SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and the real writer

Image via WikipediaIn the early days of the internet, research was, if a bit sparse, so convenient. With no library open at two in the morning and needing some vital statistics, my articles sometimes had to wait until sunrise to see completion. Then came the internet and the handy search engines – at that time one provided by AOL, another from Yahoo, and a third really spiffy one called Infoseek – which made life so much easier.

As time passed, however, savvy businessmen discovered how valuable the internet could be to their businesses. They started taking out banner ads, setting up their own retail outlets, and began using the net as a marketing tool.

It seems as if overnight the web became one big shopping center!

I’m not condemning the direction the web took; I’m totally sold on going to the big web stores to find bargains. I love being able to window shop other outlets in search of an item I’m interested in owning.

I’m also disappointed with several aspects of the web. The one that really irritates me is the focus on search engine optimization. It seems that if a company wants to rank high in the search engines, it has to use the right words in every version of its print appearance. The purpose? To catch the searcher who is looking for that particular item or word, usually so they can sell something.

Overall, I understand. It’s business. However, as a writer, I find it both annoying and insulting to be requested to use specific words when writing an article. Where’s the creativity in that? Where’s the originality? Where’s the integrity?

A quick look at the freelance market for web articles gave me additional insight in that web site owners and managers blatantly advertise for writers who are SEO savvy. Never mind talent; after all, anyone can write. Just use a word processor that will catch your spelling and grammar errors,a

I supposed I shouldn’t be bothered by all this because for the most part, these companies looking for writers usually offer such a minute stipend for each word that it boggles the mind. Maybe that’s why so many real writers don’t mind recycling their content to meet one or more web site needs.