11 reasons SEO is a science; 15 reasons it's an art

 
 

If your brand has a website, more people are likely to come to it from search engines than anyplace else according to Forrester.
That means Search Engine Optimization (SEO), a methodology of strategies, techniques and tactics used to secure a high-ranking placement in the search results pages, is as essential means of marketing for anybody doing business on the internet.
Is SEO a science? Or an art? Science is facts or truths systematically arranged showing the operation of general laws. Art is the conscious use of skill and creative imagination.
Here are 11 reasons SEO is a science; 15 reasons it’s an art.
SEO is a science because it operates according to mathematical laws that are statistically reliable and predictive of human behavior.

1. #1 reason people come to a website is: It showed up on a search engine page when they were looking for something (source: Forrester)
2. 80% of people click on a website that is on the natural or organic side of the search engine page (source: Search Engine Watch)
3. 35% click through to the website that is in the #1 position (source: SEO Book)
4. 90% click through on a website that is on the 1st page (source: Search Engine Watch)
5. Algorithms that comprise hundreds of criteria determine how websites rise or fall in rank for specific keywords
6. Volume of search for any keyword and key phrase can be easily known with tools the the Google Keyword Planner and Wordtracker.
7. Demand for those keywords, if is increasing or decreasing over time, is measurable through Google Trends. So, you can even predict the value both now and in the future.
8. Search rank of your domain or your competitors’  can be tracked for any keyword or key phrase to help understand the rise or fall in rank by Ispionage or Rank Checker.
9. Number of  links that increase or decrease your authority in a particular area and also influences search rank can be found through Majestic SEO or Alexa.
10. Value of the links, whether they are high or low value authority, can be determined by SEO Majestic and Marketing Grader.
11. Machines, or  search bots, that do the searches on Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines are programmed to even identify the underlying meanings behind by keywords to returns the most meaningful results. The is called Semantic Search; it is predicted to play a more important role with the Google “Hummingbird” algorithm.

SEO is an art because mathematical models don’t establish business goals, know why your audience buys your product or how to convince them. You do.

1. Search bot don’t buy your product; people do.
2. It is impossible to model an algorithm on the needs of human being.
3. Machines can’t study your niche, know your audience’s Internet surfing habit or their shopping behavior.
4. Keyword research takes creativity to know what is best for your audience and where there is an opportunity.
5. People read good content before the read good keywords.
6. A top rank doesn’t mean people take the action you want unless you’re clear with them on your website.
7. Good, relevant, quality content is what readers (and algorithms) want. If you focus on this, search visibility follows.
8. SEO is thinking about how marketing can encompass social, graphic design, link building, content generation, and PR to drive toward a common goal.
9. SEO and marketing is creating social buzz (especially with Google+).
10. High value links have to be placed where they are going to be most relevant and cause the most desirable actions
11. Keywords that flow them seamlessly into your copy are more convincing.
12. Machines are incapable of storytelling
13. Titles that convince people have clarity, creativity and imagination. The right keywords and key phrases just happen to be in them.
14. If you view SEO as a byproduct of good content, high search rank generally follows.
15. SEO can’t make your business a success, only you can.

This post comes out of a dialogue from Hollis Thomases, Augustine Fou, Mike Moran and Mark Schaefer which was inspiring and worth building upon.
What do you think SEO is more of: science or art?