Seo vs. The Principles of War: Utilising The Principles of War to Drive WebSite Traffic

   ” Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them. “

Napoleon Bonaparte

 

“All the same, the fundamental truths which govern that art are still unchangeable; just as the principles of mechanics must always govern architecture, whether the building be made of wood, stone, iron or concrete; just as the principles of harmony govern music of whatever kind. It is still necessary, then, to establish the principles of war.”

      - General Ferdinand Foch, Principles of War,

Are principles of war/joint commands applicable across the full range of military operations?

Over ages and through a multitude of wars, military leaders have continuously searched for an efficient way to carry out war and ensure victory at all times. Documentations of how wars should and have been successfully fought lay the ground for the principalities of war. To be precise, the principalities of war are the doctrines that guide soldiers and their commanders in planning and conducting warfare. They thus form the basis of all military activity.

Is SEO all you need to drive traffic?

In a similar way SEO represents the principles that have been generated by generals in the battle field of the Internet. They are tried and tested ways used by pioneers of this trade and have been documented and distilled into a form that we now refer to SEO. Thus their authority is unquestionable and should be learned by every solider (Blogger, freelancer-generally content publishers )

Are all principles of war equally applicable to any military operations?

The principles of joint operations refer to an expansion of the principles of war; joint operations are grounded on the notion that triumph in the battlefield by itself does not guarantee victory. In order to ensure long-term peace; stability operations need to be part of the goals of warfare. Three new principles -perseverance, legitimacy, and restraint were added to the traditionally nine principles of war to constitute the principles of joint operations. The success of any military operation requires equal consideration and subsequent application of all principles since they are interdependent on each other. For instance, for the principle of mass effect to apply,  the principle of economy of force needs to be applied by ensuring coordination and efficiency in distributing the applied force.

Are the tenets of SEO equally applicable to all forms of on-line publishing ?

Just as in warfare, strict adherence and application of the principles of war, will guarantee you victory (increased traffic, better page rank etc ..in this case) but for longevity other recently developed concepts need to be incorporated into the arsenal of tactics. This is because the aim of war is usually greater than simple victory in the battle field, the drive of true generals comes from grander cause- That of dominion …that of exerting your influence over an area so as to be able to satisfy your interests. . In the military world, newer concepts were incorporated. They were perseverance (ability to last and continue exerting your influence long after the war is over), legitimacy (be seen by the conquered people and the global community as having a genuine just cause for the war in order to win their support and assist in your activities)  and restraint (responsible use of the authority gained through warfare). In the world of on-line business, these principles whose names carry literal meaning, provide an avenue of worthwhile strategy.

Social networking

Consider this: the advent of Social networking sites ranging from Facebook, to social bookmaking sites like Digg and stumble upon. These sites are social first before any other label can be ascribed to them. That’s why the collective group of individuals in there is referred to by such words like communities while terms like friend, fan, follower are used to refer to individual users. They priority goal here there should be to socialise ie find new friends, appraise good work , welcome new members, offer opinions and discuss issues. The friends made here will provide you with longevity (perseverance) as they are likely to share similar interests as you do and will therefore most likely like your publications. It should be noted that these relationships are reciprocal in nature just as friends are in “real life”.

Finally legitimacy is of utmost importance here, be true, find real friends if these relationships are to have any chance of surviving the times. DO NOT SPAM as these communities are quite unforgiving. Joyriders seeking to abuse the freedom of cyberspace for their own selfish gains and on the flip side not offering anything in return are frowned upon and punished via exclusion from the community. Restraint in on-line business entails utilising your new found status to continue offering quality content to all the readers of your content. Their attention and time should be matched in equal (if not more)measure.

Affiliation

The second angle is in affiliation. There are plenty of affiliate programs available ranging from advertising networks to traffic exchange programs. I am tempted even to include linking under this banner. Essentially these programs seek to recruit your on-line brand in order to sell their own brand. These are the on-line equivalents of co-branding and line extension strategies of brand management. Most are easy to join and readily provide links in the form of banners that you can display on your blog or website. In exchange for new clients coming from traffic on your portal, they offer you a stipend  for every new client they gain through your network. For instance if a visitor to your site clicks on their displayed banner, and utilises their services, you stand to receive income for a certain period ( usually a life time ) from any of the income generating activities the new client they perform.

Choosing affiliate programs should be undertaken with care, remember that you have a brand to protect! Don’t be driven primarily by the promise of financial rewards. Choose programs that will leverage your site in the market. A good strategy would be to opt for programs that are in sync with your site’s content.

How do you compensate when the principalities are in conflict?

In modern times, military science is the discipline that deals with the principalities of war. As with other forms of knowledge, principles of military science should not be viewed as the ultimate truth but their authority should be out of their distinction as being time and situation-tested advice. In essence, they serve only to act as guides upon which strategic and critical thinking should be employed. The lack in universality in them being the ultimate truth is exemplified by how frequently they are challenged by situations in the battlefield. In the case of conflicting principles during battle, several measures can be taken such as to seek input from commanders returning from the battlefield, solicit advice from all including young commanders and constant rethinking of the principles of war and the doctrines from which they were developed from.

How do you ensure symbiosis of SEO, social networking and Affiliation?

“I shall proceed from the simple to the complex. But in war more than in any other subject we must begin by looking at the nature of the whole; for here more than elsewhere the part and the whole must always be thought of together. “

Karl Von Clausewitz

The science of traffic is less defined the rules / principles are Simple: DO NOT SPAM. There are plenty of articles touching on this subject that are readily available on the Internet. Take time to read them and understand this concept thoroughly .

Finally,  remember that SEO,social networking and affiliation are all principles that have been developed over time by field generals like you. Explore, Experiment, innovate, share, re- invent:- the onus is on you. Happy publishing !