How SEO Theory Revolutionized Search Engine Optimization
What is hard core search engine optimization? Is it what some people call “black hat” or “spamdexing” techniques? Not according to Michael Martinez, founder and author of the world-famous SEO Theory blog. Every year for three years Martinez has published articles on October 16 that provide SEOs with “20 hard core SEO tips”. The first article, published in 2007, took the SEO industry by storm. People were amazed at the outrageous suggestions Martinez made in his now legendary list: “Stop using keywords in your URLs”, “Stop using keywords in your titles”, etc.
As one writer put it, at first glance it might seem like Martinez had “gone bonkers”. But his clever explanations challenged the well-worn assumptions the SEO industry had come to favor and inspired many people to think about search engine optimization in different ways. Some articles about the SEO theory tips went so far as to deconstruct the methodology Martinez proposes in fine detail.
Suddenly, people were shaken out of their link-building stupors. They began to realize there is far more to search engine optimization than mere keyword research and anchor text. One had to look at competitive queries differently, because there might be times when an SEO cannot pull out that favored box of tricks and do business as usual. What if your client won’t let you change their site? So much for changing URLs and page titles. Where most SEOs might throw in the towel, Martinez urges them to see new possibilities and tackle the challenge presented by a difficult client with gusto.
The SEO Theory hard core tips articles have inspired hundreds of tweets, blog posts, sphinns, and other forms of recognition. Some spam blogs now republish the tips in an effort to look legitimate to search engines. It could always be said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or maybe, just maybe, even the black hat spammers are paying homage to a true master of the craft and giving him some of those links he seems to scoff at.
