SEO In-house Blog

Participate in the 2010 State-of-the-Market Survey

It’s that time of year again – for the search marketing industry to participate in the annual State-of-the-Market Survey, which provides valuable insight into the impact of the economy on SEM budgets and spending trends for the upcoming year.

Your Investment: 10 minutes

What you Get: A free copy of the final report ($249), loaded with useful statistics that you can use in presentations and to understand how you stack up against the competition.

This is the 6^th annual survey, and this year you’ll find questions on SEO, PPC and social media.  All SEM managers and professionals (regardless of SEMPO membership) are encouraged to spend ten minutes to complete the survey and will receive a free copy of the final report.

In-house SEOs and SEM professionals will be especially interested in the quality of useful data that comes from SEMPO surveys. SEMPO Is also known for the infamous SEMPO In-house Salary Survey.

 

Take the survey by February 22, 2010

Wading Into Social Media

For those looking to add social media to your in-house SEO efforts, here’s a very well thought-out strategy for success from Tony Adam from Search Engine Land.

Last week I wrote about how in-house SEOs need to avoid becoming a ‘one-trick pony’.  A great way to add value  is by spearheading your organization’s Social Media strategy.  But instead of jumping into the ever-expanding pool of Social Media circles, in-house SEOs need to take a calculated approach to Social Media to get the most out of their time and resources - because they are limited.  Here is the executive summary of Tony’s strategy recommendations:

1.       Do your research:  Every community uses Social Media differently.  Listen to where (and how) the conversations are happening that you want to be a part of. 

2.       Understand the community:  Ask yourself the following questions: How active is it?  What are people talking about and how can you contribute to the conversation?  Is this particular Social Media space a good fit for your organization?  If it is, gradually begin to contribute through comments, voting, perhaps even an article or two.

3.       Set realistic goals:  Decide how your organization will evaluate the effectiveness of your Social Media campaign.  What are you trying to accomplish?  What kind of ROI do you expect?

4.       Develop a realistic and effective strategy:  This is your game plan.  What will you contribute and who will be responsible for it?  Don’t forget the delicate nature of Social Media and focus on contributing quality that enhances the conversation.  Get something down on paper to use as a reference and keep people focused and maintain consistency. 

5.       Remember SEO!  You’re still an in-house SEO.  Use Social Media and the content you’re creating to advance your SEO cause at the same time by optimizing it.

6.       Follow-up with your community:  Don’t forget to listen and respond to comments, join other conversations, and engage the community in general.  Ask questions, learn from others, and constantly adapt your strategy to bring the greatest value to the community.

7.       Re-evaluate your strategy:  Remember those goals you set?  Make sure you haven’t lost sight of the original purpose and that your efforts are creating real value to both the community and ultimately your organization.

Some SEOs are still sitting on the proverbial fence.  Michael Gray wrote an article that points to yet another reason to take the Social Media plunge.  Or rather, wade into it purposefully. Michael talks about how social media circles affect SERPs – gives you a reason to be online friends with your prospects. 

Tony’s entire article and strategy, Shake Up In-House SEO By Adding Social Media To The Mix can be found at Search Engine Land.

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Its Back! Our 3rd Private In-House Only Event!

Following the success and amazing feedback we've received from our first two In-House SEM Exchanges, we're doing it again! March 5, 2010 at SMX West we'll be hosting the 3rd event in this popular series.

This private platform allows SEOs to discuss and share with their peers the challenges and strategies unique to in-house SEO. Imagine an event with 100+ in-house SEOs only - no agencies, no vendors, no selling!

The exchange was designed by in-house SEOs , for in-house SEOs. Discussing SEO in a safe and confidential environment, you're guaranteed to walk away with new ideas, relationships, and strategies for optimal SEO success.  Check out the packed In-house SEM Exchange schedule of events.

Meet the In-house SEM Exchange!

