Anyone who is responsible for teaching or explaining the ins and outs of search engine optimization (SEO) to a client or new hire understands just how intimidating this particular marketing concept can be for those who are new to the industry.
The idea of manipulating content and code to align with what are largely theoretical algorithms seems to conjure up images of scientists experimenting in labs, rather than Millennial strategists typing on their laptops.
While SEO is certainly intricate, sophisticated, and demands continuous testing in order to be used as a successful means of expanding a particular brand or business’s reach/revenue; it is not rocket science.
Understanding various concepts and strategies dedicated to Organic Search is easy to do when approached with the right mind set.
All you have to do is think about how SEO relates to the real world.
The Two Pillars of SEO
Every successful SEO campaign requires two specific concepts that ultimately support the authority of a particular website or form of content.
These pillars are:
- Link Earning – the ability to attract qualified links from relevant third-party destinations.
- Social SEO – the level of dialogue and action a particular website is able to attract from online consumers.
Why are these concepts considered to be the two primary components of any successful modern SEO campaign? Well, it’s because each concept directly speaks to and influences the level of credibility a website carries with search engines.
While other traditional aspects of optimization like meta data or text-to-link ratios are important to consider when developing a campaign, they do not carry as much weight as the two pillars in the eyes of search engines, since they are not directly linked to what I call, “human validation.”
This means that search engines are much more interested in promoting content that is transparent in its intentions and meaning, as well as validated by actual human beings opposed to being well optimized with perfectly built title tags or URL structures.
- People:
- Jason Corrigan

Julian Scott Connors is an experienced search marketing director who has developed complex, wide-scale search and social campaigns for brands that include: P&G, The Source, Papa Johns, GiveSmart, and more.
A published author on the concept of "Social SEO", Connors contributes to a number of recognized publications and speaks are digital marketing conferences throughout the country.