SEO
There are some folks out there who really know to make web sites what we call search engine friendly.
These experts in Search Engine Optimization (what the web world calls SEO) can analyze a web site, make some basic changes in the structure and wording, and see that site get much more prominent rankings in the search engines for particular keywords.
The truly good SEO experts are usually very expensive.
Their game is one of constant learning and change. It has to be because the search engines, especially Search King Google, periodically change the rules on how they rank sites.
And they are very secretive about what they do.
By “they” I mean both the search engines and the SEO folks. In both cases their knowledge is their professional edge so it is very much in their best interest to hold what they know close to the chest.
SEO Charlatans
The big trouble I have with the SEO game is that there are a LOT of SEO charlatans out there. In fact, I’m of the opinion that the overwhelming majority of the people claiming to be SEO experts truly don’t have a clue what it really takes to get decent search engine rankings.
These folks are preying on businesses that are beginning to realize that throwing a web site up is not enough to get people to actually see it. These businesses are at a loss. They’ve spent tons of money on web sites that get no traffic.
In desperation they turn to a self proclaimed expert who assures them they will get the traffic flowing in with just a little tweaking to the business’s site. Then maybe the expert adds some meta data, changes some wording so that the desired key words are present.
And then perhaps the expert buys an Adwords campaign using those keywords to make sure there is a quick bump up in traffic to be able to point to SEO “success”.
That expert may even charge as much as the folks who really do know what they are doing when it comes to SEO. So there is no way to use price as a guide here.
When I’m looking to check out an SEO expert the first thing I do is examine their own site. If they can’t even get decent SEO for their own site, then there is no way I want them working on one I’m associated with.
A Search Engine Reality
The reality is that high quality original frequently updated content can overcome poor SEO fairly easily.
But great SEO can never overcome pathetic content for anything but the shortest of short hauls.
Be careful who you listen to. Be especially careful where you spend your money.
Could not agree more with your comments, there out there folks so beware.
Great minds think alike!
I have two small business’s and I’m all the time being hounded over the phone by SEO telemarketers telling me they can get my web sites in the top 10 of Google.
The thing is, both of my websites for my small business’s are in the top 3 SERPS. If they had taken the time to really get to know my company, they’d seen that.
The advice about checking out their SERPS is priceless. There have been many times I’d be sitting at my desk when these bozo’s call. I find out the name of their company and while I’m talking to them I pull up Google and search for them. Of course none of them ever rank for the first page.
I end the call by telling them that if they can’t get their own company ranked in the top 10, what makes them think they can get others.
Your right though, a lot of uneducated website owners and small business’s fall victim to these scam artist.
Good post, keep it up.
Don
Totally agree. I have trained people up for companies over a year ago who now claim to be seo experts.
I’m still learning – every day. I didn’t call myself an expert until I saw these guys ranking in Google for expert seos.
Of course now I’m no.1 for those terms in my geographic region, but only when i fought fire with fire.
It’s frustrating in one sense but the best clients i have are the clients who have been burned by so-called-sexperts in the past.
They really appreciate the work we put in here after they have been burned – sad but true.
Don, that’s classic someone trying to sell us something we already have. “Hello! McFly!” I don’t have patience for that lack of caring on the part of a sales rep either.
Hobo, poaching business from inept vendors feels remarkably satisfying, doesn’t it.
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