Football can teach you something about SEO

Posted on | September 24, 2008 |

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting my daughter who attends James Madison University (JMU). As part of the visit we got tickets to the biggest football game of the year with the number 1 ranked team in their division Appalachian State University (ASU). Now I could go off on a tangent and talk about why www.appstate.edu is not the URL they should be using but I will keep that for another time.

Anyway getting back to the story - the first half was all ASU starting out when JMU got the ball for the first time and first play was an interception. JMU was losing on every part of the game - offense, defense, special teams, play calling everything. It wouold have been easy to call in the game for the second half and just hope that the score did not get any worse.

Instead JMU ran the second half kickoff bakc for a touchdown, next series they ran a long play for another touchdown. Final score 35-32. Now my point - instead of giving in they regrouped and came out with a different plan that obviously produced results.

This put into perspective a call we had with one of our clients earlier in the week. Though we have been communicating with them all along the communications was not getting to those in management and so a conference call was scheduled - once the management team understood that there a purpose in mind and that in order to be successful we first had to have a number of things changed in the code and structure of the site before the real SEO work could begin, then everything went smoothly.

Point - regrouping and listening to the users, the analytics, the management and communicating effectively the game plan can allow a slow start to come around to where everyone comes back to the same position.

If things are not going as you had hoped with your online strategy first look to see if all those involved are on the same page as you think they should be - then develop a plan to move forward - whether you decide to move forward or go a different direction.

Onve again the most important ingredient is communications to all involved.

Now back to my story - JMU had the highest hopes for this game and when they won they put on a tremendous fireworks display - I can only imagine that it would not have gone over very well if they had lost - what preplanning to have it ready and the faith ti know they would win as well.

Well done JMU