Our first In-house SEM Exchange was created in response to in-house SEOs' frustration with not being able to speak openly and needing to network with their peers who really understood their challenges.  When I asked, "What do you want in an event?", the consensus was for a private and safe environment without sales pitches, vendors or off-topic speakers.  An environment rich with discussion, ideas sharing and networking specific to in-house SEOs.  So the In-house SEM Exchange was born to provide a platform for SEOs who face challenges specific to working in-house.

Because the In-house SEM Exchange is exclusive to in-house SEOs, you'll notice there's much more group dialogue than you find in public sessions.  We divide people into groups of peers who share certain types of challenges - whether they're related to big brands, e-commerce, start-ups, publishers etc, to discuss what works and what doesn't work for their situation.  You'll find new solutions that you can apply to your own challenges.  But we're also careful not to include competitors in the same group; with an "SEO Vault" (what's said in the room, stays in the room!), people have been able to discuss freely and without the pressure of other types of events. The feedback we've received on the first two events has been great, and our third event should be even better! Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn and share with the best-of-the-best in the in-house SEO industry.  Check out our packed In-house SEM Exchange schedule for more details.

 

What people are saying:

“In-house SEM Exchange is where you can get the scoop on juicy white hat SEO tactics, in addition to what works, what doesn't work, and what Google hasn't been able to figure out.”
 - Attendee at In-house SEM Exchange in June 2009 who sent 3 people to the event
 
“In-house SEOs will benefit from the safe haven of this event so that we can share openly, get input from people who have been through their challenges and get several solutions from a room full of people who understand the unique challenges of in-house SEO.”
 - Duane Forrester, Senior Program Manager, SEO – Microsoft/MSN

“It was a great chance to meet top level people at big name companies doing SEO on a broad scale. I would definitely want to attend again, and would recommend it for EXPERIENCED in-house SEOs, who can really get the most out of it. It is useful for more experienced / senior people; they brought the most to the table and we were able to keep it more strategic than tactical.”
 - Attendee at In-house SEM Exchange in June 2009

“What’s particularly great about this add-on day to SMX is that we get the benefits of a search marketing conference combined with the opportunity to interact with in-house SEOs in a way that facilitates knowledge transfer, relationship building and ways to overcome obstacles specific to in-house SEOs.”
 - Brent D. Payne, Director of Search Engine Optimization, Tribune Company

“The small group atmosphere lets you tap into the collective intelligence of talented search marketing experts from across the internet. Moreover, by meeting and sharing with these individuals, you have the opportunity to establish friendships and grow your network of resources - a HUGE plus for future conferences.”
 - Attendee at In-house SEM Exchange in June 2009

“The needs of search marketers doing SEO in-house are broader than the topics covered at most conferences. It’s not just about basic tactics: you also have to deal with organizational, political and process-related challenges. Insights into how to get past these hurdles often come from peers at other companies who either are, or have been going through similar challenges. Having a day that is dedicated to enabling these conversations is priceless.”
 - Olivier Lemaignen, Group Manager, Global Search Marketing – Intuit

Join us in March! Don’t miss out - Limited space available for this popular event.

(Note:  You do not have to attend SMX West to attend the In-house SEM Exchange)

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The One-Trick SEO Pony

In-house SEOs need to prove their worth beyond organic search.  Avoid falling into the one-trick pony trap by broadening your impact and adding value to multiple areas of the business.  Make yourself indispensible and it may just save your job! (Especially during a recession)  An article I recently read offers some good ideas for adding value to your in-house SEO job.  Here are some of the highlights:

Involve yourself in all stages of the buying cycle. For example, don’t limit yourself to just the search phase and SEO tasks.  Begin earlier and suggest the need for articles, guest blogs, etc. to raise product awareness to people not necessarily looking for it (which will incidentally also help rankings). 

