Nothing takes the place of "Due Diligence" in consultant, supplier outsourcing. First, SEO-SEM buyers should educate themselves as much as possible to SEO. For a good explanation of search marketing terminology and abbreviations check out Webopedia. A good overview of the subject is "SEO 101", but it is commercialized across the top of the page to promote a website design, hosting, e-commerce company that also does "Links to your site".
A great unselfish, and non-commercialized buyer's information web site is "Honest SEO". The anonymous author starts off by saying "Due to the commercial nature of the web and self interest of marketers it is difficult to get marketers to come together on a solution to help people out. This paper was designed to help consumers learn about SEO without being attached to any centralized body." That last point is especially good, in my opinion, since my next suggestion has to do with lists of SEO-SEM Consultant companies.
On that Honest SEO site, the author talks about Problems With SEO Organizations. In it he says "SEO organizations do not work due to the power struggles between various marketers." Well, there are power struggles anyplace big dollars are involved, but I believe that while none are perfect, two SEO organization web sites try harder to give some help to search marketing buyers while promoting their members. SEO Consultants has their "Peer Review Network" and SEOPros has their "Best Practices Certification". These processes help the buyer find a consultant company that has less of a chance of getting the buyer's web site penalized. But, they might not help the buyer find the consultant company with the best overall value, or that has experience with the buyer's industry. Much of that is initially helped by the amount and quality of upfront pricing & "types of account" information on the search marketer's web site.
Mind you, they have to have disclaimers like "The SEO Consultants Directory does not endorse the practices, nor do we guarantee the services and/or products of members approved for a listing in our directory/vortal. These professional Internet marketing companies and/or consultants have been reviewed by our Editorial Staff as to their overall search engine optimization practices and search engine marketing strategies." SEOPros says: "SeoPros does not warrant or represent that the use, or, the results of the use, of the materials, Services available on SeoPros or provided by third parties will be correct, accurate, timely, reliable or otherwise." But, they both are better, in my opinion, than lists of vendors (even with some detailed vendor information) that are sold for a price, or are just part of a search marketing organization's membership list, no matter what their good intentions are.
I suggest prospective buyers of search marketing read forums like Search Engine Watch, High Rankings Forum, and the paid subscription, but great WebmasterWorld. These forums are a better education for buyers than articles, in my opinion, as real openness and honesty can come out in them versus the "corporate speak" you more often get in articles. Some forum posters try to promote themselves, but the majority, especially the moderators (like Danny Sullivan in SEW Forum), really try to help others in their industry. If a buyer goes to the forum sections on SEM Outsourcing or SEO Pricing, for example, he can get some good insights.
The eMarketing Talk Show is another good place to learn and listen to the voices of some expeienced SEO's and SEM's.
My next post wil be my controversial opinion on the "partnering" type of compensation/pricing option for SEO services.
Comments