CONFUSED :(

[geminisden]

Hi All,
I know i may sound a lill weird wen i say "is seo a growing field?" I m planning to shift my base to testing or QA as i think that SEO is not very popular.

Is this a wise decision to make? or i m just confused :(

Some of friends who r in software development say that seo is not very lucrative field. is it true?

Here in India we don't get many indian sites to work on, the sites that i work on r majorly from US or other european countries.

Plz advice. If anyone has a broad idea on seo companies based in Delhi, plz let me know.
thnx

[khurramali]

I can tell you about the scene in Pakistan.

Very few professionals working in the field.

Difficult to find quality people in SEO here.

I think the main problem why people think that there is no scope in seo is because they do not find work. And the reason is that they are not upto the mark.

Or are not professionals, Meaning they are doing development, programming and every thing else and also seo. So you can hardly call them professionals

A professional Seo is one whose main work is SEO.

Most probably about 75% of people who say they are SEO are not professional SEO but other professionals with a little or no orientation of SEO.

You will find people saying, YES I DO SEO TOO. Professionals do not say that.

These are the people who have made a mess of the market.

[kgun]

Great reply Ali.

Some additional comments.
1. The interent is still in it's childhood.
2. SEO is one important part of Web marketing.
3. More and more advertising will be directed to the internet. Think 10/20/30 years ahead.
4. There is as far as I know no formal certification of SEO personels. That has to come. There shoud be an education: "Digital branding and advertisement" on the high school / university level with certification like it is in the USA for financial advisors.
5. This post should IMO be moved to the "Search Engine Optimization Forum". It is a too important subject to be posted in the break room.

[geminisden]

Thnx Ali and kgun, u guys really gave me a gr8 moral support!

I'll keep d things in mind but u know everytime i face this situation--frnds comin up to me telling abt shifting base to testing or developement. I think it will take some time for ppl o realize that SEO is equally important.

:)

[Lerza]

This post should IMO be moved to the "Search Engine Optimization Forum". It is a too important subject to be posted in the break room.
Great suggestion.

[greeneagle]

Let's again observe the chasm between SEO and SEM. Many use the two terms interchangeably, showing a great deal of inexperience in both, IMO.

There is a huge difference between SEO and SEM in today's game.

A good web developer should be able to build SEO right into the website from concept on. SEO is everything you can do to a Site to make sure code is clean, it is fit for purpose, will render across browsers and serve the customer across platforms, within budgetary constraints.

SEM is everything you can do external from the Site to drive targeted traffic to that Site in hope that they will be motivated to act as directed or as the Site is designed for.

There lies the gray area between the 2. You just can't effectively market garbage. If a Site is ill-prepared to capture and convert the traffic as intended, then SEM must also encompass SEO functions up to and including complete Site redesign.

See my sig links for more information on the difference between SEO and SEM.

I believe we all need to review what we mean by SEO and SEM at the onset of this discussion. We have a ton of "Digital Doors" to walk through as "Webmasters" doing SEM, none of which have anything to do with SEO:

Articles
Press Releases
Forums
Forum Participation
Blogs
Viral Plays
Images
Videos
Social Networks
Podcasts

That's an extremely short SEM list, all of which have absolutely nothing to do with SEO, except the Site damn sure better be prepared to handle the load and CONVERT APPROPIATELY (SEO) when walking through those digital doors!

Ken

[kgun]

Ken,
great, minimalistic clarification.

[greeneagle]

Thanks kgun,

Note though, I changed a few things for more clarification while we were posting on top of each other and shortly after.

I believe we are on topic here, but that is somewhat dependent upon the thread owner and where they want to take this thread. We are slightly skewed here toward the definitions, but I believe that we have to go there first to have this conversation. There is a great deal more money in the SEM market than there is in the SEO market, once prowess is proven.

This is an important topic that raises it's head occasionally for "current event review".

Ken

[kgun]

Ken,

read it now.

"Digital doors."

Great concept. Did you invent it?

That concept light a lamp and I changed my signature from

"The road is made while walking"

to the new one.

Back to topic.

[greeneagle]

I think so Kgun, not sure. Haven't seen it anywhere else. That's just the way I look at it...kind of like "Alice in Wonderland". As a webmaster ... maybe doors numbered 5, 7 and 22 are most cost effective at a given window in time for a certain Site.

That's how the SEM game is played these days... just after a complete "Competitive Analysis".