Add value to your company’s customer service and public relations departments.  The in-house SEO can add value to the customer service and PR teams by reporting on common issues or concerns raised online and by monitoring and managing online reputation.  As a former in-house SEO, I once had a huge reputation management project and got quite involved in public relations and customer service. This not only expands the awareness of SEO within the organization, but it makes you more valuable as an employee, well integrated in many aspects of the company.

Offer product development teams insight into what people are searching for, what’s hot, and how competitors are reacting.  Business development teams might like to know what organizations are out there (and perhaps linking to you) to plan for potential partnerships or build relationships.

Get involved in all phases of the development life cycle. This one is often a challenge for in-house SEOs that sit in marketing, but your SEO knowledge actually adds much value throughout the entire development process.  When I was an in-house SEO I was involved in all phases of the development life cycle from business requirements meetings to reviewing documentation to working with the QA team who did the final QA prior to launch.  It wasn’t long before I knew more about the development processes than most of my colleagues, making my knowledge quite valuable at assessing where things were going wrong. Today, I work with companies to ensure their in-house SEO staff is fully integrated like this.

These are just a few ideas for you to expand your efforts beyond the traditional SEO activities; be creative and ask yourself how your knowledge can help other people in other departments. When you adopt this mentality, your agenda starts to help the agenda of other departments and before you know it you’ll have champions throughout the organization.

2009 In-house SEO/SEM Salary Survey - Salaries are lookin' good!

A question I’ve heard a lot this year is “How has the Recession impacted in-house SEOs?” The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) just announced this year’s in-house seo/sem salary survey with encouraging results for in-housers…overall, salaries have actually increased since last year’s survey. As SEMPO President Sara Holoubek put it, “With the economy in the longest recession of decades, it’s heartening for our annual in-house salary survey to substantiate that search engine marketing is the employment bright spot in sales and marketing.”

So what exactly is so bright? Well, the average salary range for an in-house SEO is $40,000-$80,000 with the majority of respondents receiving full benefits and 401k. Not bad. It may sound even better that VPs with 5-7 years experience are earning between $160,000-250,000…BUT salaries have actually decreased for this experience level. 

What else can we glean about the status of the in-house seo/sem community? Apparently in-housers love working from home more than getting away from home for vacation.

Highlights of the in-house seo/sem salary survey findings:

• If an in-houser can’t get their requested salary, they are most likely to ask for a telecommuting option over any other perk. Vacation time came a close second.
• 2009 yearly salaries for senior SEO managers with 1-3 years relevant experience range from $70,000 to $120,000.
• The majority of in-housers are tasked to maintain or increase the ROI from SEO and PPC campaigns while working with flat or restrained budgets for the remainder of 2009.
• The in-house SEM team fell within the Marketing Department for 71% of respondents. Only 8% fell within the IT Department. 
• Salary breakdown by title:

The not-so-sunny findings?

• Respondents are feeling the biggest hit in terms of bonuses and salaries
• The majority of respondents feel that they’re required to do more with less in terms of SEO and PPC budgets.

 

For more of the in-house seo/sem salary survey, visit:
http://www.sempo.org/learning_center/research/

Private, In-house Only Event Oct 8th in NYC

Imagine an event with 100+ in-house SEOs only, no agencies, no vendors, no selling! Discuss and share with peers who want to talk about the details of how to pull off SEO with optimal success.

Meet the In-house SEM Exchange!

 The In-house SEM Exchange was created because of in-house SEOs who repeatedly came up and asked for an event that was just for them.  When I asked, “What do you want in an event?” here was the overwhelming concensus:

• In-house SEOs only, no consultants & vendors
• No sales pitches
• No presentations from speakers guessing at what I need to know
• A lot of discussion
• A ton of networking

I took this feedback and created the In-house SEM Exchange. A day of in-house SEOs only, ready to share and divulge things that you wouldn’t discuss publicly and you don’t see on stage; the things you can only discuss in an intimate setting of non-consultants and no competitors. Attendees are divided into groups based on the types of challenges they face – Big Brand, E-Commerce, Publisher, Start ups, etc.  We make sure competitors aren’t in the same group so that everyone is free to talk about what’s working and what isn’t.

