I love to write for the Just Behave usability and seo column at Search Engine Land. Every month we have a deadline and each time I hit a brick wall with no idea what to write about. And then…the stuff just comes.
Today’s article is called It’s A Fatal Mistake To Copy Successful Web Sites, I relate a true experience. During the Q & A part of a session at a search marketing conference in which I spoke, someone asked why we don’t all just copy Amazon’s web site. I spoke into the microphone with a definite, “Never, ever copy Amazon.” The audience gasped with surprise.
Although I had a quick moment to clarify my statement, I didn’t have the opportunity to clearly outline what I meant or why my statement could be helpful to audience members. The article I wrote for Search Engine Land goes into that detail and makes many points you may not have considered before.
When someone says they will make your website easier to use, ask them what mental model they are referring to. Are they going to make it easier for search engines to crawl and rank it? This is a searcher mental model and one an SEO is more likely to be focused on. An information architect wants to know the mental model of your target users. What are your customer needs? What types of behaviors can you expect from them? Many websites have different user paths on one website.
The other article I wrote a few weeks back is a personal favorite. It, too, is based on real situations. It’s called The Algorithm Chasers
Algorithm chasers rely on analytical tools to help understand searcher behavior. They are equipped with keyword data, target market information and demographics. But are they able to determine the emotional power of the written word on web pages? Why is content so vital to search results?
I hope these articles are helpful and offer you some new ideas to try on your own web sites.
I concur with your advice not to copy Amazon, though perhaps for different reasons. Seldom do I hear the term ‘best practices’ without curling my toes in discomfort. ‘Best for whom?’ I usually respond.
What works for Amazon may not work for someone else if for any other reason than Amazon’s clients don’t think the same way about any other site as they do of Amazon at any point in time. There is a certain kind of comfort in knowing that someone we transact with — even if it’s a company and not a person — is characteristically unique.
By comfort I don’t necessarily mean agreeable. We don’t find dealing with the IRS agreeable. But isn’t it comforting to know that if we also had to pay taxes to the Canada Revenue Agency it won’t look identical to the IRS? Imagine the confusion if they were twins!
Every company must stand alone distinctly and so must their web sites, that is, their content with its messaging, value-add propositions, branding — in short, their unique personalities that draw the eye both of web bots and particular humans alike.