Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  That definition certainly does apply when it comes to search engine optimization and online marketing - using the same tactics year after year or even month after month and expecting to get the same results when the internet changes so rapidly is in fact insane.

There are a lot of trends in online marketing - whether it is social media optimization (now there’s an empty buzzword) and getting your clients on the front page of Digg (which may actually boost traffic temporarily and get you more backlinks, but is unlikely to lead to an increase in actual sales or conversions), or other (shadier) techniques that might lead to a quick rise in the SERPs but could prove harmful in the long run.  However, the key to success lies in not only separating the wheat from the chaff trend-wise, but staying just outside of the bubble so that you don’t get caught up in the fad of the moment.

It is easy to get stuck in the groupthink rut in any field, but especially in the online world - the idea that people don’t read long posts (or that they don’t read period), that every business needs to have a viral video, or that blogging is the right fit for every SEO client.  Whenever you find yourself saying people don’t do this, or this kind of behavior never happens, think again.  You might be right, but you are more likely limiting yourself, your ideas, and your plans.  Even if that is the way that people in your niche always do business, who says you have to stick with the accepted way of thinking?  Especially online, where you have the freedom to change things, to edit, and to experiment to your heart’s content.

Therefore, you should update your tactics and marketing plans adapt to changing times - without jumping on every trendy bandwagon, because altering your agenda every single time you read about a hot new social service or business idea is just as crazy as sticking with the same old concepts.  So don’t get caught up in insanity: track your performance, evaluate your techniques, and adjust your strategies thoughtfully and carefully according the changing times.