An SEO Vault is the concept, with a ‘give it up’ session titled the “SEO Vault”. During this session, what is said in the room, stays in the room!

Here is what people are saying:

“In-house SEM Exchange is where you can get the scoop on juicy white hat SEO tactics, in addition to what works, what doesn't work, and what Google hasn't been able to figure out.”
 - Attendee at In-house SEM Exchange in June 2009 who sent 3 people to the event
 
“In-house SEOs will benefit from the safe haven of this event so that we can share openly, get input from people who have been through their challenges and get several solutions from a room full of people who understand the unique challenges of in-house SEO.”
 - Duane Forrester, Senior Program Manager, SEO – Microsoft/MSN

“It was a great chance to meet top level people at big name companies doing SEO on a broad scale. I would definitely want to attend again, and would recommend it for EXPERIENCED inhouse SEOs, who can really get the most out of it. It is useful for more experienced / senior people; they brought the most to the table and we were able to keep it more strategic than tactical.”
 - Attendee at In-house SEM Exchange in June 2009

“What’s particularly great about this add-on day to SMX is that we get the benefits of a search marketing conference combined with the opportunity to interact with in-house SEOs in a way that facilitates knowledge transfer, relationship building and ways to overcome obstacles specific to in-house SEOs.”
 - Brent D. Payne, Director of Search Engine Optimization, Tribune Company

“The small group atmosphere lets you tap into the collective intelligence of talented search marketing experts from across the internet. Moreover, by meeting and sharing with these individuals, you have the opportunity to establish friendships and grow your network of resources - a HUGE plus for future conferences.”
 - Attendee at In-house SEM Exchange in June 2009

“The needs of search marketers doing SEO in-house are broader than the topics covered at most conferences. It’s not just about basic tactics: you also have to deal with organizational, political and process-related challenges. Insights into how to get past these hurdles often come from peers at other companies who either are or have been going through similar challenges. Having a day that is dedicated to enabling these conversations is priceless.”
 - Olivier Lemaignen, Group Manager, Global Search Marketing – Intuit

Join us in October! Don’t miss out - Limited Space Available

(Note:  You do not have to attend SMX East to attend the In-house SEM Exchange)

Conference Tips for the In-house SEO

1. Bring a Camera – not just for snapping pics of your new friends, but it’s great for taking pictures of the slides you want to remember later.  Or, the napkin someone wrote on in a bar – yes, I’ve done this when the napkin went to someone else.
2. Take the time to identify who you want to talk to (or at least what type of person you want to talk to) and what questions you have.
3. Bring plenty of cards, print more if you need to – it’s easy to run out, and if you do, visit the business center at the hotel or conference center to print more.  I know it’s the digital age, but few people actually take the time to send out their information after the event.  It’s easy to get swept away with the backlog when you return to the office.
4. Arrive the day before in time to hit the Pre-Event Networking and attend as many social activities as possible – the best advice comes from intimate discussions.
5. Attend the in-house events – sessions, drinks and the In-house SEM Exchange.
6. After the show, go download all of the presentations that were of interest. You’ll forget to do it unless you do it right away.  (NOTE: they may not all be there and it can often take several days after the show to get them loaded)
7. Email the people you met, each day after you meet them.  This way people are more likely to remember you later.
8. Set a goal of really getting to know 3 new people at any conference.  (This advice actually came from Elisabeth Osmeloski).
9. Never eat alone - big advice from Keith Ferrazi.  It’s easy to get intimidated and find yourself eating alone, but don’t. Approach a group of people and introduce yourself. Not only can you get amazing advice, you can establish strong friendships and networking contacts. The search marketing industry is very communal, and when you attend conferences it can often feel like a family reunion if you make a good attempt to meet people.  One good way is to show up at the main conference hotel bar, it is usually hopping right after the event and again around 10pm.  Note, a lot of impromptu meetings happen at conferences, so don’t get discouraged if it feels like you interrupted a conversation, just move on to the next group.
10. Upon arrival, buy Gatorade and aspirin, etc. for the morning after. This advice came from an unnamed source who rebounds well every morning of a conference! The nights can be late at search marketing conferences, and drinks are plenty. It’s easy to lose track of time, stay out late and feel sluggish in the morning, so plan ahead.
11. Take advantage of the ten minutes before a session starts to chat to the people sitting next to you. Forgo working on your laptop; instead, take this time as a networking opportunity.
12. MY TOP ADVICE:  Tell people at the office you aren’t going to be available. This one isn’t always easy, but when I was in-house I set expectations that search marketing conferences go from 9am – 2am, non-stop. You wake up, go to sessions, walk with someone for drinks, meet someone new at drinks and go to dinner, then the dinner group goes to the conference party, and the night ends at the hotel bar with the conference regulars when it closes. You paid a lot of money to attend a

