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Saturday, January 06, 2007

Seeking Link Love for Smelly Link Bait? Fishy Stuff


While I do understand Sharon Housely's concept below in her article. I think she has a bit of a odd view of what "Link Bait" is. I think Link Love is something you receive from others who liked your link bait. Link Bait is something you offer up to the world as linkable tools, ideas or content. I think the bait part of the term shouldn't carry any stigma as it is simply something linkable. The idea of Link Bait being an "evil stepsister" comes simply because many of those doing some types of link baiting have used controversy, blog flame wars or underhanded sneaky stuff to achieve link love. In those cases, those who then provide the link love to reward that controversy or sneakiness do so because they liked that particular bait not because all link bait is controversial or sneaky.

Speaking of link bait, for those doing any type of SEO job search here is my contribution. ;-)

Here's the Sharon Housely Link Bait Article.

Link Bait vs. Link Love Link Strategy

As a webmaster, it is important to develop a link strategy. Unless you have a massive brand with a reputation and following, it is unlikely that the masses will simply saturate your site with deep links. What are deep links? Simply put, deep links are direct links to various sub-pages on a website (example: domain.com/subpage.htm)

Search engines value websites that have numerous incoming links spread over a large number of pages within a domain . In other words, a website that has large number of incoming links to various pages within the website will generally rank better than a website that only has links to a single page.

Incoming links are critical to achieving Internet popularity and search engine ranking. There are two popular ways to achieve a massive amount of incoming links, Link Bait and Link Love.

What is Link Love?

Link Love is all about quality. In order to achieve Link Love you must establish authority and credibility. Link Love is all about being a reputable source, often recipients of link love are the first to post breaking news that is vetted and accurate. Bloggers, webmasters and publishers reward sources they genuinely enjoy with link love.

Link Bait is often considered the evil step sister of Link Love.

What is Link Bait?

Link Bait is a hook. It is unique or even controversial content. Common sources of Link Bait include humorous items, accusations, controversy, or even implications. Link Bait is similar to 'shock and awe'; people cannot help but link because they are so intrigued (for good or bad). Link Bait often walks the line between acceptable and unacceptable.

Both Link Bait and Link Love generally result in numerous deep links, as bloggers tend to link to directly to specific articles or issues that are raised.

Not all of us are feeling the Link Love and many are not gutsy enough to use link bait with jaw dropping headlines, so what are some simple ways to garner deep links?

Give Aways

Everyone loves 'free'. Determine what is of value to your website visitors and figure out how you can provide it free of charge. "Free", could be anything, an online calculator, a glossary of industry terms, software, information, statistics or web space. It is best that the free item relate to the content on the website.

Be Different

Do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Being different or unique attracts attention and links. Step outside the box, be innovative and different with your design, product, or service.

Contribute

Often non-profits will provide links to companies that have assisted them. Contributions do not necessarily need to be financial they can be in the form of free services or products.

Befriend Industry Authorities

Get to know the bloggers and journalists in your space, provide them quality content, previews of releases or other industry information that would be of interest to their readers. Nothing beats quality information.

Participate

Participate in industry forums and newsgroups. Post constructive well formed posts and link back to your websites sub-pages on your site as part of your signature.

Regardless of whether you use Link Love or Link Bait, develop a plan to solicit deep links throughout your website use these tips to improve the quality and quantity of your incoming links.

About the Author:

Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company.

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Wanted: SEO & SEM - Full Time In-House Senior Level Positions


A major corporate employer is in search of well qualified candidates to interview for a Senior level - 5 years experience or equivalent SEO and another SEO Manager, (two positions - same company) to work in San Francisco, California. Please note that this is posted as of January 3, 2007 and will only be good until those positions are filled. Contact me by posting a comment here with your web site or email address where I can contact you - or write to website101 (at) gmail.com and I'll get in touch with you directly.

