A frequent topic of discussion on webmaster forums today is the use of SEO, or search engine optimization. Some webmasters are obsessed with finding the latest SEO techniques to get their websites to the top of the search engine results. Unfortunately, placing too much emphasis on SEO can actually hurt your chances of success. As I write this, I can visualize SEO people scoffing at the previous statement I made. However, before you attack this statement, let me elaborate on the logic behind it. First off, let me start by presenting a famous quote that was made by none other than Albert Einstein. He said that "imagination is more important than knowledge."

Why would Albert Einstein, arguably the greatest scientist in history, make such as statement? After all, he was an analytical man that dealt with numbers and logic on a consistent basis. The reason that he made the statement is because Einstein new that true success would not come as a result of mere analytical knowledge. However, when analytical knowledge is combined with creativity, this is when the greatest success can be obtained. This is also the definition of "genius." The same thing can be said for SEO. Understanding the various aspects of the search engines will not guarantee that your website will become a success. Remember, there are plenty of SEO companies that are competing against you, and it is likely that they have the same knowledge you have or even more.

The thing that separates the SEO guys from successful companies like Amazon, MySpace, and Ebay is that these companies brought creativity to the table. They did not rely purely on analytical knowledge. They took their existing knowledge of SEO and internet marketing and combined it with a creative idea. It is this combination that allowed them to reach the highest levels of success. In other words, you need to effectively learn how to use both the right and left sides of your brain. Most people are good with one or the other, but rarely both. Most SEO people are good with the analytical side of their brain, and many of them scoff at the idea of being creative. Yet this is what you will need in order to reach the highest levels of success online.

Those who are too SEO oriented are going to find themselves fighting a never ending battle with the search engines. This is especially true for those that use black hat SEO tricks. The search engines are getting smarter everyday, and it isn't going to be too much longer before we see search engines that are comprised of advanced neural networks that are capable of learning. Once this happens, it is going to become ever more difficult to outsmart the search engines. Succeeding with SEO is simple. Give the search engines what they want and stay away from all the various tricks that webmasters use to try to get visitors. This is not what allowed websites like Amazon to become multi-billion dollar companies. It was their creativity, their imagination, that allowed them to reach the zenith of success.