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I've always been a firm believer that an effective organic search engine optimization programme, driven by a targeted keyword strategy is the foundation of any successful online marketing programme. Perhaps it's because I was practicing organic search engine optimization before I got involved in social media. But I doubt it.

I read an interesting blog post by Adam Singer, “Social marketing efforts before SEO is putting the cart before the horse”, where he shares my view on this subject.

In his post, Singer states that search engine optimization or SEO is the ultimate 'pull' marketing channel. One of his assertions is that it's not as widely practiced as it should be because it's hard work to stay on top of the changes in search trends and to keep learning about the latest best practices, and then to market your site better than competitors.

SEO is certainly not a simple task and it does take a lot of effort and time. Social media on the other hand can also consume an inordinate amount of time, but unlike SEO, it does not require the same level of expertise or professional skills.

An important insight that Singer makes is that social marketing efforts behind a website that isn't optimized will produce fleeting returns. You'll hit peaks and valleys this way. Keyword search provides infinite life for your best content and good content makes your website more valuable in the search engines.

Be cautious of social media marketers that don't give credence to organic search engine optimization because they are not giving you the opportunity to benefit from the biggest opportunity the web has to offer. As Singer says, "Search may not be as sexy as social, but it still matters more: it brings more traffic, higher conversions and is sustainable."

You can read the full version of Adam Singer's post here.