SEO Tunnel Vision - Signs, Symptoms and Treatments
Do you suffer from SEO tunnel vision? If you're not sure what that is, let me explain.
Definition of SEO Tunnel Vision This condition affects thousands of search engine marketers, webmasters and business owners.
Fortunately, it's easy to treat.
SEO tunnel vision occurs when a person focuses so much of their attention on search engine ranking that they lose site of the bigger picture of website success.
Gradually, over a period of weeks or months, victims of SEO tunnel vision forget that search engine visibility is only a beginning, not an end.
In other words, they begin to treat search engine ranking as the ultimate form of online success.
If left untreated, SEO tunnel vision can lead to a drop in website conversions, a decrease in overall sales, and a lot of missed opportunities.
This condition is also referred to as site blindness, hyper-search syndrome, spider vision and Google-itis.
Symptoms of SEO Tunnel Vision SEO tunnel vision can bring a variety of symptoms, and symptoms may vary from person to person.
However, there are some symptoms that occur in the majority of cases: 1.
You can list your website's exact search engine position in Google and Yahoo, but you're not sure how many web-driven sales you've had this month.
2.
You give keyword density a higher priority than readability.
3.
You didn't notice your sales falling last quarter because you were too busy tweaking your page titles.
4.
You react to customer complaints by saying things like, "Jeez, what's wrong with his algorithm?" 5.
You consider your best customer to be a math-loving spider named "bot.
" Treatments for SEO Tunnel Vision If you're a company leader or business owner, the best treatment for SEO tunnel vision might be as simple as outsourcing your search engine optimization.
That way, you can focus on the things that are really important to your business (like product development and customer service) and let somebody else worry about your search engine visibility.
Alternative, homeopathic treatments for SEO tunnel vision include the use of mantras (phrases repeated over and over until they become ingrained in the subconscious).
One such mantra is "Search engines will never buy my products ...
search engines will never buy my products ...
search engines will never...
" More extreme treatments are being tested, but they involve a form of electroshock therapy that's illegal in most states.
Regardless of what form of treatment one pursues, the important thing to remember is that search engine visibility is a start, not a finish.
SEO can lead a horse to water, but it cannot make the horse drink.
That's not to say your customers are horses ...
unless, of course, you're a veterinarian.
A good analogy from the "bricks-and-mortar" world would be the billboard.
Just because somebody spots your billboard along the road does not mean they will follow the arrows, enter the store, determine that your product or service is superior to others, and sign on as your newest customer.
That's too much ask of a billboard, unless you're the last gas station for 70 miles.
To truly recover from SEO tunnel vision, one must come to the realization that search engine visibility alone will not lead to business success.
Diagnosing SEO Tunnel Vision Unfortunately, the very nature of SEO tunnel vision makes self-diagnosis impossible.
So how do you know if you have this condition? Several ways.
First, you can seek the counseling of a trusted Internet marketing consultant.
These professionals have a keen ability to spot SEO tunnel vision.
You might also use the Platonic method, which involves asking yourself a series of questions to uncover the truth that's buried inside you.
For example: Do I spend more time checking my website rankings or improving my product / service? Have I invested time and effort to improve the reader's experience upon reaching my site, or do my efforts end with the search engines? Perhaps the best way to diagnose yourself is to take a healthy dose of Web Reality* (no prescription necessary).
A dose of Web Reality might include comparing the number of people who find your website to the number of people who respond to it.
Yes, the good old conversion rate.
You might also check your website analytics program to see what the bounce rate is for people entering your site through search engines.
These are just two examples of Web Reality.
Conclusion If you think you might be suffering from SEO tunnel vision, don't be ashamed to ask for help.
You should also remember that you're not alone, as the condition affects thousands of web marketers and business owners.
The important thing is to take action.
Otherwise, SEO tunnel vision will hurt your business and limit your overall success.
* Caution: If you experience dizziness, nausea or depression, you should immediately stop giving yourself doses of Web Reality.
If you suffer from hypertension or other stress-related ailments, you should consult your physician before administering Web Reality.
