and reconsidered our approach? What if we revisited the basics and took Google at face value? ??

Customer-Centered SEO: A New Paradigm

Company XYZ had specific goals in mind, and they were understandably cautious. They wanted to improve their online visibility and drive more traffic to their website. Still, they were skeptical about the strategies commonly associated with SEO- in fact, they were unsure of the profession altogether, given the string of broken commitments and unfulfilled guarantees.

Imagine if we discarded all the tricks, hacks, and reverse-engineered ranking factors and instead focused on creating web assets that authentically provided customers like Company XYZ with exceptional experiences perfectly aligned with their intended queries. ???

Allow me to introduce you to a fresh perspective: Customer-Centered SEO! ??

So, what does customer-centered SEO entail? It's about empathizing with your audience, understanding their needs, and deciphering their search intent. It's about crafting content and web experiences that genuinely resonate with your target customers, offering them the answers and solutions they seek. It's about ensuring your website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and loads lightning-fast to enhance their experience.

A Dual Approach: Meeting User Needs and Search Engine Criteria

Mostly, it's about recognizing that our jobs on this front are two-fold: a) providing a great experience to anyone who lands on our site (regardless of how they got there), and b) helping search engines determine our success at doing this relative to others that might be doing the same things.

Ranking is 100% about competition. Recognizing who's judging, what criteria they are using, and who you are competing against is at the heart of any good business strategy. It just happens that a good SEO strategy has the exact requirements.

Company XYZ's Revelation

For Company XYZ, this approach was a revelation. They started focusing on what their customers truly wanted and needed. They revamped their website, created high-quality, informative content, and optimized their user experience. Instead of obsessing over rankings, they concentrated on providing genuine value.

Conclusion and Call to Action

It's not solely about securing the top spot for a specific keyword; it's about becoming your audience's most relevant and helpful resource.

In this ever-evolving SEO landscape, let's shift our focus away from battling algorithms and instead prioritize serving our customers. Let's create web assets that add value and deliver exceptional user experiences. Let's embrace customer-centered SEO as the way forward.