The Truth About SEO – And What To Do About It

The Problem

We’ve all heard and read about SEO, and most of us believe we must do it in order to be seen online.

So we follow the gurus, who tell us to:

1. Get as many backlinks as we can (from reputable sources of course)
2. Structure our sites in a special way (to take advantage of internal linking)
3. Sprinkle keywords throughout our articles to fool the search engines
4. Follow specific algorithms on keyword density
5. Use anchor text in special ways
6. Write a minimum of 500 words, and preferably between 1,000 and 2,000 words
7. And so on…

But NONE of this helps the people that matter:

1. You. Everything you put online creates and cements your reputation.
2. Your customers and prospects. Do they care about article length, keywords etc?
3. Search Engines. They exist to serve the searcher (and benefit advertisers and shareholders – none of the above does that)

When everyone follows BAD advice, it’s a race to the bottom. And it always ends in tears.

The Solution

Doing things for the wrong reason is why everything eventually fails. And since the wrong reason for current SEO thinking is to fool search engines, it makes sense that the right reason to do SEO is NOT to fool anyone – and focus on those who really matter.

Who do we need to benefit?

1. Our prospects and customers
2. Ourselves – in terms of reputation
3. Our stakeholders

The ONLY way to help our prospects and customers is to give them EXACTLY what they need. Solutions to their questions and problems. That (and making a profit from supplying information and products) is the point of business.

The ONLY way to develop and grow a good reputation is to produce quality information, quality products, and quality customer service.

The ONLY way to benefit stakeholders is to give them a sustainable business. Those stakeholders include search engines. If we supply them with content and mechanisms aimed at fooling them into believing we matter, then we deserve everything that comes our way – including being ignored by them.

The Proof

A search engine’s purpose is to supply the best possible answer to whatever is searched for. If it fails to do that, another search engine that does it better will replace it.

Right now, in the West, there is only one search engine that matters, and that is Google with 90% market share (according to the latest figures from Statista – Oct 2018).

That’s not to say that Bing and Yahoo don’t matter, just that for every page that gets 10 visitors from Google, it only gets 1 view from all the rest combined.

This makes Google the Gatekeeper of search. And ABC, Google’s holding company needs to make sure it stays that way. If it fails, the advertisers will go elsewhere because the visitors will go elsewhere.

And there’s only ONE way to ensure it never fails. And that way is to ALWAYS deliver the best possible content – NOT the content with the most backlinks, the highest number of words, the most authoritative website, the best site structure nor any of the other things we’re taught by the SEO gurus that matter.

Companies rise, fall and disappear all the time. Even the largest of them. Google is no different.

It may take time, but it will happen if they take their focus away from ONE thing. And that thing is CONTENT.

To always deliver the best possible answer for the intent of the searcher is the only race in search engine optimisation.

And unlike traditional so-called SEO, this race is a race to the top.

How To Do SEO Correctly

Research. Your first question should be “what are my customers and prospects looking for?” followed by “what do they need help with?” followed by “how do I fit into that?”.

Answer those three questions and you’ll be able to create a list of topics worthy to write about that won’t waste your (or your prospects and customers) time.

Next, you need to know what (not who) you are competing with. If you put up the same content as everyone else (which is largely what’s happening right now) you’re asking NOT to be ranked at all.

So start with the Gatekeeper. They’re the people who choose what pages are worthy of testing, and from those results, they pick which pages to rank.

As with all plagiarism, it’s no good copying what’s already ranking. Search engines are not stupid for one thing, but more importantly, if you get someone to rewrite what already exists, it doesn’t help your customers, your business, your stakeholders (or your reputation).

You need to improve it. You need to make it more in-depth than the current top 10, easier to read and understand than anything that currently exists, and more useful as an answer than anything else for the problem it solves.

And you need to do this more consistently and at a higher rate than any of your competitors if you want to lead – and stay on top of your market.

OK I Get It. But Is There Any Part Of Traditional SEO I Should Still Use?

Yes. Meta tags. An article’s Meta Title and Description tags are your advert.

When a search engine decides to show your page to its audience, it may* choose to use your meta title and description.

If it does, then you have control over your hook (a hook is how you attract and engage readers).

However, if your meta title and description do not precisely describe the content of your article, then you run two risks. a) the search engine may decide you’re using clickbait in order to get people to click on your page, and b) readers who do click will be disappointed with your page and will bounce back to the search results and click on someone else’s page instead (which will in time hurt your rankings – for hopefully obvious reasons – search engines will demote pages that either a) no one is clicking on, or b) has a high and deserved bounce rate).

What To Do Next To Fix Your SEO Problem

If you’re unsure about how to do any of this, talk to us here at ProofMEDIA. It’s what we do for our clients.

* Search engines will select part of your text if no meta tags have been defined, but even if they have, they may also choose to ignore them.

Secret Engine Optimisation or Search Engine Optimisation

Although everyone knows that SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, for most people, it means SECRET Engine Optimisation. And that is because, quite frankly, no one knows how Google truly works except Google, otherwise everyone would be gaming the system and it would rapidly become useless. This is fine and good, but how can you influence Google in a Google SEO approved way, and thereby reveal the SECRET?

It is actually quite simple.

