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Good SEO vs Great SEO Experts Share 6 Key
Differences

• Good SEO begets good results but in competitive
  SERPs, you need to go further. See how experts
  define great SEO.
• For years, Ive wanted to learn about SEO but it
  seemed so daunting and mysterious.
• Fast forward to today and I find myself here in
  the editorial team at SEJ, getting an early
  glimpse at column after column of great SEO
  insight and advice.
• Lucky me, right? (I think so!)
• I get to do what I love in editorial and its a
  huge plus to interact with and learn from the
  work of such amazing people in action.
• You see, Im a firm believer in context and that
  having an overview helps with learning. Thats
  why I took this opportunity to ask SEO pros about
  their perspectives on what differentiates good
  SEO from great SEO.
• From what I gathered, its in these areas where
  good SEO and great SEO really stand apart.

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1. SEO Tactics Strategic Areas of Focus

• For some SEO experts, the difference between good
  SEO and great SEO is where effort and work are
  focused.
• Put simply, for Adam Proehl, Partner Co-Founder
  at Nordic Click Interactive, good SEO means
  checking all the boxes.

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Following Checklists, Best Practices Proven
Strategies For Good SEO

• SEO professionals know the value of using proven
  tactics and strategies specifics that Tony
  Wright, CEO at WrightIMC, reminds us include
  On-page SEO done correctly, a content strategy,
  and a way to find links.
• These lead to increased visibility, traffic, and
  conversions, shares Winston Burton, SVP, SEO at
  Acronym.
• Helen Pollitt also adds that good SEO is making
  sure an entity can be found through search at the
  right time, by the right audience.
• As for Ryan Jones, SEO Group Director at
  Razorfish, Good SEO uses tactics that currently
  work to rank.
• And like him, Motoko Hunt, President,
  International Search Marketing at AJPR, touches
  on this, as well. She says that good SEO is
  improving ranking and results by following best
  practices.
• Natalie Hoban, Digital Marketing Specialist at
  Forthea Interactive, further explains good SEO as
  Doing the standard. Its doing technical audits,
  keyword research, content optimization, page
  speed improvement recommendations to ultimately
  improve a clients visibility and get them more
  business.

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Which Tactics Areas of Focus Make for Great
SEO?

• In contrast, great SEO goes beyond the basics.
• Hunt says this Great SEO pros take actions
  based on the understanding of how the search
  engine bots and websites work, and not because
  those are the best practices. They can identify
  the cause and the effective solutions outside the
  checklist.
• Wright also shares that the focus of great SEO is
  creating linkable content and getting
  high-quality sites to link to that content while
  also providing stellar technical on-page
  solutions.
• Manic Bhan, Founder and CTO at Link Graph, says,
  What separates greatness here is nailing all
  four areas authority, content, page experience,
  and keyword/industry-specific ranking factors.
  Specifically, its addressing the key
  deficiencies that are holding a website back.
• Great SEO delivers qualified traffic that
  converts potential customers into buyers and
  meets or exceeds organic key performance
  indicators, in addition to continuing to drive
  business value/ROI month over month and year over
  year, Burton adds.

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2. Taking Google Algorithm Updates Into
Consideration

• We would be remiss not to mention how algorithm
  updates and constant changes in the industry
  affect what is good and great SEO.
• Viola Eva, SEO Consultant and Founder at Flow
  SEO, shares that, A good SEO caters to the
  algorithm and finds the right keywords and links,
  thus increasing organic traffic.

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What Makes for Great SEO Here?

• To better explain the contrast, Jones shares
  Good SEO may get hit by core updates and
  algorithm changes but great SEO will only get
  better with each one because it was chasing what
  Google was trying to reward, not the actual
  algorithm inputs.
• Weinstein explains that great SEO is paying
  attention to the evolution of search, including
  changes in searchers behavior and algorithm
  updates, then adjusting (and implementing)
  strategies and tactics that align.
• Good SEO solves mechanical problems that arise
  after every algorithm change, while great SEO is
  a cross-department mission to create great
  experiences that inspire trust and earn long-term
  revenue, says Navah Hopkins.

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3. Becoming Holistic Problem-Solvers

• Hopkins also points out that, Far too often, SEO
  (or any digital marketing discipline) gets stuck
  in the function and its easy to forget that we
  need to be business problem solvers not just
  techies.
• Good SEO addresses existing site and content
  issues, says Rachel Vander nick, Founder Lead
  Consultant at The Vander Group.
• It also focuses on doing a few things well,
  adds Maddy Osman, SEO Content Strategist at The
  Blog smith.

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What Is Great SEO, In Terms of Problem Solving?

• Proehl points out that great SEO inspires a
  shift in the mindset of an organization.
• It involves considering every aspect
  holistically having complete oversight on every
  interrelated aspect of content, backlinks,
  technical SEO, and performance and requires
  measuring and analyzing results to adapt strategy
  accordingly, Osman shares.
• Hoban adds that Great SEO goes out of the
  technical nitty-gritty, in an effort to
  fundamentally understand a business as a whole
  from top to bottom and their holistic marketing
  strategy. Its the drive to truly understand how
  search engine optimization can fit into the big
  picture for a brand, and how it can also work
  with other channels.
• Lily Ray, Sr. Director of SEO Head of Organic
  Research at Amusive Digital, also points out
  that, Great SEO involves identifying and
  understanding all the available opportunities to
  improve a site and being able to strategically
  prioritize those tasks, plus assisting with the
  implementation and execution of them.
• Great SEO is demonstrated by those that
  over-deliver and also future proof the campaign
  to ensure the work being done stands up to the
  test of time. That means the strategy and efforts
  should always provide a positive benefit now and
  in the future, says David Harry, Lead SEO
  Consultant at Verve Developments.

