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In my previous articles regarding search engine marketing (optimization & submission), I've outlined a series of ethical techniques and strategies that can help you gain better rankings and increase traffic to your web site. In this article, we'll take a look at some points to consider before hiring an SEOP (Search Engine Optimization Professional) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing) company, and a few tips for getting started in do-it-yourself optimization. SEOP and SEM - the difference.Briefly, an SEOP focuses on optimizing your web site to attract the attention of search engine spiders and improving your rankings. Their specialty area are "organic" search engine listings - i.e. free. An SEM company also markets a web site via search engines, but usually through purchasing paid listings. The terms are somewhat interchangeable and many companies cover both areas.
Good and bad SEO firmsA good SEO firm can achieve great things for your site, a bad one may cause you to be banned from some engines through spamming or other unethical "quick fix" strategies. Sometime this banning can be forever, so it's very important that you engage the optimization services of a reputable firm. Some *unethical* optimization strategies include:
If you have ever been banned for intentional or unintentional spamming of a search engine, you'll understand just how hard it is to crawl back to the top. Being banned or penalized from a search engine happens to most webmasters at some stage of their career. If it's a mistake on the search engine's part, it will *usually* be rectified. An intentional ban is a completely different story. I've known webmasters that have had to redesign their entire site, change their domain name and hosting service and then have to climb up the rankings from scratch - not a pleasant thought at all... A ban issued by the powers that be at the Googleplex have ended a number of online businesses who have been caught for spamming. It's just not worth the risk. The Search Engine Optimization ProfessionalThe title of SEOP is now being brandished by many individuals and optimization firms, all competing for your attention and dollars. Competition is great, but it can also encourage wild claims and other sharp marketing strategies in order to capture your business. One of the most risky purchase decisions is to hire the first SEOP who guarantees you a top 10 search engine ranking. Believe it or not, getting a top 10 ranking is pretty easy. Securing a top 10 ranking that will actually bring you viable quantities of targeted traffic is quite another. Confused? Here's an example: Optimizing a Flombles web siteLet's say you sell Flombles in a competitive market. Your competitors are dominating the search engine rankings so you engage the services of an SEOP who guarantees you a number 1 search engine ranking related to your products. The SEOP optimizes your site and lo and behold, the next month you are ranking in position number 1 for the term "fuzzy flombles". You sit back and wait for the sales to come in - and there are none. The reason for this is that fuzzy flombles are a dud product, nobody wants them, so nobody searches for them. Your competitors have optimized their pages for frizzy flombles, which are a best seller.. Another example would be a number 1 ranking on the search term "buy frizzy flombles now". Frizzy flombles may be a best seller, but that term happens to be one that nobody actually uses as a search query. Before hiring a Search Engine Optimization Professional, make sure that you make them aware of your market and previous marketing attempts. Don't expect them to be an expert on your product range, there's just too many products and services out there. A good SEOP will ask a lot of questions before you sign the dotted line, so they'll know the terms they should be focusing on and the marketing challenge that awaits them. So if someone guarantees you a top 10 ranking, be very wary - what kind of top 10 ranking? It's the quality that counts. Ask questions, get references... Also be wary of SEOP's that offer to submit your site to 128,564 search engines and directories - many of these directories will be garbage directories and FFA type sites, and that's not a good thing at all. If an SEOP offers to do this as part of their services, it's a good indicator from the outset to look elsewhere. Good SEOP's wouldn't waste their time on this sort of coverage. Another point that SEOP's are well aware of is that when it comes to search engines such as Google, nothing is guaranteed - that's what makes Google such a great search engine. Google constantly refine their ranking algorithm, otherwise the only sites to rank at the top will be the ones that can afford the services of an optimization professional. The changing algorithm, while frustrating at times, does provide a more level playing field.
Hiring and SEM's - other issues for considerationAs mentioned earlier, a Search Engine Marketing firm tends to focus on paid listings; especially PPC (pay per click) listings. PPC can bring great rewards, but it can also be a huge hole into which you pour your money - with no results. In order for an SEM company to be of benefit; they *must* have a very good understanding of your target market. For example; it's well known that people who use certain keywords are more likely to purchase. Using a very basic example, I would rather spend 50c per click on the term "buy frizzy flombles" than 5c per click on "flombles" as the first example is very targeted and the person searching has expressed a desire to purchase - they are pre-groomed for the sale. A good Search Engine Marketing company won't just focus on the search term, but also on the landing page on your site that the click will take people to. Another thing to watch out for - pushy companies. *Never* feel pressured into signing anything; and if the company uses scare tactics - run a million miles. I recently had a run-in with one company when organizing services for hundreds of potential clients. They got a little too pushy and also tried to "educate" me regarding SEM and SEO, even though I had told them that I was well aware of the various aspects of the industry. Well, I educated them instead - they lost the opportunity. My biggest disappointment was that this was a well known company and it was plain to see that dollar signs were motivating such pushy behavior; very little in our communications related to the benefit to clients. Where do you find ethical SEOP's and SEM's?That's like asking where do you find an ethical lawyer :). As with any other professions, a respected trade directory is a good place to start and the only one I know of worth mentioning is SEMPO. SEMPO is a professional association working to increase awareness and promote the value of Search Engine Marketing on a global scale. Just because a company is listed at SEMPO, it doesn't mean you have 100% protection from crooked operators as they aren't a policing organization. SEMPO also have a great facility where you can submit your requirements and SEO/SEM companies will then contact you. Do it yourself web site optimizationIf you decide to take the "do-it-yourself" approach to search engine marketing and optimization, congratulations! You're about to immerse yourself into the wonderful world of lurking in SEOP forums, examining server logs until your eyes bleed, keyword density number crunching, conflicting advice and many sleepless nights - and they are just the good points! Seriously though, while optimization can be very time consuming in the beginning, there is no sweeter experience than doing your own optimization work and seeing yourself at number 1 on a popular term. Also, performing your own optimization reduces your dependence on others and ongoing costs in relation to this aspect of your online business. Be very wary of the information you research on optimization and SE marketing; much of it is outdated, some of it is incorrect and other sources are just plain misleading. The rule of thumb is if the strategy you are reading about is the latest bleeding edge search engine optimization technology - leave it alone until it is well and truly tried and tested - by others :0). In Taming the Beast.net's SEO section, we make every attempt to keep our information on this subject up to date, but it's always a good idea to compare notes with other search engine resources. The most important thing to keep in mind when preparing your web site, is that content is king. The written word, relevant and logical, is the ultimate search engine marketing weapon. Develop good content, implement it well, others will link to it and the search engines will come knocking at your door (after some basic submission work of course!). Good Optimization BooksThe reams of information available via the Internet on the subject of search engine marketing can make an already complex subject even more confusing. Trying to assemble an optimization strategy from bits and pieces of advice is very challenging. I have often been asked by clients and students about books available on this subject, but good resources have been rather scarce. Recently I came across an ebook, actually an entire training program, on the subject of do-it-yourself optimization and search engine marketing that greatly impressed me by its common-sense, holistic approach and easy to understand content. SEOBOOK was developed to offer the latest SEO tips and techniques to novice to intermediate level search engine marketers and is constantly being updated with fresh information. Good luck with your optimization strategy! Further related learning resources:Search engine optimization tools, tutorials and resources section Michael Bloch Click here to view article index
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