The term SEO 2.0 has been used by many before I started this blog in 2007 and called it SEO 2.0 as well initially.

Those who already used it defined SEO 2.0 in various differing ways.

There was and still is no real consensus on the meaning.

Instead of just adding my own definition of SEO 2.0 I want to create an overview of what others say.

For the sake of simplicity and in order not to sound like the dated Web 2.0 moniker this blog is called seo2.blog by now.

Plus I call the discipline of content and social SEO simply SEO2 or SEO 2.

Yet for historical perspective and accuracy I still refer to the definitions from 2007 and earlier.

SEO 2.0 definitions from industry experts

Here are some notable SEO 2.0 definitions.

1. Todd Malicoat (Stuntdubl): Rebranding and meta discipline

http://www.stuntdubl.com/2006/04/10/being-an-seo-can-we-start-seo-20/

This was one of the definitions that inspired me most.

Todd Malicoat wants to rebrand SEO and basically make it a meta discipline.

It would be dealing with anything that impacts the success of a website.

2. Kid Mercury (Kid Mercury Blog): Attention, Community, Trust

http://kidmercuryblog.com/showthread.php?t=1670

For Kid Mercury SEO 2.0 stands on three main pillars: attention, community and trust.

Those who get attention, create a community and maintain trust will rank as a side effect.

3. Lee Odden (TopRank Blog): Holistic approach, “Digital Asset Optimization”

http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/06/digital-asset-optimization/

Lee Odden claims that in the future only a holistic approach that encompasses all digital media will work.

He focuses on the ability to make it crawlable and thus findable. It will get you noticed in a personalized search world.

Lee calls his approach therefore “Digital Asset Optimization”.

The value of text alone and conventional SEO wisdom is diminishing his opinion.

4. Kevin Newcomb (SEW): Multiple media SEO

http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=17794

As new kinds of search opportunities will arise Kevin Newcomb sounds very optimistic in this Search Engine Watch thread.

Video, books, maps are all open to optimization from now on and allow to rank high.

Thus SEO 2.0 is search engine optimization for multiple media.

5. Jordan Behan (telltenfriends): SEO 2.0 is Social Media Optimization

http://www.telltenfriends.com/blog/2006/12/12/seo-20-or-social-media-optimization/

As Jordan Behan explains SEO 2.0 is all about reaching out to potential clients.

He also stresses embracing markets through all social media channels like blogging, social networking or image sharing.

He explains that his static website does not perform well compared to all the social media out there.

6. Mike Levin (HitTail): Long Tail and answering questions

http://www.hittail.com/blog/2006/06/what-is-seo-20.html

Web analytics specialist Mike Levin tells us how asking the right questions paves the way to SEO 2.0.

It is not the same “ranking factors” SEO but takes into account usability and what users really want.

It will be about the “long tail” so that you know what users want in the first place.

7. Jody Nimetz (enquiro): Content creation and optimization

http://ask.enquiro.com/2007/seo-20-will-content-still-be-king/

Jody Nimetz convinces us that content will still be the key in SEO 2.0. He goes on to explain how and which content.

Jody differentiates between fresh and existing content and urges us to update existing content while blogging is of course a must.

Moreover he states that with various media you reach a larger audience.

8. Rob Garner (Search Insider): Pageless Web and apps.

http://blogs.mediapost.com/search_insider/?p=427

Rob Garner does not really define SEO 2.0 in the manner the other definitions did.

He outlines what SEO 2.0 has to do so that search engine optimization still maintains it’s relevance.

It has to deal with the pageless Web and Web apps.

9. Ryan Holmes (Invoke Media): Blogging, one way links, virals.

http://www.invokemedia.com/seo-20-blogging-one-way-linking-virals/

Ryan Holmes explained the term SEO 2.0 already in 2005.

Back then he stressed mainly three factors:

• Blogging or content creation
• one way links
• viral content e.g.

He is also referring to what is called guerrilla marketing.

Why did these definitions make the list?

Indeed these are the best I could find when I started this blog of the same name.

Many if not most of the people who used the term were recognized marketing and SEO experts back then.

Some still are prominent names even two decades later.

While I complied this list I also chose to order the definitions according to how much I agree with them.

The ones on top are close to what I consider to be SEO 2.0!

Also the sheer quality of a definition influenced the order.

Nonetheless my definition does not reflect any particular one of those. It encompasses many of them and still differs though.