** You may republish this article if you retain the active hyperlinks below.
Definition of SEO Tunnel Vision This condition affects thousands of search engine marketers, webmasters and business owners.
Fortunately, it's easy to treat.
SEO tunnel vision occurs when a person focuses so much of their attention on search engine ranking that they lose site of the bigger picture of website success.
Gradually, over a period of weeks or months, victims of SEO tunnel vision forget that search engine visibility is only a beginning, not an end.
In other words, they begin to treat search engine ranking as the ultimate form of online success.
If left untreated, SEO tunnel vision can lead to a drop in website conversions, a decrease in overall sales, and a lot of missed opportunities.
This condition is also referred to as site blindness, hyper-search syndrome, spider vision and Google-itis.
Symptoms of SEO Tunnel Vision SEO tunnel vision can bring a variety of symptoms, and symptoms may vary from person to person.
However, there are some symptoms that occur in the majority of cases: 1.
You can list your website's exact search engine position in Google and Yahoo, but you're not sure how many web-driven sales you've had this month.
2.
You give keyword density a higher priority than readability.
3.
You didn't notice your sales falling last quarter because you were too busy tweaking your page titles.
4.
You react to customer complaints by saying things like, "Jeez, what's wrong with his algorithm?" 5.
You consider your best customer to be a math-loving spider named "bot.
" Treatments for SEO Tunnel Vision If you're a company leader or business owner, the best treatment for SEO tunnel vision might be as simple as outsourcing your search engine optimization.
That way, you can focus on the things that are really important to your business (like product development and customer service) and let somebody else worry about your search engine visibility.
Alternative, homeopathic treatments for SEO tunnel vision include the use of mantras (phrases repeated over and over until they become ingrained in the subconscious).
One such mantra is "Search engines will never buy my products ...
search engines will never buy my products ...
search engines will never...
" More extreme treatments are being tested, but they involve a form of electroshock therapy that's illegal in most states.
Regardless of what form of treatment one pursues, the important thing to remember is that search engine visibility is a start, not a finish.
SEO can lead a horse to water, but it cannot make the horse drink.
That's not to say your customers are horses ...
unless, of course, you're a veterinarian.
A good analogy from the "bricks-and-mortar" world would be the billboard.
Just because somebody spots your billboard along the road does not mean they will follow the arrows, enter the store, determine that your product or service is superior to others, and sign on as your newest customer.
That's too much ask of a billboard, unless you're the last gas station for 70 miles.
To truly recover from SEO tunnel vision, one must come to the realization that search engine visibility alone will not lead to business success.
Diagnosing SEO Tunnel Vision Unfortunately, the very nature of SEO tunnel vision makes self-diagnosis impossible.
So how do you know if you have this condition? Several ways.
First, you can seek the counseling of a trusted Internet marketing consultant.
These professionals have a keen ability to spot SEO tunnel vision.
You might also use the Platonic method, which involves asking yourself a series of questions to uncover the truth that's buried inside you.
For example: Do I spend more time checking my website rankings or improving my product / service? Have I invested time and effort to improve the reader's experience upon reaching my site, or do my efforts end with the search engines? Perhaps the best way to diagnose yourself is to take a healthy dose of Web Reality* (no prescription necessary).
A dose of Web Reality might include comparing the number of people who find your website to the number of people who respond to it.
Yes, the good old conversion rate.
You might also check your website analytics program to see what the bounce rate is for people entering your site through search engines.
These are just two examples of Web Reality.
Conclusion If you think you might be suffering from SEO tunnel vision, don't be ashamed to ask for help.
You should also remember that you're not alone, as the condition affects thousands of web marketers and business owners.
The important thing is to take action.
Otherwise, SEO tunnel vision will hurt your business and limit your overall success.
* Caution: If you experience dizziness, nausea or depression, you should immediately stop giving yourself doses of Web Reality.
If you suffer from hypertension or other stress-related ailments, you should consult your physician before administering Web Reality.
** You may republish this article if you retain the active hyperlinks below.