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Monday, January 01, 2007

Job in Search Engine Marketing


On October 4th of 2006, I published an article about my own SEO Job search with observations on what it's like to look for work in SEO/SEM field. Then I created a custom SEO Job Search Engine, allowing you to search all available job boards speacializing in SEM/ SEO jobs. Since then, I've published a few other articles on the topic here:

Now Kalena Jordan, a very busy search engine marketing trainer and SEO has written the following comprehensive article on the topic of jobs in search - which should also help those seeking employment in the search marketing game. Hope this helps in your quest for the perfect SEO position:

11 Reasons To Consider a Job in Search Engine Marketing

By Kalena Jordan

Are you currently seeking employment? Looking for a new profession? Considering a career change? Then a job in the field of Search Engine Marketing should be at the top of your list. Here are 10 reasons why:


1) The Search Industry is HOT

The first dot-com bubble may have burst 6 years ago, but the current bubble is getting bigger and stronger every day. One of the main reasons for the current dot-com boom is the skyrocketing growth of the search engine industry. No longer the territory of geekdom, search has exploded into the mainstream over the past few years and businesses are falling over themselves to get seen by online searchers. And they'll pay big bucks to search engines for the privilege.

Have you noticed that Google shares recently hit USD 500 EACH? It's not a coincidence. Search giants like Google, Yahoo and AOL can't fail to make money because everybody wants a bit of the search action. There's no denying it, search is HOT, HOT, HOT.


2) It's Considered one of Four Jobs on the Cutting Edge

According to a recent article on MSN Careers, the position of Search Engine Optimizer is considered one of four jobs on the cutting edge right now. Who gave it this title? A representative from the world's largest specialized recruitment firm - Robert Half International Inc.

Search Engine Optimization is considered a sub-set of Search Engine Marketing. If you're unsure what a Search Engine Optimizer (SEO) does, below is a definition provided by MSN Careers:

"Search engine optimizers (SEOs) increase a firm's Web site traffic by improving its search-engine page rankings. This is an especially important task in today's Internet-driven world, where many customers first learn of an organization and its products or services through the Web. Because of a shortage of experts in this relatively new area, many top SEOs receive multiple job offers. SEOs typically supplement their knowledge of how various search engines operate and determine
page rankings with strong marketing skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively and program using HTML."

Wikipedia also defines Search Engine Optimizers.


3) The Pay is Fantastic

A job in the search industry can be unbelievably lucrative. As noted recently by Jennifer Laycock of Search Engine Guide, "There are quite literally more jobs than there are skilled marketers and salaries can skyrocket to almost embarrassing levels."

Have you seen the type of salaries that search engine marketing and search engine optimization consultants are currently commanding in the US? Clearly, the search industry is making some people rich. Here are some typical salaries in USD:

Entry level SEO/SEM position = $30-45K
Three to five years experience / online account managers =
$50-75K
Five + years / organic SEO specialists = $75-90K
Senior management level = $70-120K
SEM Director = $95-150K
VP Level = $100-315K

Additional Salary links:

From ClickZ
From Search Engine Watch Forums


4) You Don't Need a College Degree

Because the search industry is relatively young, there are only a handful of online courses and certifications offered in the field of Search Engine Marketing (Search Engine College being one such training provider).

Most search engine marketing practitioners are self-taught, learning the trade by experimenting with their own sites, researching trends, attending conferences and participating in discussion forums and so employers don't generally require SEO / SEM certification or a tertiary qualification as a pre-requisite for a position in the industry.

However, candidates who hold a marketing degree or specific industry certification in Search Engine Marketing may well have an edge over their fellow applicants when it comes to interview selection.


5) You Can Learn it all Online

Everything you need to know to become a Search Engine Marketer, you can learn online. All the information is out there, you just have to find it. To become an expert in SEO / SEM, you need to do research, research and more research. Read everything you can get your hands on relating to search on a daily basis, including articles, forums, ebooks, blogs and newsfeeds. Then you need to put this knowledge into practice by experimenting with your own sites, or finding guinea pig sites to practice on such as those of friends, family or charity sites until you find the methods that give you the best results. Programming knowledge is not a pre-requisite for SEO / SEM jobs, but it does help to learn basic HTML. There are plenty of free HTML tutorials online.

