To all SEO consultants, what elements are you using to differentiate yourself from the competition? We all know any 'bum' can figure out some components of SEO, but what sets the kids apart from the adults?

Obviously experience is one thing, however, what do YOU offer that's so great? Here's one branc, our company is starting to put together package combining the elements of proper business strategy, exploiting distinct capabilities for the firm, and coupling them within an SEO model....

What's your experience with this type of combination? Basically we take experts in SEO and put together an acutual PLAN for the company to measure their success. So that's objectives, vision, strategy, tactics, all with the expertise of SEO.... in reality we feel they are so closely related they should be combined!

Why? Cause any dude can get results, but quantifying those results is the hard part, also determining the value of any SEO project is crucial to a) winning clients b) spending money to do it!

Thoughts? Trials? Tribulations?

Hi there!
I failed to get whta exactly are u trying to explain, wan to know about the SEOs. their job and credibilities or were criticizing them?
Apart from all this, If you mean Search Engine Optimizer by SEO, then you should know that thay are the people who craft a prominent web presence for your web address by good listing SERPs and high Page Ranks. And most importantly, this breed of IT people can't use any software or short-cut methods to get their job done.

Basically we take experts in SEO and put together an actual PLAN for the company to measure their success.

I don't mean this in any negative way, but what you said is pretty much standard practice - considering that you/your company were offering a professional service.

It's not much of a 'Plan' per se...but more of integrating your/your company's recommended metrics into their existing metrics - most mid+ size companies already track their own performance and engagement metrics.

What we do is to take the client by the balls and dare them to go all out...if they are willing, then we optimise to our hearts content.

If they don't like it we chew em up and spit them out.

I send out Christmas cards each year...

Just one little thing makes me wonder...

>>Cause any dude can get results

In which keyword space can any dude get results?

Any five word keyword phrase ;-)

I think we have also done quite well with a few two word phrases in the past though?

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=brass+zebras

I think eBay are trying to beat us out (it's so competitive) they have adword campaign for "brass animals" now...

djstreet, I get exactly what you're saying. In fact, I was of the opinion for so many years that effective SEO couldn't be outsourced that I avoided it as a field for many years. Instead, I essentially was an in-house Webmaster working like I was an affiliate marketer for kjust that one company. I built their business systems, created their corporate website, did their blogging, and created their sales lead management system. I sat in on Engineering meetings, and in the end, was considered senior management. Effective SEO is inextricable from the company vision, mission, goals, strategies, tactics and day-to-day work. So how could an outside firm ever hope to add value over an enlightened inside person at a high level with the suitable technical and marketing skills?

Short answer is, they can't. A truly talented internal person is far more valuable than an outside firm. Outside firms without the full and enthusiastic support of everyone on the inside can't accomplish squat.

So, effective SEO by an outside firm is politics. That's right, politics. When I finally made the move to the SEO industry, jumping in head-first by becoming a V.P. of a PR firm in NYC, responsible for building the team, technology and opportunities, I had to deal with the very disturbing fact that at heart, I thought SEO by an outside firm was a joke.

Well, the person who hired me, Connie Connors, apparently had more insight into the situation than I did. It turns out that approaching meetings with exactly that attitude was what firms needed! There's no reason to sugar-coat the truth or make promises you can't deliver. You tell it like it is: if you don't build a consensus between your systems people, marketing people, and sales people, then forget about even trying. The average blogger will have more influence in search than you.

The IT people need to "internalize" the search objectives, and make how well the site can be found on search a reflection on them. It can't be a chore. Rather, it must be exciting, and one of the hottest pieces to add to your IT repertoire! Marketing people need to understand Tech people need to measure three times and cut once, or else someone will lose their job. Marketing people also need to understand things like making search friendliness integral to site re-launches from the start, and consult with IT on their choice of content management systems and the like. They also must realize that adding content to the site is an ongoing responsiblity. Having an optimized site is no longer enough. You have to LEAD THE DISCUSSION in your industry space.

And finally, the people who feel the greatest pain of search, the Sales Force, needs to be the cheerleading squad. They need to appreciate the value of a Web lead as being just as much of a human being as a personal sales call, phone-call or any other lead source. They need to see how much more valuable a lead that has been "pre-warmed" through search is than a cold call. After such company evangelism has occurred, the ground is clear for working your way through a clear checklist of projects, and instilling the confidence in everyone involved that it's worth doing.

And that's what differentiates Connors Communications. We subsequently do work for companies with fairly large budgets such as major magazine publishers and hotel chains, who can afford that kind of tender love and care, and absolutely need to level the playing field against bloggers and affiliate marketers.

I'm sure similar principles apply at different levels.

Yes, similar principles do apply at different levels. It's about communication. Not difficult at all, really.

I love the description of the brass zebra page

Found this great submission company
But we are still number 1 for brass zebra! smile. (Copy Shortcut) ... We can't have Ebay beat us to #1 for brass zebras! (Copy Shortcut) ...
www.searchengineforums.com/.../action::thread/forum::professionals/start::41/thread::1088782183/ - 83k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Visitor:
What I meant by PLAN was not an SEO plan, but a solid business plan where SEO was a component of. I know for a fact the vast majority of SEO business, freelance or otherwise, do not have this component.

