My initial experience with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was from the client-side when my previous employer was undergoing an extensive reconstruction of its website. What was most revealing to me was that it was more important to keep our desired web site visitors in mind than to show-off and highlight our services (and how great we thought we were). We needed to think, write, and plan in terms of what we could do for those we wanted to attract to our web site.

Months later, I now work as a project manager for a web design company and am in training to become a SEO expert. In this process of learning, I have found a few things about SEO surprising. SEO isn’t just about driving the user to your site; it’s about the visitor taking the next step on your website, such as making a purchase (if you are selling something) or signing up as a volunteer (if you are a non-profit in need of support). These are called “conversions”, and this is a key point. When a searcher finds your site, has that user done whatever it is you want them to do?

Another interesting aspect of SEO is that there are specific, definitive things you can do with your website to help your ranking, yet there are no guarantees that those actions will result in top rankings because SEO is both an art and a science. So your site may be ranked in the top 10 of Google for weeks and then fall unexpectedly. I had thought that when building the website, if you follow a procedure, such as A + B = C, then your outcome was guaranteed. Not so. Algorithms change, and maintaining a good position requires regular amendment to your content and code.

I am speculating that as I continue to skip down the SEO path, and I execute all the necessary details to obtain good rankings when developing a website, I may still encounter more surprises.