2
Mar

SEO IS LIKE A CHESS GAME: 5 common strategies & Tactics

A chess game, just like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), needs a well-thought-out strategy for it to be successful. SEO strategies are ever-changing because you need to use your insights to tweak a few things to respond to your audience’s needs. Adapting to the circumstances in the midst of the game is important for your success in both Chess and SEO. The fundamentals of Chess and SEO are the same, here is how:

1. You need to be a step one step ahead of the game 

Both require you to think several moves ahead. Taking a proactive role and making  moves in order to produce big results. SEO is ever changing and you need to keep in pace with the algorithms and continuously optimize. 

2. King is the most important piece in the game. 

The King is the most important chess piece on the board. Content is also King and an important factor in your SEO strategy. Although various factors influence your SEO ranking, most digital marketers agree that the content of a website is one of the most important criteria for ranking. 

3. Multiple variants to  to choose from

In chess, you have many variants  that exist which the player decides to take. Similar to SEO, while you need to ensure you are working with the algorithm , you can still think out of the box and take a less travel route to find success,often times making a series of coordinated moves for the win.  

4. Balancing Strategy vs Risk Taking 

Chess is hailed as one of the best games for using and developing strategy but also taking a calculated risk. SEO also requires a strong thought out strategy but risk taking comes into play with your keyword strategy but also in which tactics you’d like to change up. 

5. A Lifetime to Master

A good SEO expert has a grasp of the fundamentals and has years of experience in real application in various scenarios. You can to continuously learn to master this domain, both in chess and SEO. 

The strong association of chess with strategic thinking is a main component for the comparison between Chess and SEO. Thus the various  analogy between the both are so similar. 

Make sure your next move is your best move, before you are checkmated. 

About Omar Kattan
Omar is MD & Chief Strategy Officer at Sandstorm Digital. His experience includes 10 years in traditional marketing and advertising in the Middle East and a further 10 years at two of the largest media agencies in the UK. Follow Omar on Twitter for updates on the latest in digital, branding, advertising and marketing.

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