We are in the process of releasing a website targeting SME’s. The portal is aimed at collecting orders from enterprises for customized corporate merchandise. You select the product, you upload your design, you put in your logo, we will deliver the product to you.
As part of our online marketing plan, we decided to go hire on search engine optimizer. This entire process of hiring an SEO was certainly an eye-opener. To understand this, you have to be an Indian … the way an Indian thinks is slightly different. The exact term I am referring to is jugaad … this very characteristic of an Indian to get things done … by hook or by crook.
So, how do you increase the page ranking of your website the jugaad way? Simple, you become a link-whore, or a forum spammer, or someone who keeps on flooding the open directories of the web.
What happened to the fine art of online PR? Is it alive or do I have to hire on these? Somehow it does not feel right. What will happen later on when the Semantic web revolution begins?
As I edit this piece after 5 years, it’s good to know that I was right (hah!! high-five former self!). There was a spam comment lying on this very post which I have deleted, and we are very much in the midst of semantic and structured SEO.
Online PR these days has become a paid service very akin (and oft confused) to/with SEO.