Recently, I was speaking with a friend when the subject of SEO came up,and he visibly tuned out. He had so many interactions with businesspeople touting SEO with no understanding of what it is. It seems to me that most use the word SEO as a buzzword – a binary skill that you either have, or you don’t. Web developers seem to think that mentioning the word in a service description will earn them sales – which it might. In the same way, webmasters say things like, “I installed an SEO tool on my site, so I should be taken care of.” Either way, it has become a bit of a buzzword for self-proclaimed consultants.
The best SEOs in the industry have been involved for 10 years (that’s the equivalent of 160 technology years), and SEO isn’t something you learn overnight. SEO is a specialty skill that takes a lot of time and study to do it right, and mentioning it offhand as one of the many services you offer raises flags for me.
I’m not saying that a web developer can’t know SEO, too, but I get worried when I hear things like, “I’m targeting all keywords.” SEO takes patience, time, and expertise, and should not be a buzzword used to make a quick buck. Since doing SEO right is a rare skill, wear it proudly!
Reasons to Downplay SEO
The only reasons I can think of to downplay SEO as a service you offer are the following:
- You don’t actually know SEO, and think it’s a binary…something you can figure out overnight
- You are outsourcing it
- You aren’t proud of your results
Maybe I’m missing something. What reasons can you think of to downplay SEO?
Qualifying the Statement: I Do SEO
When someone purports to “know SEO,” ask them about their tactics. Your website represents a large part of your brand, and you don’t want someone dragging your brand through a ton of proverbial mud in pursuit of higher rankings.
I’ve been struggling with this problem for quite some time now – how do you differentiate yourself from the mass of Wannabe SEOs if you really are worth your salt? After studying and practicing SEO for years, it seems silly to me to play it down. What are the ways that you guys have found to help people find quality SEO consultants?
About the Author: AJ Wilcox
AJ graduated from Brigham Young University with a business marketing degree in 2008. He's been active in Internet marketing for over 3 years with emphasis in SEO. His field of experience includes SEO, PPC, maps optimization, site development & architecture, social media, and analytics.
He hails from Mesa, AZ, currently resides in Orem, UT, and is married with one child. Aside from Internet marketing, he loves driving exotic cars and running.
7 Comments
Was it not?
It’s all result based. Anyone who is doing SEO should have plenty of examples of well ranked sites.
No, the post was more of a rant. I wasn’t targeting a specific keyword when I wrote it, and the links I placed in the article both pointed back to other blog posts on our blog. Care to be more specific? Do you mean it was linkbait?
@Guy – I think you’re absolutely right. I love when companies have backup to show that they do SEO properly. It is such a pain when people throw it around as a buzzword and are clueless. Backup is certainly necessary.
Do you mean we to say that did this post to just to use “SEO” a whole bunch?
If that is your question then the answer is no. We write about SEO all the time because we’re an internet marketing company.
Guy: I agree, I would add the caveat that the rankings actually be useful. Being number one for “Blonde Barbie hair replacement doll head scranton” isn’t exactly something to write home about.
Dan, you nailed it on the head! SEO is OrangeSoda’s flagship…period… secondly SEO isn’t just being able to understand how to make someone rank for a keyword, but selecting the RIGHT KEYWORD can make or break the entire project. Keywords must be RELEVANT, not TOO COMPETITIVE FOR BUDGET, is in the BUY PHASE of search patterns, has ADEQUATE SEARCH VOLUME of QUALIFIED TRAFFIC to generate MEANINGFUL CONVERSION =>ROAS–return on ad spend)… that’s just planning properly… implementing is a whole ‘nother story! – - – - people think that SEO is something that you can plug into a computer and hit go, or just splatter your link across the internet… they DON’T HAVE A CLUE and they make my job as a consultant and client care specialist FAR MORE DIFFICULT! – - – - – - – - – - – - – sorry… that turned into a rant… = )
Hey AJ! Good rant, but I came up with a few reasons you might be missing. I might downplay SEO if I’m working with an affiliate site who doesn’t have access to their own FTP or maybe doesn’t even own the site at all. Also, if they have a limited budget, are looking for an immediate return, and/or trying to advertise a time sensitive promotion, I might suggest that we use PPC initially.
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