SEO: Strategic Thinking & Planning
Strategic thinking and strategic planning are two separate systems. Simply put, strategic thinking = organic and flexible, while strategic planning = procedure-driven and rigid. Both methods must be in balance to ensure success.
This is especially true when it comes to creating a web presence.
Here’s a scenario:
A business that specializes in large appliance sales & repairs has decided to launch a website. The goal is to increase overall revenue and profits. The strategy is to attract users (and potential customers) to the website by providing reviews of every product sold, as well as giving advice on do-it-yourself repairs and maintenance while simultaneously pushing professional services (see freemium).
How does it incorporate both strategic thinking and strategic planning?
The plan is laid out, but the reception of the public and the activities of the competition are uncontrollable. Knowing how to respond while continuing to work towards the objective is a balancing act. Strategic thinking and strategic planning are crucial here.
The introduction of strategic thinking to traditional SEO.
Strategic planning (sticking to protocol) has always been part of search optimization – keyword research is a cornerstone of all search optimization plans, for example, and the process of traditional search engine optimization is a procedural routine for many.
But fiddling around with on-page keywords, meta tags and alt text (although they still play a partial role) is no longer enough to stay competitive.
Individuals, agencies and departments that label themselves as SEO are increasingly expected to step into the realm of strategic thinking. This means coming up with original & alternative methods of generating traffic that deviate from typical routines.
More ways to get noticed = more planning is needed.
As I’ve noted previously, search engines are no longer the dominant tool for content discovery, so everyone working in SEO must learn to adapt to the increasingly convoluted system of internet usage. The web has grown in size and user behaviour has become more diverse.
So while strategic thinking is a growing necessity, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of our goals amidst the many channels of communication that are available. We can’t be everywhere at once, so strategic planning is still a valuable asset.
The bottom line? It all ties back to strategy in SEO.
Strategic thinking? Strategic planning? Either way, it’s still strategy, and it plays a prominent role in establishing a strong web presence.
That’s why it makes up the first 3rd of my redefinition of SEO (Strategy, Engagement and Optimization).
Before engagement, before optimization – there must be strategy. We’ve always done it, and now we’re doing more of it, and in more ways than ever before.