Internet Marketing and the Limitations of Language

Words matter. Words are images, descriptions, and labels. Words convey meaning and nuance; words are symbols. Words are inextricably tied to culture and society. Words can even become an extension of our personal identities.

Words matter. So why do the words that describe internet marketing suck so bad?

This article explores the reputation problem the search engine optimization industry faces because of shortcomings in the language used to describe it. This is a difficult topic, and probably too theoretical for some. But since my last post on the Fundamentals of Link Building was so practical, I thought I should balance that out.

One footnote: you’ll notice throughout this article, I use a variety of terms interchangeably to describe internet marketing. Yes, I …