You use Google itself to reveal which pages it thinks a certain keyphrase or title should show in the search results. Then you reverse engineer those articles, the ones that appear on page 1 of the results, so you can start to get an idea of the semantics involved. From there you can create your own version of the page using that data as your primary research source.

Why This Works, Without Guesswork

Google’s first page already tells you what the algorithm believes satisfies searchers. You can learn intent, structure, length, media types, and common questions, just by reading the results. You are not copying, you are understanding patterns, then creating something better for your audience.

• Use the SERP as a living brief, it reflects real user behavior.
• Spot consistent themes, questions, and entities that appear across top results.
• Build a page that answers the query more completely, clearly, and credibly.

Step by Step: Reverse Engineer the SERP

1) Start with a clear keyphrase

• Choose the phrase you want to rank for, note synonyms and close variants.
• Search in a clean browser profile or incognito to reduce personalization.
• Scan the whole first page, including People Also Ask and related searches.

2) Capture what Google is favoring

• Content type, guides, product pages, lists, comparisons, videos.
• Format, H2s and H3s used, presence of FAQs, tables, checklists.
• Depth, estimated word count, detail level, use of images and charts.
• Authority cues, expert authors, citations, original data, last updated dates.
• On page signals, title tags, meta descriptions, internal links, schema.

3) Understand search intent

• Informational, learn something, how to, definitions, guides.
• Navigational, find a brand or site, login, pricing page.
• Transactional, buy now, best, discount, near me with purchase intent.
• Commercial research, compare, versus, reviews, alternatives.
• Local, services near a location, opening times, directions.

4) Map the SERP clues to your plan

SERP clue	What it tells you	How to respond
Featured snippet	Google prefers concise, structured answers	Add a clear 40 to 60 word answer box, use a descriptive H2
People Also Ask	Common follow up questions and entities	Answer top PAA questions with their own H3s and short answers
Video carousel	Visual walk throughs are valued	Embed a short original video, or add step images and GIFs
Listicles ranking	Comparison or curation intent	Create a well structured list with criteria and scoring
Local pack	Proximity matters	Use local terms, add NAP details, build a Google Business Profile

5) Extract semantics and entities

• Collect phrases from titles, H2s, and PAA, they signal key subtopics.
• Check related searches at the bottom of the SERP for variations.
• Note recurring entities, brands, tools, locations, measurements, standards.

6) Outline, then write something better

• Draft an outline that covers the shared essentials, then adds unique value.
• Include examples, data, checklists, and visuals your competitors missed.
• Use plain language, short paragraphs, and clear headings for scanning.

Real World Example

Query: “how to prune lavender”

• Intent, informational, seasonal timing and step by step care.
• Top results, how to guides with images, some video carousels, PAA questions about timing.
• Semantics, varieties, tools, timing, avoiding woody growth, aftercare.

Build your page with a quick answer box, a tool list, a seasonal schedule, step photos or a short video, and an FAQ tackling PAA like “Can I prune in winter” and “How far back can I cut.” Add a printable checklist and a simple mistakes to avoid section to outperform the basics.

Make It Credible, Not Just Optimised

• Show experience, include your own examples, photos, or data.
• Cite respected sources where relevant, standards, research, government guides.
• Add author byline, date, and an update note when you improve the page.

On Page Essentials

• Title tag, include the main phrase naturally, keep it compelling and under about 60 characters.
• Meta description, summarise the benefit, aim for a natural call to action.
• H1 and H2s, mirror the intent and cover key subtopics cleanly.
• URL, short and descriptive, use hyphens, avoid stop words where possible.
• Images, descriptive alt text, compress for speed, add captions if helpful.
• Internal links, connect to related guides and category pages with clear anchor text.
• Schema, consider FAQPage, HowTo, Product, or Article when relevant.

Case Study Snapshot

A local pest control company targeted “wasp nest removal price.” Page 1 showed price guides, FAQs, and local intent. They created a transparent pricing page with a cost table, photos of typical nests, an embedded booking form, and an FAQ answering PAA questions like “Do wasps return to old nests.” Within six weeks, impressions and clicks for the term, plus close variants, grew in Google Search Console, and calls from the page doubled.

Measure, Iterate, Improve

• Publish and request indexing in Google Search Console.
• Track queries, average position, CTR, and pages that now link to yours.
• Refresh the page if you see impressions without clicks, refine title and description.
• Add internal links from relevant older posts to boost discovery and context.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Copying structures without adding value, aim to be the best answer on the page.
• Keyword stuffing, write naturally and cover topics thoroughly.
• Ignoring speed and UX, slow pages and cluttered layouts hurt engagement.
• Thin pages competing for the same term, consolidate and build one strong resource.

Quick Checklist

• Identify intent and top content types on page 1.
• List common subtopics, entities, and PAA questions.
• Create a skimmable outline with real examples and visuals.
• Optimise on page elements and add helpful schema when relevant.
• Link internally, publish, and monitor Search Console for feedback.

Build on a Solid Foundation

If you are starting from scratch, structure and speed matter as much as content quality. A clean information architecture, fast hosting, and an accessible design give your pages a fair shot. Use your SERP research to plan categories and pillar pages before you write.