Can we take SEO as a long term career?

Rajesh · 09-25-2006, 01:24 AM

I am very much confused about the future prospects of SEO.Please share your views on career prospects of SEO.

Johan007 · 09-25-2006, 08:25 AM

I find SEO as a hobby fairly interesting and you can have a full time job doing it however there really isn’t enough substance… its pretty simple and jobs are rare.

SEO in my opinion should partner either a Online Content Manager or Programmer or web designer.

Will.Spencer · 09-25-2006, 08:32 AM

I am pretty negative about the future of SEO, but I am pretty positive about the future of web publishing.

"SEO" seems to be "the stuff I outsource for so cheap that no one with any sense would want to go into that business."

Web publishing, now that is all about building long-term value.

Angelus · 09-25-2006, 08:39 AM

I think that in no time everyone will be a "seo expert" and clients will lose faith in seo companies and individuals....
I also like to think about seo as a hobby as long as it makes me happy

p.l.u.r.

GuyFromChicago · 09-25-2006, 09:51 AM

Internet/Online Marketing isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

IMO SEO is just one skill set that should be in the arsenal of a good search marketer.

SEO as a future? Who knows.

Internet/Online Marketing as a future - good bet in my book.

EricBlackwell · 09-25-2006, 03:46 PM

I'm in with Chicago here...

SEO is a skillset. Analytics is a skillset. Web Authoring/Publishing is skillset. Paid Search Marketing is a skillset. Coding is a skillset. Web Design is a skillset (and an art). Business Analysis is a skillset.

You need ALL of these to be successful in Internet / Search Marketing. I think Search Marketing has a bright future, but if you don't have a multidisciplined approach, you are hosed.

Eric

farangmaikwai · 09-25-2006, 05:22 PM

Seo is my new hobby rivaling with my friends, admittedly I have just started but hey, i have the content and as far as I know that is number 1. Therefore the only way to be very hot at seo is by being good in the area you are working with. right?

John Scott · 09-25-2006, 05:31 PM

Internet marketing as a whole is a very legitimate and valuable service, when it is done by real professionals who provide real value.

However, if we look specifically at search engine optimization, I tend to be more skeptical.

Most of the "SEO" provided is of little or no value. My first encounter with an SEO was very negative. The SEO charged $3,000, guaranteed top rankings, and did little more than change the page titles, meta description and meta keywords. When we actually lost rankings, I demanded that he honor his money-back guarantee. He instead stopped responding to our emails and phone calls.

Such is the SEO industry.

Buskerdoo · 09-25-2006, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Scott

Internet marketing as a whole is a very legitimate and valuable service, when it is done by real professionals who provide real value.

However, if we look specifically at search engine optimization, I tend to be more skeptical.

Most of the "SEO" provided is of little or no value. My first encounter with an SEO was very negative. The SEO charged $3,000, guaranteed top rankings, and did little more than change the page titles, meta description and meta keywords. When we actually lost rankings, I demanded that he honor his money-back guarantee. He instead stopped responding to our emails and phone calls.

Such is the SEO industry.

But, if you had paid $3000 and been on page one or two, you would have been happy.

haga · 09-25-2006, 10:11 PM

I also like to think seo is a hobby, my company is tending to expanse this service . It means the clients pay me $$$ & give me some keywords and they want their website to have top position when searching keywords. The work will be more pressure and I have no time to go out...

mit · 09-26-2006, 12:06 AM

If you say "Internet Marketing" instead of "SEO". Then, its really a huge word to have a career on. Full of challenges are there and a targeted Job.

So, I can its a nice and valuable career in Internet Marketing, and ofcourse in SEO, its a part of Internet Marketing.

Regards,
AMIT VERMA

khasmoth · 09-26-2006, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajesh

I am very much confused about the future prospects of SEO.Please share your views on career prospects of SEO.

Hi Rajesh, I understand you're from India right? And I know few from India that they took SEO as a long term job. The good thing about SEO is if you can manage to create a site and SEO it you will earn a decent living with adsense or other affiliate program. It's just sitting in the couch for almost all day and watching your earnings to rise without doing nothing.

But seriously being an SEO must be also a hobby. Otherwise you will find it boring after quite some time. You better ask yourself first if you really like SEO environment and then decide if you will pushed through in this SEO world.

maepaulino · 09-26-2006, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johan007

I find SEO as a hobby fairly interesting and you can have a full time job doing it however there really isn’t enough substance… its pretty simple and jobs are rare.

SEO in my opinion should partner either a Online Content Manager or Programmer or web designer.

I agree with you wholeheartedly and I also think that SEO is just another skillset... I don't really see myself doing SEO for a long time... I want something more challenging hehehe...

not that SEO is not that challenging... it's just that well... I guess web designing is more fulfilling for me than doing SEO

John Scott · 09-26-2006, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buskerdoo

But, if you had paid $3000 and been on page one or two, you would have been happy.

I honestly do not see that happening. If a keyword is worth getting, $3,000 won't do it. Most of the time people ask me to do SEO, I quote them $xx,xxx.

And at those prices, it is often smarter to do the PPC thing.

toniaxp · 09-26-2006, 01:50 AM

SEO will always be around.....Many people have the misconception that SEO is all about doing onpage keyword optimization, SE submission, and building links. While those are parts of SEO it also includes things such as producing valid html and css code, checking and testing website accessability, checking and testing website usability.

All of these are important and will always be needed. And one final thing the SEO's that take any work they can get for next to nothing are the ones that most of the time have no clue about what they are doing and can't get real SEO work which is why they have to go after the scraps.

I charge at the least $600 for a job and have charged upwards of $8000 for some competative websites

John Scott · 09-26-2006, 01:54 AM

Quote:

it also includes things such as producing valid html and css code, checking and testing website accessability, checking and testing website usability

I don't see that as SEO at all.

A.N.Onym · 09-26-2006, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Scott

I don't see that as SEO at all.

Oh really?

Semantically correct code helps SEO.
Accessible site helps SEO.
Principles of usability help SEO.

But in reality, SEO is just a fraction what needs to be done on the website. And just having a search-engine friendly website won't get you much, because you need to make the site human-friendly as well. That's where usability, accessibility and healthy marketing comes into play.

I suspect SEO will integrate into SEM, which will integrate into marketing.

Sure, just studying SEO may help, but you'd rather study the whole picture with efficient web design, usability, accessibility, copywriting, online marketing, etc.

mabel01 · 09-26-2006, 06:06 AM

If you're planning to be a long time SEO Specailist, i think it would be nice if you also knew how to do web designing. It would be great!

Vern · 09-26-2006, 09:15 AM

SEO specialists are usually project based and if a company pays you and recognises your work to be an effective one it would be great because it will snowball into more free publicity.

You must first be really good at it and I'd say that don't put all your eggs in one basket because SEO is only 1 of the many internet marketing strategies. You could choose to master 1 or 2 more strategies in order to have a larger basket of influence.

GuyFromChicago · 09-26-2006, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.N.Onym

Oh really?

Semantically correct code helps SEO.
Accessible site helps SEO.
Principles of usability help SEO.

I'd have to agree with John here...don't really see those areas as "SEO". One could argue that having a fast internet connection helps SEO becuase you can get more done...but we know that's not the case.

I think the areas you listed would be better classified as Web Development and Internet Marketing, but that's just me.