Is social media a better investment than SEO?

I found this sign on a wall at a Cal University.


Is social media a better investment than SEO?


Please read the article linked here:
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/11/08/why-social-media-is-a-better-investment-than-seo/


Then read some of the comments. An contentious article like this gets lots of comments. Reading those gives you some idea of the total tonnage of BS, disguised as fact, floating around the Internet.


 The author of the article, Gary Arndt, operates an intriguing travel blog. The gist of his SEO vs social media article is that Google makes so many changes that it is not dependable any more. 


I understand Gary's angst about Google but a simple statement does not necessarily negate Google's value to the millions of little bloggers around the world. We must be careful not to turn opinions into fact and make important decisions based on what we read. 


So, I give Gary credit for a nice try. But ask anyone who has posted their blog link at Twitter or Facebook and I think you will probably get different opinions. 


We need some hard case studies, not just educated guesses. I want numbers based on significant time frames and not just anecdotal evidence. 


Do any exist? I can't find them. So, before you spend hundreds of hours on the yellow brick road of social media, I suggest you pause and reassess the value of the road you want to take.


Social media is like stepping in quicksand. 


Greg Cryns
Work At Home Profiles
Wahm Search Engine 
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