There are a lot of misconceptions about what SEO experts know and what they don’t know. What they can do and can’t do. I hope to clear up a little bit of the misinformation because when you hire someone for a couple thousand dollars to help your site get where it needs to be. To increase sales. To increase your new business… all the things that SEO can do for your business you’d better understand the topic a little bit first.

1. Programmers that build your site know SEO.
This is probably the most common belief and it’s completely false. There are programmers that have studied SEO inside and out and know what they’re doing. Most of them? Haven’t. This goes the same for the company that builds your website. Nearly all of them have some kind of add-on SEO service they try to get customers to buy. The talk will sound good - but, probably they don’t have any great experience or plans for getting your site to the top of Google. Why do I say that? There are too few GOOD SEO people out there. I started in 1997-1998. I have learned so much over the years that I could write a book. SEO takes a monumental effort when done correctly. For a small site that might mean $1500. For a large site? $100,000+ easy.

2. SEO takes place on your website.
This is true to some degree, but you know what? Even for a small site there are another hundred hours of effort as “off-site SEO” that is every bit as important as what is done on your site. If I’m doing a comprehensive SEO project for a site I tell customers straight off that $2,000 will be allocated to off-site SEO efforts specific to the focus of your website. That’s doing it right. There aren’t any shortcuts. I can prioritize my work for clients that just can’t budget $2K but if I’m doing it the way I want it will take 100 hours and $2K.  I’ve recently started to create a comprehensive list of things I do when I fully optimize a site. I am amazed at the list and it keeps growing as I remember things I’ve done in the past and things I find out as I go along.

3. I can get SEO that works for $595. (insert a figure under a couple grand). Or, “I can get something for nothing!”
Unless it’s your good friend, what you’re getting for under $1,000 is likely incomplete and you’re better off to open the window of your mid-size or SUV as you’re blowing down the road and throw it at some pigeons. Really.

Here in Thailand I can do SEO for $20 per hour. Top quality, my best effort SEO. In the mainland US, I know nobody with my expertise can beat that rate - nor would they try. SEO experts with my skills go for $60-100 per hour in the states.  So, if someone offers to give you a complete SEO package to “optimize” your site for Google or anywhere else I think they couldn’t legitimately get past the on-site optimization of your site for $1000. The off-site would suffer. Or, worse the on-site would suffer. If business website owners understood the amount of time and effort needed to get a website to the top 10 in Google - and keep it there, they would spend the extra money that would make the difference. I really hate to see any ads for SEO under a couple of grand because I know, something will suffer at that rate. Probably you’re wasting whatever you spend at that level.

4. SEO stops when my site is optimized.
This is a very common belief. I’ve done work on sites that brought them tremendous traffic and sales, and then they ignored SEO for six months until sales had completely fallen off and realized they needed help again. And FAST! SEO done correctly is an ongoing effort. Everyday something must be done to add to the attractiveness, functionality, and/or link popularity so the search engines consider your site one of the best in it’s niche.

5. Getting your site ranked in the top 5 in Google is “The Goal”.
False. Getting your site ranked 1st on the keyword phrase, “Jeremy and Jeds Illinois Ice cream” is really not that awesome. It’s child’s play. Now, getting your site ranked 1st on “ice cream”, now that is awesome. Be careful what your SEO is promising you, typically there is that blanket, generic and quite meaningless promise, “Your site will rank in the top 10 of Google!” Make sure the keywords are the best you can get.

6. SEO means optimizing my meta tags, links, and text on my pages so I have a lot of instances of my top keyword represented.
It used to mean this to some degree. Now, it’s a new game. The industry has changed so much over the past 10 years and it’s in flux now - it’s always dynamic and never static. Another reason ongoing SEO maintenance is a must or you’ll find your site trailing your competition. Your competition could be someone from Guam now. Competition has become Worldwide now - it’s not limited to your city, state, or even your country anymore. There are many Canadian sites coming up in searches for SEO now. Go figure!

7. “My friend is going to handle the SEO…”
Unless your friend has spent a few thousand hours reading about and experimenting with live sites for him/herself you’re not going to get anything at all.  There’s a reason SEO experts charge what we do - we have an advanced degree more valuable than my master’s degree even. I’ve acquired what is equivalent to a PhD in real life search engine optimization. While I help friends, I usually can just discount the first project for them and hope I can convince them how important the ongoing maintenance is so they contract me long-term.

8. White Hat SEO is the only way to go.
White hat seo refers to seo experts using optimization techniques that are Google friendly and that won’t cause any penalties for having used them. Google is pretty clear about what can and can’t be done. I use white hat seo techniques for every project and it was the only way to go for a while.

Now? It’s not good enough. I’ve created what I call the “Clear Hat SEO” initiative. I’ve written more about it at that Google knol linked above.  Basically it has something to do with being more transparent to the customers that hire me to optimize their sites. I keep an ongoing Google Doc going in which I detail out things I’ve done for their project. SEO shouldn’t be secretive. Everything I do in the course of an SEO project should be in the open for clients to view. Otherwise how do you know what you paid for? I’ve done this with two recent clients and it seems that they appreciate knowing what is going on. Of course they don’t understand much of it - but I’m open to questions about anything written in the spreadsheet they want to learn about. White Hat SEO is almost OK, but, insist on Clear Hat SEO.

