| LED Digest 2449: Finding a Qualified SEO |
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================================================== The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom www.GetWebContent.com/LED : the LED's Key Sponsor The Web's Most Experienced SEO Content Providers. www.SEOToolSet.com/training/ : the LED's Premier Sponsor Bruce Clay's Search Engine Optimization Training & Certification ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. July 16, 2007 Issue no. 2449 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ===== NEW ====================== <Moderator Comment> ~ LED Group on Facebook --== Increasing Prices with Cookies ==-- ~ Leah Driver "Does anyone here actually do this? If so, does it actually work?" ==== CONTINUING ================= --== The False Economy of Amateur Work ==-- ~ Bruce Clay "It is not as easy as one would think to find a qualified SEO." ~ Jill Whalen "This is something I've been struggling with..." ~ Andrew Taylor "The old adage 'Time is money' still holds true..." --== Pageviews & Measuring Traffic ==-- ~ Al Toman "If you use iFrames a lot...you can instead use a pure css faux pas iFrames..." ======== NEW ====================================== <Moderator Comment> Greetings LEDer, Facebook is everywhere. It's the new Internet, the new Google, and pretty much everything you ever wanted. If you believe the hype, anyway. Personally, I love Facebook, but the ads are a bit "unsightly" in contrast with their minimal, beautiful user interface. I started a group for the LED on Facebook, so if you have a profile go ahead and add it. I thought it would be a neat way to network with other LEDers: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3478110537. Speaking of networking, I'd be honored if you connected with me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/adam1audette. More and more people are complaining about the "friend" spam from people requesting a connection on these kinds of sites... funny thing is I just mass spammed the entire list with one! Ha, beat that! Have a tremendously productive week. Best wishes, Adam (PS - great issue today!) ----------------------- From: Leah Driver Subject: Charging More [was: Print catalogs] I saw an interesting piece on an American morning news show last week -- not only are many internet retailers charging a *higher* price on the internet than they are in their print catalogs, they are placing cookies on their sites that track how many times you visit a product page and multiple visits actually *increase* the price. The line of thought seems to be that the more times you visit a product page, the more interested you are in that product and the more you are likely to pay for it. Does anyone here actually do this? If so, does it actually work? It sounds like a sure-fire way to turn off potential customers to me, but it must be working for someone if they're talking about it on the news. I'm interested in others' thoughts. Thanks, Leah Driver ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Bruce Clay Subject: False economy > There is a very widespread "do-everything" ethos in LED > that I think is not necessarily the best way to run your > business... I think learning in LED and elsewhere is great... > But is it really the best use of your time to try take care > of every single little detail? I would suggest not. - Michael Linehan, LED Digest 2448 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1854/190/ As a professional lurker and infrequent poster to LED (my first post was in LED #9), I am compelled to comment on this post. I agree with a warning. I agree and disagree in that as much as you want to do great things as a business, and as much as you want to do it right and effectively, sometimes you simply must bootstrap your way to the top... small but consistent changes do eventually lead to a better web site. And if you have a choice between eating and paying someone else, you simply trade time for money and choose to eat. I absolutely agree that "learning in LED and elsewhere is great". I offer training, and my classes are full. People want to learn how to do it themselves because many simply cannot find (and afford) qualified people that will make them money. But I have reservations when we imply that it is easy (just spend money) to find a reputable SEO. Yes, if all SEO's were great, then spend the cash. But most SEO's are not great, and many simply take your money and "stumble around" until you fire them. We get many clients where they burned their way through 2 or 3 SEO "experts" before they chose to spend money to do it right. It is not as easy as one would think to find a qualified SEO. The cheaper you want it, the cheaper you get it. And like it or not, sometimes you simply must do it yourself to get it done. Micromanagement of SEO by an amateur is not effective, I agree, but neither is hiring the wrong SEO firm. BTW, it is far cheaper to do it right with the right SEO, than to use 2 or more stumbling SEO's, or to do it yourself (the original premise of the post). However, do it yourself is by far NOT the only use of LED (IMO). You cannot effectively interview any SEO "expert" without at least knowing the language. Does that mean that you need to know how to do it yourself? Maybe a little -- you should know spam when you see it, and know frames and flash are problematic if you want to keep your shirt. But if you know nothing, be prepared for a "stumbling expert" journey, and often a loss. Way too many "experts" simply are used car salesmen dressed as SEO's with no real knowledge to back them up. Buyer beware, and knowledge always helps. We require