What are your tips?

In-house SEO Job: ABCnews.com Hiring a Sr. In-house SEO (NYC)

ABCnews.com is hiring an in-house SEO.  I had a chat least week with the hiring manager and this is a really good opportunity for someone to work for a big brand, yet not have the typical political in-house challenges of an enterprise-level organization.

ABCnews.com is separate business unit within a large company, and this division isn’t your typical ‘corporate’ atmosphere.  They already have the editorial teams starting to embrace SEO and have one SEO person.  They haven’t begun to realize the SEO potential (which is good for the lucky hire) and are now looking for a senior level in-house SEO to take lead of the SEO program.

The kind of person they need, in addition to the what’s in the job description:

• Someone with strong SEO skills, as this position will focus more on communicating requirements rather than convincing everyone to do SEO. 
• Someone with strong technical SEO skills, you will likely work with IT a lot.
• Someone who can drive the SEO strategy (but the technical/tactical skills are what you’ll use day-to-day)
• Someone who has more technical skills than selling/marketing skills. The current in-house SEO is doing great at evangelizing SEO, now they need someone more senior to give the specific requirements, direction, oversight and occasional training/coaching for the dev and editorial teams.
• Someone who knows large scale SEO.

What is especially nice about this job:

• The hiring manager didn’t think it was going to be difficult to get SEO changes implemented, with only a few technical exceptions.  This means less politics and focusing more on getting SEO executed.
• There is much potential to make a difference, and that will look great on your resume!

The job is located in New York, New York.  You must live/work at their NYC office. 

If interested, send a message and resume to: jobs [at] seoinhouse dotcom.

If you are in the market for a job, let us know! A lot of companies (including many big brands) are calling us to discuss in-house SEO jobs right now.

Meet the In-house SEM Exchange (An In-house Only Event)

I am happy to announce the launch of the In-house SEM Exchange, the first in-house only event of the search marketing industry.

It's an intimate event to facilitate discussions and relationship building with in-house SEOs. It's only 30 people, in-house only - no bloggers, no press. It's less PPT and more facilitated discussions so that you can learn from each other and build relationships with other in-house SEOs. I spent a lot of time talking to in-house SEOs to understand what they want most, it's truly an in-house SEO event designed by In-house SEOs for In-house SEOs.

