New Article - Blogger Doesn't *Get* Search Marketing

[thejenn]

Full Text: http://www.searchengineguide.com/laycock/004689.html

Some Snippets:

"I read a post at a blog site earlier today by someone that was contacted by a company about search marketing. He asked a few questions, did a few searches and decided that he didn't need search marketing. Here's why he's wrong."

"There are well over a hundred SEM firms in the world. I would even argue that there are well over one hundred excellent SEM firms in the world. SEMPO has around 250 members and looking through the list I could think of dozens of top of the line firms and individuals that aren't listed. It's just not realistic to discount the abilities of a firm just because they don't rank in the top 100 for this phrase."

[Jill]

Deciding to hire a search marketing firm goes beyond looking for the one that ranks number one on Google.

That's true! You should choose the one that ranks #3!

[thejenn]

LOL!

I came so close to putting in parenthesis (though I'm sure Jill wouldn't mind) after that sentence, but then I didn't.

[withinreach]

Sorry, but I have no sympathy for an SEM firm that can't get its rankings high.

Your argument about not optimizing for phrase X or Y does not work, in that it's what the *client* was looking for, not what the clever SEM decided they could rank high on. It's actually the same issue as your article's second half - don't expect people to know you and find you. You reversed yourself for sake of a point.

So the competition is hot for certain phrases (like 'great website design') - gee, get out of the kitchen, then.

[Robert]

Welcome to the forum, Jill!!

That's true! You should choose the one that ranks #3!

Last I checked, you were number two.

[thejenn]

So the competition is hot for certain phrases (like 'great website design') - gee, get out of the kitchen, then.

So you apparently missed my point about how there are hundreds of excellent SEO firms and obviously only 10 front page positions. You also seem to think that the top 10 listings honestly reflect the top ten firms. That's untrue. A machine ranks those sites, not a human, and we all know that machines don't always have the best judgement.

Additionally, and quite honestly, knowing the time that it takes to rank for competitive phrases, I'd prefer that my SEO firm spend time helping make MY site better rather than spending time making their own site rank higher.

That effort comes with a price. Do you want to pay $300 or $400 an hour for the same quality work that you could get for $150 an hour just because that person hired the staff or spent the time to get that top ten ranking? If that rankings is important to you, then by all means, go hire Jill. I'm sure she'd be happy to have you. (right Jill?)

All kidding aside, I'm willing to bet that even a #2 ranked person like Jill will admit to you that she knows many top quality SEOs and SEO firms that do not appear on the top ten listings of Google. So you are selling yourself short in your search for a firm if you aren't willing to speak to someone outside of the top ten.

Do you think that there are only ten lawyers in the world worth hiring? Only ten doctors? Only ten hotels worth staying in? How about only ten newspapers worth reading? Are you seeing a pattern?

It's all in where your priorities are. I can assure you that my clients are quite happy with the work I do for them and the price I charge. I can do that work and charge those prices because I don't spend any time working on my own web site. In fact, apart from Search Engine Guide, I don't even HAVE a Web site. I don't have time. Plus, there's no reason to have one, I don't want to attract more clients, I already have all the business I can take on via referrals, I send 90% of the people who contact me on to other firms.

I could name half a dozen or more folks in the same position.

I think you are being short sighted.

[jmjj215]

An SEO firm that thrives on referral business alone has so much more to stand on than one that ranks high (although you can have both). I would much rather go to a firm that a friend had worked with and loved - than to just do a search for some keyword phrase and then choose the firm based on that - it's naive.

The firm's job is to get their clients' sites to the top (or close thereto) - not to get their own. Referral business is a much better indicator of top-quality service than SE referrals. High referral business means you're doing something right w/ LOTS of clients' sites - not just with your own.

My two cents.