SEO seems to have it's roots in an indepth "Competitive Analysis", where SEM seems to be more based in Site Owner or company current events. Take for example these Industrial Site SEM "flags" for action:

Publish or Present an article or Paper
Will be exhibiting at a Trade Show or Convention
Are granted a new Patent
Develop a new Product
Launch a new Service
Win a new significant Contract
Make an Acquisition
Open or Close Locations
Launch or significantly revise a Website
Release Investor Information
Have Significant Personnel changes or Reorganizations
Receive an Industry, Governmental or Societal Award or Recognition

Those are all SEM "flags" for action to promote a client through several "Digital Doors"...and that has absolutely nothing to do with SEO. The SEO better already be "positioned" and in "good standing".

Ken

[geminisden]

Hi ,
thnx to all for the advice n making clear the concept og SEM and SEO :)

But some ppl don't realize that SEO shud be done from the scratch and continued till the end. Most of the sites i have worked on are either made earlier or dont "want" to change the outlook of their site.

I generally see that SEO ppl are called wen the site is built and then the seo suggestions r welcomed. suppose it's a bad strategy to follow. SEO shud be done from the beginning. also beleive that seo is an ongoing process and shud not be called over wwen the site appears on the first page.

[kgun]

But some ppl don't realize that SEO shud be done from the scratch and continued till the end.

Yes, code, navigation, design and content are part of the same game. The top of laziness is to do everything correct from the start. But that is easier said than done.



I generally see that SEO ppl are called wen the site is built and then the seo suggestions r welcomed. suppose it's a bad strategy to follow. SEO shud be done from the beginning. also beleive that seo is an ongoing process and shud not be called over wwen the site appears on the first page.


Agree.

[khurramali]

the problem also lies in the fact that most web developers and web programmers are either anti SEO or do not know about it.

so when they get an e-commerce project, they do not refer to an seo like myself for advise, they just complete the project then after getting their money they run off.

After a few months, the client is unhappy because he does not get the expected return on investment as his expected sales do not materialize.

The picture painted by the web developer then manifests itself.

Now the costs are more as everything needs to be edited for seo, more time, effort has be spent as a total make-over of the websites has to be implemented, in most cases.

I speak from my experience.

then there are many web developers who have branded themselves as SEO because it is the latest catch word in the market, these are the people who make most of the trouble and mess in the market-place.

I am not against these people but I emphasise on specilization. If you want to be an SEO, then it is a full time job, you cannot be in two ships at one time.

[Webnauts]

I often check many sites, to see if they do what they are preaching. Results? I get pissed off.

In reality, SEO is a growing industry, but the same time a growing disaster.

Because you mentioned, I looked around searching for SEOs in India, and my opinion was confirmed.

I do not wonder if clients don't dare to buy SEO there. But I am not talking about all companies in India.

I am talking only about the ones I checked. 15-20?

So, I hope I will not go off-topic here, as I have the strong need to make something clear here.

As every SEO professional knows, sites must be optimized for humans and not machines.

That means, they must be accessible and usable for users, to achieve the maximum success for optimizing for engines.

When I began my company in 2001, I thought, in which areas should I specialize?

I came up with the following:

1. Accessibility, so the sites can be accessible to humans and SEs.

2. Usable, so the site can be used by users, and therefore have a proper structure & navigation for SEs too.

3. SEO, so the sites can be visible and indexed by search engines, and therefore found from users.

According to the Florida State University, if someone specializes in all 3 above, he is a Web Architect.

So one thing that I would like add to my qualifications is SEM, which I will dive into soon.

Then I will have the last important qualification, to be able to sell the services/products of the sites I create.

I am sure I will get all info/knowledge I need about SEM here at WPW, as we really do have brilliant experts.

Just my two cents.

[Sarah]

Hi friends,

Im pretty new in this forum list but yes im quite old in the SEO area and its amazing to know that people from all over the world have now recognised the importance and the future scope of learning good seo. online business will cover 70% of the market in the internet awareness growing sectors and will cover 90% in rest of the part and then if you are an expert seo...no one can stop your business to grom...you can compete with the big brands in the early years of your business. this is the best benefit online business and marketing gives...

Guys keep learning and keep teaching the whole community...

Sarah

[Webnauts]

Welcome aboard Sarah.

[Sarah]

Thanx mike....

I wanted to appreciate you for sharing your knowledge in the forums...

Good luck and keep writing