"In order to develop my
seo skillset should I be worrying about refining my writing skills or focusing my energies on areas which I'm good at and sub contract out the content development to those who are specialists in this field."
Caravan,
This is really a valid question that I'm certain a lot of
SEO's may wonder about. In my own life, with my own work I concentrate on ONLY the area I am best at and leave the other components to sub-contractors. Can I build a website? Yes I can. Do I know enough about graphics to make the site I'm building look good? Sure I do. Am I a good copywriter. I am.
These areas are not where my passion lies though and they are NOT the areas I excel in.
SEO is the area that I excel in. When my company got large enough for me to stop wearing four different hats I started sub contracting the programming, graphics and most of the copy writing out.
What helps me is knowing enough about all these other areas that I can make sure the work that others do for me is done well and that the work is "clean". It also allows me to have a life.
(-:The different perspectives that the others bring to the table is also really helpful.
Let's take Starbucks as an example to follow...
Starbucks stock kept getter higher and higher year after year. They were opening several news stores every week for several years. It seemed there was nowhere to go but up. At the same time they were desperately trying to compete with Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's. They started adding all kinds of food items to the once coffee-only menu such as breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, fruits, yogurts, and salads. They now sell cd's and books in all the stores. They lost sight of their "baby" which is COFFEE.
Sales began to plummet, their stock prices dropped nearly 40%...why? Because they tried to be all things to all people. Now they have to undo everything they did.
They've decided to go back to their roots - COFFEE and a healthy dose of customer service. Bravo!
It's a lesson that was very expensive to learn and hurt their bottom line a lot as well as their shareholders and employees.
There is truly a lesson to be learned from their experience.
I learned a lesson too - Do what you love and love what you do. I "do"
SEO and I'm happy to let others do all the other stuff.