Why The Exchange is Different

• You'll get the search engines on video telling developers what is needed for a search engine friendly site - There is a session called the "Search Engine Hot Seat" designed to address the opposition In-house SEOs face from developers, we currently have Google and Live Search lined up to speak and answer your questions that we'll capture on video. After the event, we'll create mini-videos to answer the questions and you can take them back to IT to prove what search engines really need for a search engine friendly website.
• It's clear that in-house SEOs want to share, so there is an In-house SEO Vault, a session where everyone is expected to lay things out and really learn from each other. It's like the SMX Advanced "Give it Up Session" and we, as a group, will talk about how long things need to remain confidential. We want you to open up, so the group will define what stays in the room vs. leaves, and repercussions for breaking the rules could include no future admittance into The Exchange. We'll decide as a group during the event kickoff.
• We're going to recap and discuss the big takeaways from SMX Advanced and how you can use them at your company. Sometimes even grey hat SEO tactics can be tweaked just slightly to become white hat approaches to SEO. Since everyone takes away something different from the event, this will be a good way to recap the best advice from SMX Advanced.
• 3 Leading In-house SEOs will available for intense Q&A based on your most pressing challenges. These in-house SEOs are definitely on my shortlist of in-house SEOs that I would hire to head up an in-house SEO team: Dennis Goedegebuure (eBay), Brent Payne (Tribune Company) and Derrick Wheeler (Microsoft)
• Each attendee will be surveyed before the event to best understand your most pressing issues/questions, what we need to ask the engines in the Hot Seat and to aid in the discussion topics related to the agenda. The plan is to know what your unique challenges are, and ensure you leave with solutions for your specific challenges.
• You'll get a "What I Learned Report" when you send us your notes that we can combine into one document that you can tweak and forward to management to illustrate what you learned from the event. Some in-house SEOs have now have to write a report to justify every conference - you don't have time for that, so we'll help you out!
• It's a limited number of 30 in-house SEOs only. No agencies, no vendors, no bloggers and no press. We are vetting registration the list to help ensure that every attendee is truly an in-house SEO and not a consultant masquerading as an agency.

Event Details: http://www.InhouseSEMexchange.com

Comments from In-house SEOs that were Instrumental in Creating this Event:

"In-house SEOs will benefit from the safe haven of this event so that we can share openly, get input from people who have been through their challenges and get several solutions from a room full of people who the unique challenges of in-house SEO."
- Duane Forester, Senior Program Manage, SEO - Microsoft/MSN

“The needs of search marketers doing SEO in-house are broader than the topics covered at most conferences. It’s not just about basic tactics: you also have to deal with organizational, political and process-related challenges. Insights into how to get past these hurdles often come from peers at other companies who either are or have been going through similar challenges. Having a day that is dedicated to enabling these conversations is priceless.”
- Olivier Lemaignen, Group Manager, Global Search Marketing – Intuit

"Even though other search marketing events are really useful, what’s particularly great about this add-on day to SMX is that we get the benefits of a search conference combined with the opportunity to interact with in-house SEOs in a way that facilitates knowledge transfer, relationship building and ways to overcome obstacles specific to in-house SEOs.”
- Brent D. Payne, Director of Search Engine Optimization, Tribune Company

Registration details:

• The early bird pricing ends 5/1.
• Register at: http://www.InhouseSEMexchange.com
• You do not need to attend SMX Advanced to attend the In-house SEM Exchange, but you do save if you attend both!
• SMX has a couple of promos for travel

See you in Seattle!

In-house Only Mixer at SMX West (sponsored by SEMPO)

In-house Search Marketers, there is a special event just for you at SMX West. 

The SEMPO In-house Only Mixer is a great place to talk about search, not get a sales pitch, and really talk candidly with other people facing the same challenges you are facing.

I guarantee you will walk away with solid solutions to implement at your company. (if you don't find a good answer, hunt me down and I'll help you out! Pic so you can spot me)

Hope you can make it!

SEMPO In-house Only Night at SMX West
(this event is exclusively for in-house search marketers)

Who: In-house marketers, SEOs, SEMs, etc. 
What: Food & drinks served (courtesy of SEMPO)
When: Tuesday, Feb. 10th, 5:30 pm - 7:30 PM
Where: Camino Real room at the Hyatt (conference hotel)

Why: This is your chance to talk to people in the trenches. Come with your challenges, leave with answers.  Whatever challenge you have, someone has already been through it and will have solid advice for you.