I believe the forum lost focus once people began to down play the importance of a
SEO and lost sight of the difference professional and the non-professional. To put it simply I can paint a picture and it won't look half bad yet I would not claim to be artist. The biggest issue I see is people generally claim they are SEOs when really they are web designers or web site owners have tried to optimize a web site.
To regain the focus of the original post here is a list of good
SEO skills/traits:
- knowledge of search engines and the weights they use to rank sites
- ability to research keywords
- understanding of HTML, asp, php, and other web related languages
- understanding of Dreamweaver , Frontpage and other tools which affect the code
- ability to code css
- creative writing skills and proof writing/reading
- understanding of Urchin, Webtrends, and other web analytic tools
- resources for aiding in link building: directory lists, blog sites, article submission sites, forums, affiliates
- understanding of PPC, conversions, user experience, and visitor behavior
- people and management skills
- honesty (this may be the most important skill that is the most often lacking)
You'll notice I didn't mention meta tags, link structures,
PR, and many of the basic knowledge elements for a
SEO. This knowledge base is essential and anyone claiming to be a
SEO better know inside and out.
I hope this helps get things back on track
-Allan Pollett
Global Net Trade - Web Business Development