every one of our clients to attend our training class. We know that an educated client is a project partner, and that we will be speaking the same language, and that productivity will increase. Without this knowledge the clients fight every best practice and specific genetic change we make to the web site. With knowledge they prosper. LED is education, plain and simple, and regardless of the way knowledge is transferred and then used, what is said here is useful. And whether you have the funds to hire a reputable firm or choose to do it yourself, or simply use the knowledge to interview your next SEO, or use it to protect yourself from a rogue or unethical SEO, I absolutely agree that having a user community that "gets it" is a wonderful thing. Having a community that knows spam is evil is a good thing. And having a community smart enough to know when a SEO firm is qualified (or not) is a great thing. So back to the thread, is it better to hire an expert when you can afford it -- absolutely. But the issue is knowing enough to see when the expert is selling used cars or really knows their stuff. And, really, experts that "get it" can change your life. Just wanting to agree, but with a "buyer beware" warning label attached. Bruce Clay President Bruce Clay, Inc. http://www.bruceclay.com/ -------- new post - same topic --------- From: Jill Whalen Subject: False economy > So you can make a choice: to continue tweaking the > "dot-matrix" level work, and somehow think that is going > to bring you success - or to raise the level of what is > going into your site. I want dramatic results this year, > not gradually over the next ten years. What do you want? - Michael Linehan Great post! Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs have built their businesses by doing everything themselves. At the beginning, it's often necessary, but eventually if you want to grow the business you have to let go of many things. This is something I've been struggling with -- but hopefully getting better at -- as I have set out to grow my business. If you're in the same boat, please do take Michael's post to heart. And remember, the more you can let go of, the easier it gets! Jill Whalen High RankingsR Helping Sites to Be the Best They Can Be! www.highrankings.com -------- new post - same topic --------- From: Andrew P. Taylor Subject: False economy > Trying to do everything may be just shooting yourself > in the foot. What's the use of saving $1,000 if it took > $3,000 worth of your time to do so? - Michael Linehan I have a definition for "Efficiency" which is similar to the formula used in Physics. The definition is -- Getting the most done with the least amount of effort, even if this means something or someone else doing it for you. The example I use to teach this definition is: A Managing Director wishes to send out a personal end of year letter to all 500 company employees and sits down at a typewriter and types up all of the letters himself. It takes him 30 minutes per letter thus taking 250 hours at a value per hour of 35 UK pounds. Total cost 8750 lbs. The next year the Managing Director has employed a personal Assistant and they are given the task of typing up the letters. The personal assistant is a touch typist and spends just 3 minutes per letter thus taking 12.5 hours at a value per hour of 15 lbs. Total cost 187.5 The next year the Personal Assistant has the use of a computer and a laser printer. The personal assistant types up a mail merge letter in 3 minutes and spend 30 seconds entering the contact details into a spreadsheet for use with the mail merge and printing out the letter thus taking 4.2 hours at a value per hour of 15 lbs. Total cost 63.25. We may wish to do the job ourselves but we should always ask if this is the best use our time and energy, or should we be asking others to who are better at the task than us and have the tools to do the task quicker than we can. The old adage "Time is money" still holds true, even in cyberspace. Andrew Taylor IT Manager Crofton Pallets Limited ============ Sponsor Message =========== It's summertime, summertime, sum . sum. summertime. The fields are green, the swimming hole is cool and clear. The robin and the blue bird of happiness are singing. But not your site. It's not only not cooing sweetly, it's barely croaking. Words are the instruments you play to influence customers. Visit http://GetWebContent.com/LED. We'll tune your instruments and make 'em sing. ============ Sponsor Message =========== -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Al Toman Subject: Traffic > Is using frames or iframes a form > of AJAX? I use iframes a lot. - Shaun Johnston, LED Digest 2448 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1854/190/ Shaun, If you use iFrames a lot, and there are issues with iFrames, you can instead use a pure css faux pas iFrames by reviewing the link below. http://studio9.ws/businessblue34.php Al Toman studio9 web design ------------------------------------------------------- The LED Digest is sponsored by: GetWebContent.com The Web's Most Experienced SEO Content Providers. Free no-obligation proposal: http://GetWebContent.com/LED SEOToolSet.com Bruce Clay's Search Engine Optimization Training & Certification Join the certified SEO directory: www.SEOToolSet.com/training/ The Archives: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/126/189/ Subscribe: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/52/187/ Unsubscribe, Change Email, or Hold / Resume Delivery: http://www.led-digest.com/content/category/4/17/201/ (c) Copyright 1995-2007 Orange Wheel, LLC. 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