Selecting an SEO Provider
Search Engine Strategies 2001 Conference
August 16-17, San Francisco

Notes by Robin Nobles, Part 1


What should you look for when selecting an SEO provider? That was
the topic of discussion in the Selecting an SEO Provider session
at August's conference. It was interesting to note that though
the session was certainly attended by those looking for an SEO
provider, SEO providers themselves also attended in order to see
what types of packages and services are being offered by others
in the industry.

Panelists included:

* Scott Kluth, Project Manager of Sears.com
* George Semeczko, Chief Technical Officer of Inceptor, Inc.
* Robin Nobles, Director of Training with the Academy of Web
Specialists
* Mike Adams, President and CEO of WebSeed
* Brad Byrd, Director of Business Development with NewGate

George Semeczko, Mike Adams, and Brad Byrd discussed the services
provided by their individual search engine optimization
companies.

Dr. Semeczko with Inceptor (http://www.inceptor.com/) discussed
their Excedia conversion marketing software that can either be
run on a client's site or as a managed service by Inceptor. The
software generates targeted pages constructed around a key
phrase. Then, Excedia determines which search engine is visiting
the site and serves up the most appropriate page for that search
engine.

When choosing an SEO provider, Dr. Semeczko recommended asking
questions like:

* What am I being promised - rankings, traffic, or conversions?
* Is there any impact on my existing Web site?
* Who "owns" the traffic (who owns the domains used and any pages
created)?
* Am I offered free as well as paid inclusion?

Dr. Semeczko believes that SEO's should be more concerned with
ROI, the return on investment, rather than strictly with
rankings. Inceptor likes to take a long look at the objectives
and set up of a particular site, and then take action. He said,
"Rankings don't matter at the end of the day - the conversion is
what's important."

Then, Mike Adams with WebSeed (http://www.webseed.com) discussed
how his service works to improve pages within a client's site. To
position a site in the rankings, WebSeed relies on the creation
of highly relevant, quality content, rather than on tricks or
spam to try to beat the search engines. His company's goal is to
make the Web more relevant for both the search engines and users.
Building link popularity is another very important facet of
WebSeed's array of services.

Adams recommended making sure that the SEO you choose has the
technical knowledge to help you. Remember that each client is
separate, and his or her SEO needs should be approached
separately. He also recommended researching any SEO firm that
you're considering using.

Brad Byrd with NewGate (http://www.newgate.com/) talked about his
company's per click optimization services, as well as paid
placement listings. NewGate not only optimizes clients' sites
from the ground up, but they also manage paid listings, handle
directory submissions, and outline effective strategies for
working with the pay engines.

Byrd suggested finding an SEO who will work intimately with you
to approach the pay-per-click services. "Finding terms that you
can work with is critical," he said.

Scott Kluth's focus on the panel was to outline points to
consider when looking for an SEO provider from the perspective of
someone who has had to use them. Kluth, who works for Sears.com
(http://www.sears.com), discussed some of the advantages of
hiring an outsourced firm versus doing SEO work in house.

(Continued in Part 2 with Robin Nobles' overview of current SEO
services.)

Robin Nobles is Director of Training for the Academy of Web
Specialists. Robin has taught well over a thousand students in
her online and onsite search engine positioning courses during
the past several years. Her latest books, Web Site Analysis and
Reporting and Streetwise Maximize Web Site Traffic, can be
ordered through Amazon. Visit the Academy's training site
(http://www.academywebspecialists.com/more_info) to learn more
about their search engine ranking courses and software solution.