I recently posted a request for help on the forum and received some very positive input for my research project. However, I need to obtain a greater number of replies, in order to give my conclusions greater validity.

In case people are worried that I am seeking e-mail addresses for Spam, I have decided to put the questions which need answering, directly on the forum and hope that I can obtain more feedback.

I would like to assure you that this is genuine research for my MSc project at Swansea Metropolitan University and I look forward to receiving your views which will be included in my analysis of the question "Is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) an Art or a Science?"

I encourage you now to reply to the following either on the forum or by e-mailing me at rdevans.106109@students.smu.ac.uk.

QUESTIONS

1.
When you think of Search Engine Optimisation, how would you rank it on a scale of 1-7, where 1 is a pure art and 7 is a pure science?

2.
Thinking of Art as the use of “sounds, colours, forms, words, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty”, please could you list and rank those actions which may be considered artistic, that you take when you try to optimise a website for search engines.

3.
Thinking of Science as “the systematic application of scientific method”, please could you list and rank those actions which may be considered scientific, that you take when you try to optimise a website for search engines.

4.
When you optimise a website for search engines, what are the five most important actions you take?

5.
Some experts state that SEO depends on the “intuition or the inbuilt skill” of the website designer. Others state that SEO depends on “formulae or templates”. On balance, how much of the success of your Search Engine Optimisation is based on your intuition of what appeals to the website user, as opposed to the following of set formulae or rules.

6.
If asked to choose, do you believe that Search Engine Optimisation is an Art or a Science? Why do you believe this?