I've been neglecting my blog. And it's not a content issue, it’s a time issue. For most of the clients I work with, when it comes to their web sites it’s a time AND a content issue. They understand how important it is to have fresh, relevant content, but it’s hard to dedicate resources and thought power to producing it. But everyone still wants to be at the top of organic search results. Which is like saying you want to win the race but you aren’t willing to put on sneakers or break a sweat.

I recently had a conversation with someone who wanted to optimize their site for search but didn’t really want to have to do anything with the content. He said, "I’m happy with my site. It’s pretty much done. I just need to be at the top of Google."

My issues with that statement could feed several blogs (if I had time and a new pair of sneakers) but I’ll keep it to a short reminder. Search is hugely important. And you should design a search-friendly site. But users are just as important. (People. Visitors. Those folks that buy your products.) You need to put time and resources to producing content for users, which will help with SEO goals. The basic rules for SEO are the same ones for designing good web sites for users. Speak the user’s language. Use their terms. Answer their questions and give them what they want and need.

Start there, and you'll have a better chance of winning that race.