10 Misconceptions Why SEO is Better than SMO Refuted

Some bloggers argue that conventional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is better than SMO (Social Media Optimization) for average small businesses.

 

What’s the difference between search engine and social media optimization?

As I do not advocate a pure either or approach but rather the “SEO as a side effect” approach of SEO 2.0 I am not against traditional SEO altogether.

In fact my blog is called SEO 2.0 and not SMO whatever because I believe that SMO is just a as set of practices inside a larger discipline: SEO 2.0.

SEO for a social Web does not only consist of SEO of course. In case you would ask me for numbers I would say 70% social media and 30% search optimization.

On the other hand the time and effort spent on search compared to the hours spent for social media in SEO 2.0 I would reply 5% for search and up to 95% for social media.

 

Dealing with nostalgia

This does not mean that SMO is to hard to implement, it means that in SEO 2.0 you take standard SEO best practices for granted.

That said I still have to refute the points such pro SEO 1.0 bloggers voice. I respect them and often they are web and technology experts, practicing

  • web design
  • blogging
  • search engine optimization

and actively using social media. As a blogger they may have a good grip on the larger picture while

I sometimes am too much in love with my own niche of traffic generation.

I have the impression that bloggers who prefer old school SEO are driven somehow by a strange kind of nostalgia to the easy days of SEO.

Back when you optimized once, added some links from directories or link exchange and then you got traffic for an infinite time via Google and other search engines.

 

The change that social media brought can’t be ignored

The online world has changed in the recent years where popular social media sites and blogging have become omnipresent.

The new Web is still predominantly populated by bloggers, early adopters and Internet enthusiasts.

The John Doe webmaster uses, on the other hand, still a simple website if at all, and maybe has not even heard of terms like SEO so you won’t teach her or him SMO right away either.

It’s not impossible to succeed on the social web as a small business webmaster though.

The contrary is the case, you can compete with the big guys if you use the tools of Web 2.0 right. You get both direct traffic and as secondary effect the traffic via Google and the likes.

One blogger states that “99% of businesses will never benefit from Social Media or Social Networking” which he underpins with basically only 5 claims.

 

False claims about social media for small business

So let’s take a look at the main points, I have to narrow them to an easily digestible size:

Claim 1: Small businesses do not need much content, they need websites with 5 pages

In reality: Small businesses need the so called “long tail” to compete with the big guys as in SEO 1.0 in most cases you can’t outperform the big sites optimizing for the same main keywords.

Claim 2: Small business owners and employees are too

  • busy
  • lazy
  • stupid

or not web-savvy enough to blog or engage in social media

In reality: Business people can very well explain what they do or report what happens in their industry. Blogging is as easy as checking web mail right now so what’s the problem?

In case they can’t blog themselves they only need someone to write for your blog three times a week for one hour, do you think you can afford that?

Claim 3: Small businesses dealing with or selling non-sexy products or services will never succeed on social media

In reality: this is a widely spread misconception, as if only Apple is allowed to push their products via all social media. Well, it’s not true.

When you look at Facebook you can be much more successful as a plumber there than as a SEO.

Just look at the many funny pictures dealing with toilets. I know plumbers are not all about toilets, but people love to laugh about them.

Claim 4: More than a few profiles at social media services are useless for small businesses

In reality: Ever heard the term reputation management? Do you prefer disgruntled clients or former employees slandering your business in the google top ten or do you prefer to control the first ten or twenty search results?

Just look up my “company” onreact or onreact.com in Google.com, I dominate the first 20 results for both!

Claim 5: Befriending people online does not make sense for small business owners or employees

In reality: Do you think email is a good way of communication? Why don’t you meet all your clients or at least call them personally each time you have a message for them?

The same applies to social networks an other online communities. Social sites are another way to connect with people. They make it easier to connect with people all over the world.

 

Key differences between SEO and SMO

Additionally I want to ad several key differences why SEO 2.0 techniques are better than outdated SEO practices:

1. When reyling on search traffic you’re dependent mostly on Google. You can get banned over night for no apparent reason.

Google employees or rather nameless algorithms can destroy businesses with a blink of an eye! Social media engagement drives traffic from many sources and via people not robots.

Even if one site bans you or goes down, the people you networked with will still know you and probably socialize with you elsewhere

2. With SEO you sometimes have to wait up to one year to see some good rankings as Google places you in the so called sand box filter for new sites. You optimize for a year and then see some effects.

With SEO 2.0 or SMO you’ll see traffic from day one, if done right. The links you gain via social media will push you in the rankings too so sometimes you’ll overcome the sand box much quicker.

3. In SEO you have to write long copy in a really boring repetitive style using keywords in such a way you rank well, so that people will get bored with your copy.

While in SEO 2.0 you write with passion for the people and you want to attract them right away, they love your copy.

4. Socializing on the Web is just another way of forging business relations with your existing business partners or new ones.

While you would never befriend an Australian living there while you’re in Europe in real life unless you work as a flight attendant you can do it with social media.

Did you ever befriend anybody at Google or Yahoo or search? You can’t even email someone if you’re rankings drop. Google does not care for small business owners.

5. While it’s utter bullshit most normal people assume that SEO is shady manipulation only somewhere along the spam you get via email.

At the end of the day many business owners are often very hesitant to even admit they practice search engine optimization.

In fact that’s one of the reasons why SEO has such a bad rep. You only notice the bad quality one as a normal user.

Nobody will tell how the New York Times optimizes it’s website. SEO 2.0 or SMO is out there in the open.

In a way it’s about showing off you and your business or company. You do not have to lie to your clients about it.

 

Do not depend on Google’s monopoly

I could go on like hat but I have to do some SEO work now, but I can convince more and more clients that SEO 2.0 with its set of SMO techniques is the better choice.

It’s also obvious to many more people why buying or exchanging links and dependence on the Google monopoly (95% market share in Germany by now) can amount to suicide sometimes.

I can convince them although blogging and social media are still underdeveloped in Germany with far fewer people actively participating.

Last updated: June 27th, 2017.