Comments on: My SMX West Experience and Pitching the Business Value of SEO http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/ Advanced Search Engine Marketing Tips to Succeed Online Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:17:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6930 Hamlet Batista Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:41:43 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6930 Gab - Thanks for your comment. About your disagreement, you clearly missed this important part of my post. I said you will rank highly, but I didn't say you will rank highly for your most important keywords :-) <blockquote>without SEO, you have absolutely no control over what terms your content will rank for. Without SEO, you are leaving it up to Google to figure out.</blockquote> I received my first search referral from a blog search the next day I started this blog and I only started networking a few weeks after that. I am sure that every day you get search referrals from keywords your are not trying to target. Some are relevant to your content and some are not very relevant. I believe that the most important value we bring to the table as SEOs, is helping our customers rank high for the keywords most relevant to their business. That does not happen automatically. There has to be a concerted effort and strategy to make it happen. Gab - Thanks for your comment. About your disagreement, you clearly missed this important part of my post. I said you will rank highly, but I didn’t say you will rank highly for your most important keywords :-)

without SEO, you have absolutely no control over what terms your content will rank for. Without SEO, you are leaving it up to Google to figure out.

I received my first search referral from a blog search the next day I started this blog and I only started networking a few weeks after that.

I am sure that every day you get search referrals from keywords your are not trying to target. Some are relevant to your content and some are not very relevant.

I believe that the most important value we bring to the table as SEOs, is helping our customers rank high for the keywords most relevant to their business. That does not happen automatically. There has to be a concerted effort and strategy to make it happen.

]]> By: Gab Goldenberg http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6928 Gab Goldenberg Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:09:42 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6928 Appreciate the link Hamlet :). Two things I agree with, one I don't, and my pitch... 1) Duplicate content is not the same as canonicalization issues! Thanks for making that explicit :D. Pet peeve of mine... 2) You make a good case for the added value of an SEO, especially in the longer pitch. Agree :). 3) Where I disagree is the suggestion that good stuff will rank on its own. Having been a blogger with reasonably good content and a horrendously poor network for the longest time, I can testify to this not being the case. It may once have been, but when everyone else is building those relationships [and links] you're going to get left behind if you just expect your content to be discovered one day... Write the most mind-blowing piece that revolutionizes the mortgage business. I promise it won't rank for 'mortgages' :D. Appreciate the link Hamlet :).

Two things I agree with, one I don’t, and my pitch…

1) Duplicate content is not the same as canonicalization issues! Thanks for making that explicit :D. Pet peeve of mine…

2) You make a good case for the added value of an SEO, especially in the longer pitch. Agree :).

3) Where I disagree is the suggestion that good stuff will rank on its own. Having been a blogger with reasonably good content and a horrendously poor network for the longest time, I can testify to this not being the case. It may once have been, but when everyone else is building those relationships [and links] you’re going to get left behind if you just expect your content to be discovered one day…

Write the most mind-blowing piece that revolutionizes the mortgage business. I promise it won’t rank for ‘mortgages’ :D.

]]> By: Hamlet Batista http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6916 Hamlet Batista Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:51:51 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6916 Gavin - That is excellent insight. You are absolutely right. Different people with different personalities with require a completely different approach. <blockquote>sell the sizzle, not the sausage.</blockquote> As I am just starting to learn a little bit of sales, I was not familiar with that phrase. I like it:-) Thanks for stopping by. Gavin - That is excellent insight. You are absolutely right. Different people with different personalities with require a completely different approach.

sell the sizzle, not the sausage.

As I am just starting to learn a little bit of sales, I was not familiar with that phrase. I like it:-)

Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: Gavin Mitchell http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6876 Gavin Mitchell Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:05:35 +0000 http://hamletbatista.com/2008/03/05/my-smx-west-experience-and-pitching-the-business-value-of-seo/#comment-6876 Good to see you back posting Hamlet. As you say, the ideal SEO pitch will vary for different clients depending on their experience, situation and personality type. Some people want a 'nuts and bolts' explanation of what an SEO will do for their site and exactly how it will help (i.e. your conference-goer), whereas others are only concerned with the end result/benefits - "How much of an increase in traffic can I expect to see? What is a typical ROI for your service?" As far as a pitch goes, many clients simply aren't interested in canonicalization issues - it's something they don't want to get involved with or hear about. Like they say in sales - sell the sizzle, not the sausage. Good to see you back posting Hamlet.

As you say, the ideal SEO pitch will vary for different clients depending on their experience, situation and personality type.

Some people want a ‘nuts and bolts’ explanation of what an SEO will do for their site and exactly how it will help (i.e. your conference-goer), whereas others are only concerned with the end result/benefits - “How much of an increase in traffic can I expect to see? What is a typical ROI for your service?”

As far as a pitch goes, many clients simply aren’t interested in canonicalization issues - it’s something they don’t want to get involved with or hear about. Like they say in sales - sell the sizzle, not the sausage.

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