If you don't fancy years of research or are in a hurry to jump-start your career in search, consider taking an online Certification course in one of the many Search Engine Marketing disciplines such as the Certification Pathways provided by Search Engine College. These type of courses are usually tutor-led and designed to fast-track your training and ensure you gain the right type of skills to make you immediately employable within the search industry.


6) You Can Be Your Own Boss

Because most of the work you'll be doing is online, Search Engine Optimizers and Search Engine Marketers often have the freedom of choice to work for an employer, work from home and/or freelance. Many SEO / SEM freelancers end up hiring workers and starting their own company due to the massive demand. This gives search engine marketing experts the work from home lifestyle that others can only dream of.


7) Search Marketing Has the WOW Factor

Once they know what they're doing, it's very easy for a Search Engine Marketer to wow their clients. The difference that a successful SEO or PPC campaign can make to a client's bottom line is substantial. I've seen online conversion rates for a client zoom from 1% to a massive 5% after just two small tweaks to their web site. And although rankings are not as important as actual conversions, clients still get very excited to see their site listed in the top 10 search results for certain keywords. It's the WOW factor in action.


8) The Demand is Strong and Growing

As mentioned in relation to search engine salaries, there are literally many more jobs than there are skilled marketers to fill them. This extreme demand means Search Engine Marketers can pick and choose their jobs and/or clients. The more skilled marketers are head-hunted regularly. For Search Engine Optimization firms, there are more than enough clients to go around and rarely a need to advertise for new business. That's why you often find SEOs turning away clients or recommending their competitors during extremely busy periods.

Experts in select specialties such as Pay Per Click Advertising (a sub-set of Search Engine Marketing) are currently enjoying even higher demand than usual, as advertisers out-bid each other to have their site shown for popular keyword searches on Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Another indicator of high demand is the sheer number of search-related job postings seen on employment sites such as those listed here.


9) The Industry is Hip and Groovy

There's something very trendy about people in search that I can't quite put my finger on. There's a constant buzz around them. If you've ever been to a search engine conference or to Google's headquarters you'll know what I mean. Maybe it's the fact that they've come from so many different professions. Or that the age range of search marketers varies from teens to Baby Boomers. Or their whacky dress sense.

Maybe it's the smell of money and happiness that they give off. Maybe it's the fact that they are constantly in the media. I don't know. All I know is that it's no longer uncool to be a geek. In fact it's downright hip to be square.


10) The Skills Are Portable and Global

Skills in search engine marketing are portable and global. You don't need to be at a desk, in an office or on the phone all day. You don't even need to meet your clients. Of all my clients, I've probably only met 20 percent of them and spoken to half of them on the phone or via chat. You can be on vacation for six months out of the year in various locations and still conduct business. You literally only need a computer and an Internet connection. The Internet is the universal equalizer. You can service clients in any country in the world, in many different languages. You can compete with one man operations and Fortune 500 companies on the same level playing field. The flexibility of the search industry is a huge advantage over other career options.
Have laptop, will travel!


11) Job Satisfaction is High

Search is a fascinating industry. With all the hype, daily gossip, corporate take-overs, start-ups and geek toys, I can guarantee that you won't get bored. This combined with the flexible work hours, low start-up costs, ability to be your own boss and the excellent income keeps job satisfaction high for Search Engine Marketers.

So what are you waiting for? Go get a job in search!

About the Author:

Article by Kalena Jordan, one of the first search engine optimization experts in Australia, who is well known and respected in the industry, particularly in the U.S. As well as running her own SEO business, Kalena manages Search Engine College - an online training institution offering instructor-led short courses and downloadable self-study courses in Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing subjects.