Good Advice.

Thanks Misterlister.

"When initially talking with a potential client, I’ll often ask why they are interested in SEO.  A majority tell me it is because they don’t show up when someone does a search in Google for xyz.  From the onset we have an understanding of why they want to hire an SEO agency, so we want to make sure we provide them with statistics that they readily understand and provides them with the data that was initially important to them.

However, once the campaign is underway we immediately begin discussing the statistics that are truly the most important to the success of their site; things like non-branded traffic, conversions, conversion rates, search traffic, etc.  I think that it is imperative to gain the trust of your client, after which it becomes much easier to educate them."

Nick,

lots of people did.. there are some seriously qualified SEOs above with really good advice and one bad one with bad advice.

Ms. Whalen,

please don't edit out my comments about your bad advice, thank you.

I can do that fine myself, your advice is wrong if you can't accept that, then remove yourself as editor.  But don't censor someone who is giving accurate information and real world experience from someone currently managing several million dollars in SEO projects for multiple clients who has worked in SEO longer than you have.

no i don't like you.. i think you are everything that is wrong in SEO.. but hey it's a boondoggle, right? How dare you bash the source that has brought food into your kids mouths for the last 10+ years.. SHAME ON YOU!

(sorry everyone.. this is my career and really am tired of people giving bad advice and trashing the industry i have worked and provided good service that increased the bottom line for customers for 16 years.)

We are fed up and not taking it anymore.. SEO charlatans and bad advice givers beware.. we will not tolerate your crap anymore.

FYI.. if you are new to SEO.. Read Rhea.. Read David Wallace's replies.. Read Todd Mintz's reply because he knows local very well. Read the one above from Realicity.. these are REAL WORKING SEOs with customer experience.

Ranking reports are part of SEO, not all of SEO.. but a big part and (shutting up before i go off anymore)

totally agree with Rhea and David.

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE LATIN?

Not always...

Think Brand or product names.

Think keywords that have been shown to convert.

Think broad term describing a product or service.

"When customer asks how are we doing in search?"

possible answers:

a. "We have made the cash register ring 30 more times last month"

(requires client feedback and tracking keyword to cash register.. not always possible)

b. "We have increased traffic to your website 50%"

(requires keyword analysis to find out if traffic is qualified or bouncey)

c. "Search share percentages between you and your competitors that we have previously defined has increased, you now own more search engine real estate than your competitor"

(These require ranking reports and pre-defined measurable keyword info)

d. "You are #1 for (location of store, etc..) and (qualified term)" in all but 4 markets. We will be obtaining #1 placements for those next"

(requires ranking report)

IT depends on the client.. some clients.. don't care.. what was the "qualified traffic to my website?" we give them increased amount of visits based on keyword and which ones converted and which ones didnt.

I think it depends on the client and the channel..

Todd..

Set your location to Rogers' Ark. type in Rockfish...

Then set your location to Dallas, Tx then type in Rockfish, Tx

different results?

when doing ranking analysis on multiple location retail clients.. (think 1000+ locations nationwide), the ranking is specific to that location. You must change your location to the stores pre-defined area first then search to get where they show up.

some clients want that info, some waht conversion info, some want traffic info.. it depends on the client.. p.s. Since working with more fortune 50s at Rockfish.. i've learned SEO is about doing what you can within the clients limits.. because sometimes, those limits won't budge.

SEO is a Boondoggle... Please.. isn't this a bit of the pot calling the kettle black?

Ohhhh.. the Irony!!!

hahahahaha!

(disclaimer: nope, didn't read the article, why bother? remember? SEO is a BOONDOGGLE)

both...

better.. more relevant results.

worse.. more spam

Have been studying social signals since friendster.. which is when they started using the signal, all they had to do was equate social with database listing credibility and match those two signals.

Same thing as links.. just not used the same way.

is not voting it's "i sphunn your article".... kinda like google not being a search engine anymore?

Matt.. me thinks the difference is... @thegypsy group are just "sharing" the "other" group you speak of is spamming.. which is what they do all the time anyways..

if @thegypsy tweets sphinn this.. i sphinn it.. read it.. amplify or blog it and possibly even tweet it..

WHY?

because if he tweets it, it most likely good info and important to my knowledge as an SEO for Fortune 5,50,100 and 500 companies..

slawski.. andy beard - these guys know there stuph... am i going to sphinn an article by (name withheld) - no!!

Why?

i think he/she is an idiot and is just regurgitating someone else's blog post from last week or just an algo chaser without a clue..

FYI..

it's social media... it's the network.. do i sphinn stuff without looking at the article? yes... do i blog it and retweet it.. yes.. do i BALK on sphinning or Rt'ing an article by someone i don't like? YES! Would i Sphinn some weight loss crap spam because @thegypsy tweeted it? HELL NO!