Here’s a video from 45n5.com’s Mark Wielgus that explains his 2010 rule for SEO. The premise is that you should only try to do SEO in niches where you can build a webpage that is 20% better than the top 10 results for a particular keyword. Here’s the video:

What I really like about the 2010 SEO rule is that it challenges affiliates to actually create a site that adds more value to a particular niche than anyone else is currently. This in itself is really what I think defines a good affiliate site…a site that is not just able to rank well, but is able to rank well over time, even under the scrutiny of a manual review by a search engine’s search quality team, because the site adds value.

Sure, 20% better is a bit vague – but I think the number is more symbolic than anything. The real point is that you should do whatever you can to create the best website for the niche you operate in.

Take a look at your site and compare it to the top ten sites for the keyword you’d like to rank for. Is your site better? If not, what could you do to make your site better? Is there information you can add? Can you make your site more user friendly? More entertaining? Can you offer more options than the top 10?

Figure out everything that can be improved upon and strategically incorporate those things into your site. That’s your “20% better.”

By challenging yourself to create the best site in your niche, you’ll give people more of a reason to seek out your site, link to your site, and tell their friends about your site. And that folks, is a powerful path to SEO success.