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4. Staying On Point With Reporting Utilizing
Tools

• SEO experts know the value of knowing and
  utilizing tools to analyze data. They also know
  how important it is to communicate and report
  what matters.
• Ray shares that, Good SEO involves using widely
  available SEO tools to surface opportunities and
  insights without much prioritization or specific
  advice about what to optimize and how.
• Jamie Indigo, Technical SEO Consultant at Not a
  Robot, also adds that Good SEO is knowing how to
  read reports and use diagnostic tools.

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What Sets Good SEO and Great SEO Apart

• Indigo goes on to share that Great SEO is
  knowing which reports reading, how the underlying
  themes interconnect observable changes, and which
  tools to use. The difference is that great SEO
  can interpret the observable output as it relates
  to changes in the (typically unobservable)
  internal systems.
• Brock Murray, Co-Founder at seoplus, notes the
  difference between good SEO and great SEO boils
  down to this statement Impact Be sure to move
  the needle for your clients and this is what
  separates the best from the rest.
• Greg Jerboa, President and co-founder at SEO-PR,
  adds The differ between good SEO and great SEO
  is how you measure success.

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5. Putting the User First

• Another great point that these experts stress is
  that good SEO vs great SEO means understanding
  what matters most and making that your priority
  overall and that is the user.
• Jones shares that, Good SEO is SEO that works
  for Google. Great SEO works for Google and users
  it understands what users are trying to
  accomplish and then builds something that helps
  them accomplish it, using good SEO best
  practices.
• Tom McLoughlin, Director at SEO Travel, also
  points out that good SEO means thinking about
  humans. Start with data, collect all the
  information you can and do thorough research, but
  then switch back to thinking about real people.
  SEO is just another form of marketing, so if you
  always keep this perspective in mind then you can
  elevate the quality of your SEO work to the next
  level, he says.

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What Makes It Great SEO?

• For Adam Reimer, President at Adam Riemer
  Marketing, Great SEO is about providing an
  amazing user experience, understanding your
  audience, and catering to their needs.
• Osman shares that, Great SEO always considers
  the final human end-user over search engine
  robots (finding a way to bridge the gap).
• Eva also adds that, A great SEO pro integrates
  the brand narrative, the needs and aspirations of
  the audience, and Googles preferences. They not
  only drive organic traffic but demand, MQLs, and
  revenue. They collaborate with other functions
  (mainly marketing and sales) to turn the vision
  of a company into reality.

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6. Learning, Training Valuing Your Team

• Good SEO professionals are able to identify their
  strengths and work in collaboration with others
  to accomplish objectives.
• Hopkins touches on how working towards a common
  goal and working as a team makes for good SEO.
  She shares, By building solutions with that
  long-term mission in mind, as well as
  collaboration opportunities with other
  departments, the short-term fires will get solved
  in the process.

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What Differentiates the Good From the Great

• Great SEO, on the other hand, happens when
  experts who excel at their respective areas
  collaborate towards a common goal.
• Pollitt says that great SEO supports other
  marketing efforts to contribute towards the
  success of a business and how SEO needs to work
  alongside these teams to make sure the business,
  as a whole, benefits, and not just the channel.
• Jason Hennessey, Owner at Jason Hennessey
  Consulting, touches on another aspect of great
  SEO.
• The difference between good SEO and great SEO
  comes down to education, he says. Take the time
  to educate and inform the client as to why they
  are making the suggested changes to help the
  client to value and appreciate the SEO work being
  done.
• Jeff Ferguson, Partner at Amplitude Digital, also
  makes a great point that Great SEO puts
  (marketing, website design, and public relations)
  back in the hands of the experts, armed with the
  knowledge that those roles now play an essential
  role in modern marketing strategy for a world
  where search engines are a critical touchpoint in
  the consumer journey.

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Key Takeaways

• From the shared views of these SEO pros, its
  evident that knowing and being updated on best
  practices, tactics, and strategies to utilize for
  SEO is essential.
• Theres also a need to stay updated on SEO tools
  and use them well.
• These will help with analysis and reporting of
  data findings to other relevant teams and roles,
  as well as decision-makers and assessing both
  wins and challenge areas to focus on.
• SEO professionals need to hone their
  problem-solving skills and be able to roll with
  the punches.
• They must be prepared to address problems that
  need both immediate and regular attention, as
  well as anticipate issues and challenges that can
  arise in the future, regardless of algorithm
  changes and updates that may come.
• This exercise learning what pros think about
  the difference between good SEO and great SEO
  helps give a better understanding of SEO and its
  purpose both from a business perspective but,
  more importantly, for users that benefit from the
  end results of all the efforts of SEO experts and
  teams.