Defining ‘SEO theory’

I have added a new entry to the SEO glossary page for SEO theory. Although the root URL for SEO Theory offers an explanation or definition of the concept, I’m not really satisfied with it. The definition I just added to the glossary looks like this:

SEO theory – Noun phrase. 1. The theoretical principles for optimizing search engine results pages from an outside (non-search management) perspective. 2. The principles, methods, and techniques employed by search engine optimization specialists for influencing the rankings of specific Web documents in search engine results. 3. The study of the components and interactions of complex information indexing systems with the people who use those systems to index content and to find content.

There really are several meanings for “SEO theory”. In fact, I have no doubt that search engineers at Ask, Google, Live, Yahoo!, and other commercial search engines are deep practitioners of search side SEO theory, since search engine optimization is not an exclusive practice of the SEO industry. Matt Cutts is every bit as much an SEO as anyone else because he does help to optimize Google’s search results.

And perhaps I should include a fourth definnition, worded something like this: “4. In common use, a hypthosis proposed to explain some perceived change in search engine behavior.” You’ll find people occasionally blogging about their “SEO theory” or “an SEO theory” about some latest search engine update.

This blog certainly has no exclusive rights to use of the expression “SEO theory”. If anyone would like to suggest alternative or additional wording, please feel free to do so in the comments. You’re welcome to link to non-pornographic, non-illegal (etc.) sites where the expression has been used prior to June 1, 2008 in a different content. Although I don’t feel it would be appropriate to include an exhaustive list of definitions, I think it would be helpful to document several distinct definitions.