Used to be, having a #1 hit in Billboard meant everything. Today being the #1 hit on Google means everything. Huh?
So much focus is put on increasing your SEO, and paying top dollar to your “web guy” to get you there. Sure, you can buy a slot at the top, just like you could buy a slot on the music charts back in the day. However, if your site, product, art, video, music or service doesn’t consistently raise eyebrows, or doesn’t resonate, no Google ranking will make a difference. More “hits” don’t always translate into better results.
I think if what you have to offer is worth bookmarking, downloading and sharing, then it will spread faster than any SEO strategy. If it doesn’t get shared, or if you can’t manage to get people to follow you or subscribe to your world, or if you’re slowly losing customers and fans, it’s probably time to go back in the studio, or barricade yourself in your creative space and start over. That’s not a bad thing. Like the warning light on your dashboard, it’s warning you that something needs to be done. You need to take some sort of “smart action.”
I think there are circumstances when optimizing a site for search engines can be beneficial. I also believe that an intelligent marketing plan is the one that creates a unique, invaluable and unforgettable benefit for the end user, and builds a continuous following of devoted fans and customers for you. So that you can continue to live the independent life of a crazy, genius artist/entrepreneur. Make sense?