What Does SEO Mean in 2013?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has transformed from a strategy to a business necessity in the way brands, services, and products vie for market visibility. “Build for humans and not search engines,” is not just a suggestion from Google—it is a warning. As Google continues to amend its search algorithm, so must develop the definition of SEO.

According to Wikipedia, “SEO is the process of increasing visibility of your brand’s presence in organic search results.” Well, what is that process? And now that this phrase appears more often in the marketing lexicon, is it used in other contexts?

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The acronym, SEO, is basically a noun that currently appears in articles in two forms:

SEO as a process – Researching non-branded keywords that advances organic search traffic, then publishing content optimized for those keywords.

SEO as an outcome – The result of a marketing strategy using content that incorporates keywords being searched by your target audience.

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What techniques are old hat in 2013? “Gone are the days when all one had to do to get to the top of search results were to target certain keywords by optimizing website content for those keywords and building links (even through shady methods) pointing to a website,” says Solon Harmony Dolor on Social Barrel. Click the image to the right for the most comprehensive list of current SEO tactics we’ve seen, courtesy of Positionly.

The definition of SEO will continue to lengthen as new tactics are developed for the latest algorithms content developers, adhere to. These new additions should give you a better idea for where SEO is headed and how to stay with leaders of the pack.

How would we define it in 2013? SEO: a process required to remain competitive in the business world today.

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