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The rumors (over the past 17 years) about the death of SEO are both greatly exaggerated and partially true. I’ve been hearing this since the day I started in the industry. The truth is, as long as there is an internet and search engines that help us find things on it, SEO will never die.
The parts of the rumors that are true is that SEO as solo avenue of online marketing success is dead and gone. Very rarely anymore does a few SEO tweaks put your site into top search engine positions. It will if the other online marketing elements are already in place and successful, but without those, SEO has nothing.
Successful web marketing requires all areas of web marketing. An Indy car doesn’t win a race on the engine alone. It requires tires, a steering wheel, and a driver. Take any one of those away and, well, you have a car that won’t make it around the track.
SEO requires social media, content, links, good architecture and usability. They all play a role in successful web marketing. SEO is just one of those components. But it is an important one.
Content, social media, and website architecture can each get you so far, but it still needs SEO to have a fully effective web presence. SEO isn’t dead, but it needs all the other areas of web marketing to stay viable.