Know-How Exchange : SEO/SEM

Most people don't do SEO for their own site. I can recommend with confidence Todd Mumford of SEO Visions. We spoke to over 40 companies before selecting him. We have been very happy. He is an SEO speacialist and doesn't do any other type of web work. He is picky about who he works with and he turns down more work than he accepts but his clients achieve top rankings and he is honest. Hope that helps.

1) If you want to do it yourself:

Start here: https://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-beginners-checklist-for-learning-seo

and continue here:
https://www.seomoz.org/article/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimizatio...

2) If you want to select a specialist:

- Read the above two links, so that you can distinguish between the real SEO marketers and those that just have a good pitch

- Ask for a free website review

- Ask for a presentation of how the SEO process would be conducted

- Choose the SEO marketer who has been most upfront with you, has your best interest in mind and has outlined his proposal in high detail.

I am available for SEO consultation if you would so require ( [URL deleted by staff])

Information about SEO and SEM is available at www.totheweb.com

Rosemary Brisco and her team are a pleasure to work with, highly respected and have provided superb SEO and SEM for large and smaller companies. You can see their portfolio and testimonials on the website.

SEO and SEM advice, articles and tools are posted on the Learning Center of their website. Enjoy!

Doing it yourself can become very tedious and frustrating.

SEO is part art part science.

I recommend speaking with Peter Sena of www.DigitalSurgeons.com his approach to SEO has been very successful for the clients that i have brought to him.

SEOMOZ is definitely a great resource for the do-it-yourselfers.

Depending on your budget and goals it may be helpful to seek out a vendor.

Regardess of whether you decide to do it yourself or hire an outside expert, I recommend viewing some of the webcasts on the subject at marketingprofs. It seems to be one of the most popular topics. While it won't make you an expert, it will allow you to have an intelligent conversation with those who are experts.

For my own organization, I chose to hire an expert. I didn't want to tie up funds on hiring a full time SEO specialist. Hiring an outside expert also allows me to take advantage of many minds instead of just my own in-house person. SEO seems to be a very broad subject.

The best piece of advice I can offer if you hire an outside expert is to work closely with them. While they are experts in SEO, they probably aren't experts in your business. They need to optimize in a way that is relevant to your propspects.

Best of luck to you!

Melissa

I think most businesses should start SEO themselves. Then bring in a consultant to do the really hard stuff. There is no reason to pay a consultant to do the really basic things. It is not rocket science.

Here are the steps I would take:

1) You should start with a report from the free SEO tool Website Grader. This report will analyze your existing website and give you tips for improving it.

2) Download these free marketing webinars, and watch the one called "SEO 101". It is a 60 minute free webinar that reviews all the basics of SEO. Even if you want to hire a consultant, knowing this info will help you not get ripped offand get the most out of your consultant.

3) Read a couple relevant blog articles:

Top 10 Most Egregious SEO Mistakes

Inbound Marketing Strategy - Why SEO Is Better Than PPC

6 Tips To Not Get Ripped Off When Buying SEO Services

7 Signs You Should Run Screaming From An SEO Consultant