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Automated SEO Tools- Why Aren't You Using One?
Oftentimes, the most important facets of SEO are overlooked,
even by webmasters and seasoned SEO experts. Why? Because
somehow all the emphasis gets put on the importance of keywords,
leaving all other SEO elements in the dust.
Equally...
Online Marketing Made Easy With SEO
When it comes to marketing your business online, you want to reach as many people as possible. For this reason, search engine optimization is very important to your business and making sure you can reach as many potential customers as possible.
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SEO Basics - 8 Key Strategies For Online Business Success
The world of search engine optimization (SEO) can be a big scary place for newbies. Most SEO professional companies charge astronomical prices that may or may not guarantee success. The search engines are forever changing the way they rank websites...
The Business Case for SEO
It’s interesting how potential clients have preconceived notions about which aspects of search engine marketing have the most value. In fact, they tend to fall into two camps that are 180° apart. The first camp believes completely in the value of...
When CMS Met SEO - Using the Power of Content Management Systems
Search Engine Optimization revolves around providing useful, unique content on your website and making sure that search engines can find and understand it easily. 'Organic SEO' as it is called, puts emphasis on optimizing hundreds of keyword rich...
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Breaking SEO Myths Part One: The SEO Expert
Could there be another industry more inflated by ego,
misinformation, and repetition than search engine optimization?
Perhaps there are a few others out there, but not many. But what
else can one expect from an unregulated industry? There's no
FCC, FTC, FEC, FMC, FERC, HIPAA, ATF, SEC, FAA or any other
acronymed agency standardizing legitimate SEO practices.
Search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask Jeeves each have
their own secret algorithms which mathematically select,
arrange, and prioritize search results. No two search engines
work the same. No two search engines yield exactly the same
search results (unless they are actually powered by the same
search engine but packaged under different names). No SEO
"expert" or firm knows all of the search engines' secrets. So
how do they write so many articles, blogs, and forums with such
authority? And why are the ones pinky swearing that they're
honest only telling you enough to maintain enough mystery to
keep you relying upon their expertise and yet still wondering
what the heck they are doing behind those closed doors?
Am I saying that they're all scam artists? No. Many of them
aren't. But even the ones who are legit are still count on an
air of mystery and difficulty to keep the client from demanding
too many specific answers. Why? Because if these search engine
specialists revealed all that they know to a client, they know
that an intelligent client would be unimpressed. The truth is
that most companies could perform their own SEO and be quite
successful. There are exceptions, like the home mortgage
industry. Certain industries are so competitive in organic
search that most companies will not be able to compete even with
professional natural SEO services.
So why should a company hire an SEO professional? In my opinion,
such contracting of services only makes sense when a company
either has enough money to throw around or they have much more
important tasks for their own employees to perform. I compare it
to online grocery shopping - it saves you time and effort, but
unless you're disabled, filthy rich, or ungodly busy it is not a
cost effective option.
Of course, I'm not going to begrudge anyone the opportunity to
sub out a service they do not feel comfortable with performing
themselves. Every executive has the right to decide which is
more valuable to the company in this situation: time or money. I
understand that, and I also respect a person who focuses on
contributing their strengths rather than faking strengths that
eventually cost the company due to incompetence and pride. You
will find those same types of people in the search engine
marketing profession. Men and women have forged careers in
search engine marketing because they learned how to retell
someone else's stories and to write "new"
articles containing
recycled information. Those types are actually better at sales
and personal PR than SEO.
So what exactly makes a person an SEO expert? Seriously. Don't
accept someone's claims without critically examining them.
There's no federal or industry-wide standard. So who makes an
expert an expert? What's the difference between an expert and an
expert fake? And how can you tell one from the other?
It's a slippery slope. Sadly, it is an industry where many
companies profit from client ignorance. Am I going to present
clear-cut evidence here of my claims? Not a chance. I don't have
to, and I don't want to make any specific enemies. I learned
what I know by studying SEO online wherever I could because I
was trying to join the industry. What I realized through my
extensive online reading and professional relationships is that
a good humble businessperson is always more trustworthy and
reliable than a self-proclaimed expert. Humility is key. Use
your discernment.
If you don't believe me, subscribe to a few SEO newsletters and
catch up on your SEO articles. See for yourself if you don't
read the same thing over and over, only presented in a different
order or from a different angle. Study which groups or
individuals support and compliment each other in SEO articles,
forums, and blogs. Notice how they build a castle of thoughts
out of thin air. In this industry, some will corroborate each
other if it means reinforcing the fuzzy logic that has benefited
their own business. The lack of fresh information is fairly
convincing evidence that search engine optimization and keyword
research are not all that complicated. If they were, the experts
wouldn't have to recycle to put out new articles and blogs.
For all of you still willing and ready to hire an SEO
professional, all I ask is that you make an educated decision
based on research. And always check with clients the firm claims
to have serviced. Find out if they were really a client, what
type of service they received, and if they were satisfied with
that service. And, of course, make sure you aren't verifying one
firm with one of their bread-and-butter partners. Remember,
things are not always what they appear. If you keep these basic
considerations in mind, you should do well when choosing the
right SEO professional.
About the author:
Daniel Dessinger is a copywriter in the Dallas / Fort Worth
area. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Dallas
Baptist University. In addition to compulsive blogging, he
writes for various marketing firms, corporations, and small
businesses around the country. His writing services include SEO
friendly interactive press releases, search optimized website
copy, industry-specific articles, creative ads, copy editing,
and online public r
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