Gone Fishing!

Let’s face it, the world of SEO can be a daunting one for small businesses who are just starting out online.

Quite often, we’re asked to explain how online marketing works… in layman’s terms.  In the early days, we tried all sorts of analogies to help explain why, as SEO consultants, we do the things we do.  Most failed to hit the spot, until one day we landed (excuse the pun) a new client who was a keen fisherman.

Now every new client who asks for an explanation of what SEO actually is, we always refer back to our fishing story.  In essence, we now describe SEO in one very quick fishing lesson!

When a fisherman takes up fishing for the first time, he will have several goals in mind from the outset.  He might just want to catch a fish for fun.  Alternatively, he might want to catch a single fish for dinner or to sell in volume at a market.

Before he starts, if the fisherman wants to catch a fish (a customer) he must first invest in some basic equipment.  At the very least he will need a rod (a web page), some hooks (keywords) and some bait (promotion or a call to action).

Through the use of intelligence (Analytics) and keeping a close eye on other fishermen, the fisherman will learn which type of hook and bait catches a certain type of fish.  He will also learn the best places from which to fish (natural search, paid search or social media) and at what time of day to focus his efforts (particularly important for paid search).

Very quickly, the fisherman will learn that quality equipment (online content) will help him land more fish.  Similarly, the fisherman will learn that the more hooks he has in the water (web pages, blog items, tweets, news items), the more fish he will catch.

As fishing becomes more competitive, the fisherman will have to work harder to keep landing fish.  He can do this by protecting his fishing grounds (rankings) and keep abreast of all the new technological developments.