Comments on: What Snapshot of SEO Drives Your Web Business?

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:37:58 +0000

SEO has become so entangled that the average site for small business is getting left out in the cold. SEO is getting to be as confusing as the IRS tax codes. Cutting Edge small companies are turning to predictable news letter and monthly ezine marketing strategies where quality info is forwarded to and through industry associates. Hits are not the only answer to customer base growth.

By: Jamie Allsop

Jamie Allsop — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:20:49 +0000

As SEO is always changing and evolving, its important that you keep up to date with the latest goings on so you can provide your customers with the best SEO service.

By: Nick Stamoulis

Nick Stamoulis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:29:23 +0000

That is the problem. A good SEO person is not only technical but also a good marketeer that is consistently educating themselves on various techniques. This is a fast moving industry that is still very young and will go through many more changes before things settle.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:13:32 +0000

I agree that SEO is an ongoing learning process. I actually do a lot of SEO for our e-commerce clients and it is a process that I feel will never be conquered do to the on going changes in SEO, however it is a must in any e-commerce site and is something that can be mastered if practiced well and often.

-Jenny
jenny@eighthorses.net

By: Christopher

Christopher — Sun, 31 May 2009 09:33:49 +0000

Very easy to understand, thanks

By: Babette Burdick

Babette Burdick — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:42:27 +0000

An SEO-optimized website can be a powerful tool. Like a high-performance car, there needs to be driver education and a commitment from the customer to drive that car on a regular basis – with ongoing coaching from the vendor. Too often, agencies retrofit a website with an SEO veneer, sort of like putting aluminum siding on a brick house badly in need of tuck-pointing. That, to me, is not SEO at all. Vendors need to set, and manage, expectations. In providing this value to their customers they ensure that they are current and engaging in best practices.

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:22:30 +0000

That’s a great point Levi. You’re talking about SEO audits and I don’t like to do them for the reasons you’ve mentioned. SEO is not a one time event. Clientts should expect and consultants should deliver ongoing expertise and website marketing services. Agencies should be proactive with SEO recommendations. That also means clients need to forecast SEO as an ongoing cost not a project like web design.

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:13:33 +0000

That’s a great question Babette and it comes down to the need for the SEO consulting engagement to include ongoing audits, testing and training. The results achieved and campaign status reported to the client should be a clear signal the SEO agency us current. Ongoing communications should include strategic and tactical recommendations as well as industry insights and training.

By: Levi Wardell

Levi Wardell — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:21:32 +0000

Well put Lee. I couldn’t agree more.

Taking a snap shot of anything to base marketing efforts off of is dangerous, on and off line. I think a bit part of the issue at hand here is on the agency side too.

How many clients have hired you (I don’t mean top rank, I mean any agency) for a site or initial ‘optimization’ then end up left alone without continued education, relationship building, and instruction on the importance of evolving with an audience rather than expecting them to evolve with you?

When this happens for a significant amount of time before the agency calls up the client suggesting SEO, you’re going to have a significantly more difficult time justifying value of the service if you couldn’t recognize the value of the client first.

By: Babette Burdick

Babette Burdick — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:57:35 +0000

Where does this situation leave the customer? They rely on what the SEO companies tell them. For many small to mid-sized companies, their website still is smoke and mirrors and it tends to remain a static element. How can the customer be assured that their vendor is engaged in best practices?

By: Carl

Carl — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:27:22 +0000

I agree with you Alexander. The other day I was in a meeting and someone said that a company was charging him £300 a month for page 1 rankings for two terms that receive hardly any searches.

By: Jules

Jules — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:27:43 +0000

To Bill’s point: I think that SEO is about so much more than it was even twelve months ago. It must be a continually monitored and adjusted process. And I mean process, structured with methodology and measurement. Sifting through the bull alone is a challenge enough! The experiences that you mention of references to 1998 forum posts has been my experience, the web is huge, how can new entrants possibly find the right information when they get started with their new web businesses?

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:02:58 +0000

Thanks Bill. A comment like that from you is sincerely appreciated.

There us certainly the larger issue of process and the maturity of an organization’s approach to marketing with content. So many marketing decisions are fragmented and tactical, it’s a challenge to see anything through without making corporate culture changes. Just think how many corporate marketers focus their efforts on “putting out fires” rather than developing and implementing proper content marketing strategy.

By: Lee Odden

Lee Odden — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:55:17 +0000

I suppose in the same way that web developers/designers keep good SEOs busy, so do marketers relying on outdated SEO info.

By: Alexander Dombroff

Alexander Dombroff — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:03:04 +0000

Search is constantly changing. There is a local company still selling directory submissions and Google submissions as a service for $495!

By: Bill Hunt

Bill Hunt — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:46:02 +0000

Lee – this is spot on. To many times we encounter agencies and clients using outdated techniques. I must get a dozen email a week from clients referencing some forum post from 1998 without the slightest idea of how current or relevant it still is.

I am still waiting for the day when the we can replace “fixes” with proper process and site owners actually integrate all the best processes into the workflow and stop looking for quick fix ways to clean up the mess

By: Brett Borders

Brett Borders — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:23:23 +0000

You are right in this post, SEO is one of the most easily “out of dated” fields and the number of client side agencies offering suggestions that are either outdated or even downright harmful are staggering. I have been called in to fix penalties that were created from 5 or 6 year-old snapshots.