My question was what do you do to essentially differentiate yourself from the field.

Mike-Levin.com:

Love your comments, you are bang on, internal guys will get it right, not outsourcing, however, that being said, I can ascertain where the company is going by asking the right questions and working honestly with the firm. If the firm already undersatnd the importance of a proper business strategy and the value of SEO then they will open dialogue with you.

It is possible, just have to market your service as something different, viable, and valuable to the client.

Thoughts?

djstreet, yes, I'm not putting down outsourcing. After all, I am one of them now. Internal guys often are missing very important elements that outside folks can bring to the picture... just so long as they don't FEEL like outside folks. It's like you become part of their internal peoples' team.

What I meant by PLAN was not an SEO plan, but a solid business plan where SEO was a component of. I know for a fact the vast majority of SEO business, freelance or otherwise, do not have this component.

djstreet, again, I don't mean this in any negative way, but it's quite common/standard practice nowadays - I am speaking mainly for serving mid/large business/corporation clients. They are always looking for and demanding more values. They are outsourcing the service because it will do either or both 1. make more money and 2. save money.

They aren't unaware and/or uneducated nowadays. In most cases, they simply do not have enough resources within the organization to be efficient. Most of them have their own performance and engagement metrics that they track and evaluate - your value is to add more meaningful metrics for them to gain insight(s) on how to 1. make more money and/or 2. save money.

Traffic is no good unless it converts - and mid/large size clients won't hesitate to let you know what they think of your performance. Traffic, merchandizing and conversion go as a package. Again, I am speaking in terms for mid/large business/corporate clients.

I would agree, I think I was more foucssing my attentions on the freelance consultant. The bigger the firm usually (usually) means they have certain expectations and obviously come to the table with a plan.

I was mainly attacking the freelance SEO people who do SEO, send u off, and that's it. That's not helpful without careful planning involving marketing, strategy, objective planning. Maybe it's just me complaining, id unno.

well i see someone is attacking and stereotyping freelancers
lets see the benefits of a freelancer
-better price
-a better specific plan for the best business solution for the clients marketing niche, because they just work wirh 1 or few persons so they can connect better.
Effective SEO is a time based work to be done,any SEO guy promises short time results isn't really being professional and giving the clients false expectations.
So in the end its all about the work and the results that they bring, may it be a freelancer or a SEO corporation

bottom line is results sure, but getting there and measuring the success is a different matter. the process of getting to results includes much more than the guts of SEO that any noob can pick off a forum.

not bashing freelancers though, i being one myself.

> well i see someone is attacking and stereotyping freelancers

If you mean me, not at all. I'm more of a fan of the internal people. I also agree with djstreet that doing SEO and sending you off is bad, because a one-time SEO job always causes a traffic spike, which can be surprisingly temporary. These days, it's all about site growth, which ties into broader ongoing strategy.

"It's about communication. Not difficult at all, really."

LOL...wish that were so. That depends on the communication style and abilities of all involved. I am fortunate that I can choose to only work with those who know how to communicate effectively.

What is really happening and what ties in with the posts in this thread is that there really isn't any such thing as "just" an SEO or in my case, a PPC specialist.

What whoever is driving the vision really is would be better described as "Internet Stategist" and that is what my new business cards will say instead of Keyword Advertising Consultant. There have to be specialists who implement each piece of the stategy and at least one someone who knows enough about all of those specific sectors to design and guide that team.

It doesn't really matter if you're in-house or a consultant as long as the players are empowered and willing to take on the responsibility to ensure what must happen does. I probably have as much and often more influence and direct input as any employee on the staff of any company I choose to assist.

If their shopping cart isn't working I'm more likely to be pushing to resolve that issue than they are because I have the technical background to diagnose where the problem is and the confidence to insist I'm correct. I don't back down until the people who can actually get it fixed do whatever it takes. They can't tell me it isn't broken and hope I'll let it go indefinitely which does often work with non-technical business owners.

(Note that I do not work with large companies by choice as I prefer sharp entreprenuers who make decisions NOW. I'm not willing to play the game any more. Make it real or I'm out of there. I do find that corporations work best with large agencies and small companies best with small companies.)

You are my kind of gal flyingrose! - Bravo, there are enough wimp boys in this industry that "does what the client says" and cry "the client is always right".. bah humbug.. not true - the client doesn't know and is looking for direction... hehhe.. I just show them my whip from time to time, it does the trick!

I totally agree. That is what is wrong with corporations - too many middle manager "yes" men trying to pretend all is well. Many times I resisted the temptation to buy a case of the book "The Emperor's New Clothes" so I could send one each to all the clueless trying to hide the obvious from upper management.

I only work with people who are open-minded, action-oriented, willing to make decisions, and trainable. Some clients you just can't save from themselves so I send them on to be someone else's challenge. Life is TOOOO short.

Communication is the most important aspect of anything I do and the main reason any project fails to attain the highest level of success. It is certainly the greatest challenge I face when working with clients.

It amazes me how many intelligent people fail to answer specific, simple questions posed repeatedly. Or how many fail to ask for what they want and then are unhappy that they didn't get it.

Typically smaller firms also have greater leeway when it comes to influencing key business componenets like vision, objectives, etc.

Great topic friends :P