Search is dead! Long live social!

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a hot topic in the web world that continues to evolve on what can seem to be a daily basis. An approach that worked six months ago may no longer work today. Some are beginning to think that SEO may be dead and they need to turn to other tactics to get visitors.

In a recent Mashable interview, The Atlantic Media Company’s Scott Havens, senior VP of finance and digital operations, said, “Sixteen months ago we received the same number of monthly referrals from search as social. Now 40% of traffic comes from social media… Truly [our writers] are not really thinking about SEO anymore. Now it’s about how we can spin a story so that it goes viral.”

I think the point Havens was trying to make is that too often, web writers can get caught up in writing for SEO. They get consumed by trying to optimize their page content for search engines by using the right keywords. As a result, the story suffers. It isn’t as eloquent, relevant, engaging, or funny. Havens was basically saying it is more important to write a good story, than to write for a machine. He certainly has a point there, but I would argue that good writing that goes viral is SEO. If you are making an effort to get your content shared, you’re also helping your SEO at the same time.

Today, a comprehensive approach using traditional SEO techniques with social media can be very effective.  Viral content will boost your SEO because search engines pay more attention to social signals. Viral stories tell search engines that your site is active, current, and invested in the needs of your audience. Additionally, the social approach to SEO allows the content to be more relevant to what the visitor is looking for than by relying on organic searches alone. If a story is viral, it is shared with others interested in the same story. This will improve the Bounce Rate and will likely result in more engagement with the site.  Let the story come first, then follow with SEO. This is truly a win-win for the content provider and the visitor.

A blog article in Search Engine Watch titled “7 Social Media & SEO Tactics Businesses Will Adopt in 2012” echo’s this approach. The article noted that over the past few years, we’ve seen a mad rush (and budget) from companies to create content with the sole purpose of creating content for SEO. Instead, what we’ll see in 2012 is a more structured approach by businesses to create content that provides a unique value to readers resulting in higher engagement levels with their community members. The article notes that we’ll see a more holistic approach from businesses with content, whether its videos, how-to content pieces, or other types of content. In the end, quality content will become more important. After all, content is King. Or is it?