Shirley Tipsy

SEO and Romance - Same Difference

Most people in this industry know that in order to be truly dedicated to SEO, romance must be willingly placed in second (or third, or fourth, etc.) place when it comes to your priorities. We work long hours, hellish ones at that, and eat, sleep, live and breathe this industry. I know quite a few significant others of SEO’s who are well aware of this and have learned to cope quite well. This got me thinking though, if we could apply the rules of SEO to our romantic lives, would it make life easier for everyone involved?

I sat down and thought about all of things I would like out of my boyfriend. Things that would make me happy, things I’d simply like to see and things that are a necessity in order to have a thriving relationship. Therefore I give you (in no particular order)…

The Complete Idiots Guide to Relationship Optimization 1.0:

1. Choose your Primary Domain and stick with it!

Search engines like to see that you have one main domain name assigned to your website and that you dedicate your efforts to that primary domain. Numero Uno rule in this Book of Love… you should have ONE significant other as well.

2. Keep the original content coming!

Search engines like to visit your website and see that you have new and interesting things to say, which helps to establish you as an authority on the given subject matter of your website. Your significant other also needs to have new and interesting things to talk to you about so that communication lines stay open and the “freshness” of the relationship is maintained.

3. Paid Inclusion

In SEO, money can’t buy you happiness, but it can get you some good traffic by paying to be included on valuable websites and directories, including sponsored links, etc. A common practice for your romantic life should be to pay for your inclusion in the relationship. I’m talking nice dinners, the occasional bouquet of flowers and some good old fashioned gift giving on birthdays and holidays. If you’re willing to pay to get people to visit your website, you should be willing to pay for your significant other to continue to visit with you!

4. Be targeted and fight every battle with the goal of winning the war

It is important to select the right keywords based on the amount of traffic they get and the relevance they have to your target demographic, as well as contain the knowledge and information to know when and where to switch things around. You should be just as strategic with your relationship. Knowing which arguments to stand your ground on and which to give in on can do wonders for your love life!

5. Yes, titles are important.

Whenever I am writing a title for a website, I try to think about the best, easiest way to describe the site using as few characters as possible. It’s important that visitors and SE’s know exactly what the site is all about and where it stands when they see this title. All too many times we give the wrong titles to our relationships! Here’s a little clue for you: If you’ve been seeing each other exclusively for more than four months, you’re not “dating” you’re a “couple.” Using the wrong title can cause major arguments and tensions so it is best to be as clear as possible!

6. Keep your HOME page clean!

I can’t tell you how frustrating it is for me to visit a website and see that the homepage is cluttered with random graphics and bits of information that do not seem to logically fit the page. In that same token, I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to come home and find my boyfriends random musical instruments and such laying around the living room. Keep your entryways clean and you won’t lose your most valuable traffic!

7. Make it easy to contact you!

When a visitor is reading through your website and wants to contact you, they should be a click or less away from your contact information or an easy to use form to get a hold of you. Making it too difficult to contact you can contribute to your visitors leaving your website and finding someone easier to talk to. The same can be said about your relationship. If your significant other has to leave you a voicemail on your cell and office number and follow it up with an email AND a text message before you get back to them, odds are they are going to get tired of chasing after you and move on to someone who is “there” for them more.

All in all, it is important to be dependable, dedicated and hard working in anything you do… Especially SEO and Love.