Comments on: Bye Bye Marketing Sherpa’s SEO-SEM Buyer’s Guide http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/ Grow your business with TopRank Online Marketing tips, articles, & expert information on social media, content marketing & search engine marketing. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lee Odden http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160831 Lee Odden Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:02:47 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160831 Tom, you're stretching things a bit I think. What I stated was that both topseos.com and Marketing Sherpa have served as lead generation tools for us, not that they are "no different". topseos.com and Marketing Sherpa use no more or less of a qualification process I suspect than the often cited list of SEO firms on the SEOmoz site, which has ALSO been a source of leads. We've received good and bad leads from all three sources and we rely on none of them and never will since our own site rankings, industry visibility and word of mouth generate the vast majority of new business for our firm. Tom, you’re stretching things a bit I think. What I stated was that both topseos.com and Marketing Sherpa have served as lead generation tools for us, not that they are “no different”.

topseos.com and Marketing Sherpa use no more or less of a qualification process I suspect than the often cited list of SEO firms on the SEOmoz site, which has ALSO been a source of leads.

We’ve received good and bad leads from all three sources and we rely on none of them and never will since our own site rankings, industry visibility and word of mouth generate the vast majority of new business for our firm.

]]> By: Tom Crandall http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160805 Tom Crandall Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:05:11 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160805 Easy on the coffee, chief, I don't think you feel me. Based on your exceptional visibility in this space, I see TopRank as a TOP THREE firm, rather than a #9. Now you state that Topseos.com is no different than Marketing Sherpa's guide after writing a story that states that Marketing Sherpa was unable to rank SEO and SEM firms. Are you an advocate of lead generation sites that can't support their claims? Based on your experience, how would you rate the leads generated by Topseos.com? Easy on the coffee, chief, I don’t think you feel me. Based on your exceptional visibility in this space, I see TopRank as a TOP THREE firm, rather than a #9.

Now you state that Topseos.com is no different than Marketing Sherpa’s guide after writing a story that states that Marketing Sherpa was unable to rank SEO and SEM firms.

Are you an advocate of lead generation sites that can’t support their claims?

Based on your experience, how would you rate the leads generated by Topseos.com?

]]> By: Lee Odden http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160763 Lee Odden Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:14:59 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160763 topseos.com is a lead generation site for internet marketing services and does not give the companies it ranks specific metrics. I don't think there's any mystery to that. Lists always drum up interesting reactions because of inclusion/exclusion. Why is TopRank listed at #9 specifically? It might be that we have several Fortune 20 clients both with over $80bn in revenue, have been in the biz since 1997 and are considered a thought leader in the space by the likes of The Economist and U.S. News & World Report. It certainly has nothing to do with our web site design. :) TopRank has also been included in Marketing Sherpa SEO/SEM Guides for the past 3 years and it has also served as a lead generation tool, no different than topseos.com. Bringing back the guides in a different form might be a better option since it is so hard to qualify information for each SEO/SEM firm. topseos.com is a lead generation site for internet marketing services and does not give the companies it ranks specific metrics. I don’t think there’s any mystery to that.

Lists always drum up interesting reactions because of inclusion/exclusion.

Why is TopRank listed at #9 specifically? It might be that we have several Fortune 20 clients both with over $80bn in revenue, have been in the biz since 1997 and are considered a thought leader in the space by the likes of The Economist and U.S. News & World Report. It certainly has nothing to do with our web site design. :)

TopRank has also been included in Marketing Sherpa SEO/SEM Guides for the past 3 years and it has also served as a lead generation tool, no different than topseos.com. Bringing back the guides in a different form might be a better option since it is so hard to qualify information for each SEO/SEM firm.

]]> By: Tom Crandall http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160649 Tom Crandall Mon, 09 Jul 2007 05:41:40 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-160649 This is why I commented a few months back that Topseos.com is a joke--the inability to procure qualitative data based on core competencies and strategic expertise, as well as consistent execution and measurement. I know he is a client, Lee, but the site is nothing more than a marketing ploy. Do you have any personal insight as to why Top Rank ranks #9 currently? Based on what? As for the guide, if Anne gets enough feedback, maybe she will reconsider. This is why I commented a few months back that Topseos.com is a joke–the inability to procure qualitative data based on core competencies and strategic expertise, as well as consistent execution and measurement. I know he is a client, Lee, but the site is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

Do you have any personal insight as to why Top Rank ranks #9 currently? Based on what?

As for the guide, if Anne gets enough feedback, maybe she will reconsider.

]]> By: Jake http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157728 Jake Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:29:22 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157728 Lee, Thank you for the update on this. It's a very interesting development. Lee,

Thank you for the update on this. It’s a very interesting development.

]]> By: Stoney deGeyter http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157683 Stoney deGeyter Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:54:13 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157683 The 2007 guide was the second one I had purchased and the first one I had read. I was actually quite impressed with the information that preceded the info on the SEO firms. I think the biggest "problem" with the guide is that you really had to take all the information with a grain of salt. Each SEO could answer questions in a way that puts them in the best light, not necessarily what was true. The 2007 guide was the second one I had purchased and the first one I had read. I was actually quite impressed with the information that preceded the info on the SEO firms. I think the biggest “problem” with the guide is that you really had to take all the information with a grain of salt. Each SEO could answer questions in a way that puts them in the best light, not necessarily what was true.

]]> By: Lee Odden http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157677 Lee Odden Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:30:55 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157677 Andreas, to find individual consultants, I would check out search marketing forums and also visit our BIGLIST of seo blogs as there are many individual consultants blogging there. In the forums you can post a query for referrals and work from there. However, I am curious why you don't want to hire the whole marketing agency? An individual can only do so many things well. Individual consultants have to wear all hats leaving a lot less time for production than a group of specialists who may end up costing you about the same or less in the long run. Your question has given me a great idea for a blog post, thank you! Andreas, to find individual consultants, I would check out search marketing forums and also visit our BIGLIST of seo blogs as there are many individual consultants blogging there.

In the forums you can post a query for referrals and work from there.

However, I am curious why you don’t want to hire the whole marketing agency? An individual can only do so many things well. Individual consultants have to wear all hats leaving a lot less time for production than a group of specialists who may end up costing you about the same or less in the long run.

Your question has given me a great idea for a blog post, thank you!

]]> By: Andreas http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157573 Andreas Tue, 03 Jul 2007 06:21:48 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157573 Hm, interesting, but the question is: I don't want to hire the whole marketing agency, I would prefer to work with an individual, where to find one? Hm, interesting, but the question is: I don’t want to hire the whole marketing agency, I would prefer to work with an individual, where to find one?

]]> By: David Wallace http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157551 David Wallace Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:11:22 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157551 I'm sorry to see it go. While it was a bit pricey on the consumer side, it was nice to be listed on the firm side and I do recall getting a few RFPs from potential clients who had found us in the guide. I’m sorry to see it go. While it was a bit pricey on the consumer side, it was nice to be listed on the firm side and I do recall getting a few RFPs from potential clients who had found us in the guide.

]]> By: Ed Kohler http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157412 Ed Kohler Mon, 02 Jul 2007 18:20:44 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/07/bye-bye-marketing-sherpa-semguide/#comment-157412 It's great for businesses included in the guide, and provides good guidance on how to shop firms, but I think they're right that an objective measure of firms would be nearly impossible to create. It’s great for businesses included in the guide, and provides good guidance on how to shop firms, but I think they’re right that an objective measure of firms would be nearly impossible to create.

]]>