Is SEO a numbers game?

My 80's themed cosutme party and birthday

This weekend I had an 80’s themed costume party.  It was a blast and a lot of friends showed up.  However, not as many as I would have liked.  I know I sent out invitations, text messages with my address so people could Google it, MySpace and Facebook reminders but still out of the 150 people I invited only about 60 showed up.  It got me thinking, maybe it’s a numbers game.  Maybe my turn out was good if you are looking at it from the stand point of a sales rep, you know the one, call 100 people you may talk to 20 and might get 1 sale.  Maybe that’s what it was.

Then I started wondering if SEO was a numbers game too.  I drive traffic and do my very best to make sure they are qualified targeted visitors to my clients sites and it’s working.  The more I optimize their websites the higher they show up in the SERP’s for the products and services that they sell, the higher they show up the more people see their site and the more people see their site the more traffic it gets, the more traffic it gets the more conversions right?  Actually that is right but it’s just not enough.  You need more than just relying on SEO and being #1 in Google to get the most out of your online business.

You see, I can optimize a website and do all 60 things that need to be done to each page to fully optimize them, I can link build until my little fingers can’t request another link, I can do all the things necessary to get a persons website to the top of the search engines but that will only get you so far.

A lot of times website owners think if they get found on the first page of Google, Yahoo and MSN all their prayers will be answered.  They will have magically arrived at this wonderful point in their business where money is just flowing in and their only problem is keeping up with all the orders.  Now, don’t get me wrong, being on the first page of the major search engines will definately improve things but it’s not the magic answer, it’s only the start.  It’s a great start to the getting the numbers needed to be a success in the online business game.

As a webmaster I not only have to know SEO but I also have to know what else an online business needs to be successful.  SEO is very valuable and should be the foundation to any online venture but it doesn’t stop there.  I was once told by a really good friend of mine that if you want to be successful in today’s online world you have to be everywhere.  By everywhere I mean not only having a website but a multitude of online properties and ventures.  By doing this you can get more visitors which in turn increases your numbers which inturn will increase your conversions.

Some of the things I did for one client was to fill in the gaps where I couldn’t.  There is no way one person can manage an entire online business without outsourcing, so that is exactly what I did.  We found a social networker, an affiliate marketing manager, an awesome PPC wiz, a good copywriter, problogger with lots of wordpress experience and a video guy.  Wow, that’s quite a bit of help.  With all this help things are really starting to take off for my client.

So I wouldn’t say SEO is a numbers game by it self but internet marketing as a whole is a numbers game.  the more you do the more chances you have to be seen and get sales.  My advice is not fall prey to thinking that you can just slap up a website and start making money.  It takes a lot of hard work.