 Technical interest in SEO Theory obviously seeks to understand how the systems work with the intent of improving overall performance of Web content in search engine indexes. Non-technical interest in SEO Theory may be driven by no more than simple curiosity, but as the business and organizational comunities increase their dependence upon search engine optimization, decision-makers need to understand the risks, values, and returns offered by search engine optimization. As a purely intellectual exercise, the study of search engine optimization is almost non-existent. It remains a peripheral aspect of more traditional academic research focusing on search engine indexing and technology. The motives of the search engine optimization community in documenting, explaining, and promoting “techniques” are almost completely mercantile. "x -- Michael Martinez, Director of Search Strategies, Visible Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA "Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process
of increasing the volume and improving the quality of traffic to a web
site through search engines using organic or algorithmic search results.
Typically, the higher the site is presented in the search results, or
the higher the “ranking,” the more likely it is that searchers will
visit that site. SEO can also target image searches, local searches and
vertical search engines."x -- Steven Davies My Intent: I aim to compare two websites using the principles of SEO analysis. The websites (cariboucoffee.com & starbucks.com) used in my case study were chosen to demonstrate the differences between a very established company (Starbucks) versus another established, yet still emerging, company (Caribou Coffee). From a Competitive Intelligence standpoint, my case study aims to identify areas of marketing and visitor demographic differences. In addition, SEO analysis can reveal the inter-connectedness of websites, allowing the analyst to determine viable sites to target for marketing purposes. Furthermore, since the process of SEO gives an analyst a vast amount of information about a particular website and its visitors with the intention to improve marketability, the same techniques can be used in the realm of national security and law enforcement. With proper SEO analysis, websites connected to terrorist organizations or illegal movie downloads (etc. etc.) can be analyzed to reveal the network in which they operate. Just as SEO analysis can be used for marketing to a particular demographic, it can also be used to determine the demographics of the visitors who visit questionable or suspicious websites. Through SEO, an anlyst can discover geographic hotspots or targert main nodes within the operational network. See Guide to Conducting SEO Analysis for more information about SEO Analysis, its strengths and weaknesses, as well as some guidelines/suggestions about the process. See Case Study: Caribou Coffee vs. Starbucks for an anlysis using SEO information. |