Here are some more articles on SEO that might help you get your head around the topic…

What kinds of things does an SEO specialist know?

Search engine optimization process mind-map >

Vern’s Search Engine Optimization Credentials (resume/cv)>

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Information >

Search Engine Optimization Process Outlined in Mindmap >

Web site / Blog designs by Vern >

Vern’s Recent SEO Success Page

Best of Life!

Vern

These are 15 free online tools that you need to maximize your chances of success. Get to know what each of these amazing online tools can do for you. I’ve included a brief blurb about each. I use each of these tools every single day and I couldn’t imagine trying to accomplish what I do without them. If you have a website, you probably need them too!

1. Google (Email; Analytics; Webmaster Tools; Custom Search; GTalk; Reader; Adsense; Alerts; Sites)
If you use the tools above Google will index your site more thoroughly and learn a lot about it. The more it knows, the more it feels comfortable using it in search results. These tools take your productivity level to new heights if you’re not currently using them or currently using a mish-mash of systems to do the same things. To me this is the most important group of tools.

2. Personal Blog (WordPress.com; WordPress.org; or Blogger.com.)
You need a blog about your business whether you think it applies or not. A blog doesn’t have to be filled with your personal observations - it can bring news, photos, ideas, links, videos, audio, quotes, and other things to your customers but also - linking generously to your main website(s).

3. Facebook.com
Don’t think of it as a dating site, it’s a networking site that is even more friendly than a dating site. Use this social networking tool to find everyone you possibly can and then find out what they can do for your business and tell them what you can do for them. My Facebook profle >

4. LinkedIn.com
This is a business networking site that has the top level people in all fields registered. It can be a major source of connections between high-level people. A great business tool.

5. Del.Icio.Us (http://del.icio.us)
This is a “social bookmarking” tool that allows you to take your bookmarks on the road. You can have access to them from any online computer. A bonus is that Google appears to pay attention to sites listed here.

6. Technorati.com
It started as a technology site bookmarker but since Google lists sites found here it has been filling up with sites of all niches. Good to be here, no matter what the focus of your online site. Add Aim for Awesome to your Technorati favorites >

7. Feedburner.com
Recently bought by Google and being upgraded all the time. Awesome site which manages your RSS feeds in a nicely designed format for all RSS readers. Can also give your feed a subscription by email service for those that don’t like/use readers. FB is really adding some great features, and I’m sure it will continue. Grab the Aim for Awesome feed with your reader or by email >

8. Tumblr.com
A recent find. A very nice GUI setup that can be programmed to automatically list the most recent blog articles you post as well as be open to posting any other information you want others to see. I really like this online tool and will be researching it more in-depth to see what I can do with it. My Tumblr account >

9. Flickr.com
The ultimate image publication tool. If you have any awesome photos that relate to your industry, or really - anything else… stick your url on a corner of each photo here and label it “creative commons” license so people can use it for free at their websites. You’ll get exposure you couldn’t have guessed about before. Label images carefully and extensively for best results. Use it to find creative commons images you can use on your own site, legally. See my Flickr photos >

10. YouTube.com
In your business there must be some process you can video tape and put online at YouTube to share with others. Recently I started creating video podcasts here at Aim for Awesome. I’ll put them on YouTube to share with the millions of viewers. Link to your web site in your profile and description and include titles and credits on the video telling viewers about your website. YouTube is a Google property and they list videos as results in search!

11. Craigslist.com
Try ads to test if there’s any interest here, it’s world-wide and though full of spam filled nonsense there are people that use it to find nearly everything they need. Maybe they need what you’ve got?

12. PayPal.com
Paypal is great to run small product tests to see if people will buy them - without setting it all up as part of your shopping cart. You dont’ need much programming to create an e-commerce page someone could buy your product with - just copy and paste some code. Good for international orders too.

13. Gravatar (en.gravatar.com)
If you comment regularly on WordPress blogs - and you should, you need to have a nice gravatar (avatar) set up so people can see who you are and get to know you if you comment a lot in your niche. Anytime you see other people with photos by their comments and you don’t have a photo - figure out how to get it! There are numerous sites you’ll need to join. Join them, they’re free.

14. Alexa
Alexa is a traffic estimation tool that is taken into account by a number of search engines. Register your site with them to be included in their directory. They also have a toolbar plugin for Firefox that is handy so you can know what the Alexa rank is for any page you visit.

15. Godaddy
I recommend Godaddy.com for all shared hosting needs. I’ve used it for 9 years I think. I’ve had some problems, but overall it’s intuitive and cheap hosting that is reliable. Aim for Awesome runs for $45 a year in hosting. I think I have a Terabyte of bandwidth a month available for each of my sites. Do I use it? Heck no! But, it’s there if I need it someday!

Best of Life!

Vern