How to Break Into the SEO Clique
Writing by Nick Stamoulis
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If you are in the search engine optimization industry or you are trying to break into this incredibly saturated industry to make a name for yourself you might have a difficult time getting accepted into the circle of friends at the top of the food chain. The “elite” group that has been in the industry since day one and think they are the all mighty of the industry. The SEO industry leaders have become a tough group of individuals to become friendly with and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. All the “gurus” at the top that think they know every about everything seem to feel that they run this industry like they own it. The SEO industry is kind of like an open source program that should be treated like a group effort. There is plenty of business to go around. Lots of businesses out there that need help promoting themselves in the online space. People need to participate, communicate and get involved to make it a better place for everyone. One person tries something that works well they write about and things spread leading to better online marketing efforts.
I have been actively working in the internet marketing industry for over 12 years, have built Brick Marketing for 5 years successfully and have helped hundreds of clients in the field of SEO yet my educational comments that I leave on certain search engine marketing blogs get deleted, why do you think this happens? Leaving all names aside a certain someone contacted me not too long ago and asked me to stop commenting on a certain blog. Yes, I left a comment on each blog very frequently but isn’t that the whole purpose of starting a blog. These where all well written comments that where generated with real thought process adding to the overall message the blog post was trying to convey. Isn’t the whole idea of a blog to get the community interacting in your conversation? Since when is it bad to leave an educated comment on someone’s blog? Even if the frequency was high it shouldn’t really matter. I have seen this occur with other websites as well. I have seen the tone of this clique with others trying to make a name for themselves in the industry and I often see a certain nastiness resonating in the tone of a variety of online discussions. Don’t get me wrong I understand this is a tough industry and if you spend some time in it you get beat up a little but that doesn’t mean you have to be nasty to your colleagues and peers around you especially if they own and operate a successful search engine marketing firm. I apologize if I have not visited you at the trade shows and stroked your ego like many people do. Is it that I don’t kiss the asses of every individual in the “cool group”?
There is plenty of room in the school yard for everyone to get along. Is it because I am a threat to them or the industry? Sometimes I feel like this industry is a lot like high school all over again. You got your cool kids that think they are too good for everyone else and you got everyone else trying to shine in front of their eyes. I by no means want to break into the “cool” click and become one of those has to have their ass kissed by everyone else.
Why is it so hard for people in this industry to come together and work as a team? I understand that everyone is trying to grow their own business but there is no reason why so many internet marketing professionals have to have such a cold shoulder towards each other. We are all in the same game and we do the best we can to provide our clients with great service.
If you are an internet marketer or SEO person do you feel like our industry is heading in this direction as well? Please leave your comments and any related experiences or stories below!
15 Responses to “How to Break Into the SEO Clique”
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Journal is Owned and Operated by:
Nick Stamoulis
Tel - 781-350-4365
nick@brickmarketing.com
My SEO Company - Brick Marketing
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Hi Nick,
I am a junior SEO specialist, and your blog is one of the many ones that I read to keep up with the cool kids. I have been in this industry for less than two years, so I consider you to be one of the cool kids. This is the first time that I have commented on an SEO blog. I have avoided doing so for all the reasons you have stated about the SEO clique. Newbies get ripped apart out there, and it seems that I will be considered an SEO newbie until I reach at least the 10 year mark. I understand that I am still learning, but I do not find SEO to be as complicated as the clique likes to make it. A strategy that could be explained in 20 minutes is often “complicated” to appear more difficult to clients. I prefer doing SEO work, and I will admit that sales pitches are painful for me. When is one considered an “expert”? At what point am I not a newbie? I count goals hourly in Google Analytics like most OCD SEOs out there. I become giddy when I can match my optimizations with an increase in rankings, and I take it personally when content edits are ignored for months. I wish this industry would stop trying to mask SEO as exclusive club that is impossible to get into and impossible to understand.
Lauren
SEO Specialist from Medford!
Nick,
I’m surprised your not on all the guest speaker lists. Its crazy how much of an old timer seo network there is. But you did make the top 100 marketing list of 2009.
I’m guessing this person is deleting your comments because your competition as another seo consultant paying in his playground.
- Brian
Hi Lauren,
Thanks very much for reading and your comment!
I agree with you 100%, our industry does indeed mask itself as an SEO “exclusive club”, which I am hoping will change over time. I consider someone an expert when:
- They have optimized over many in many b2b and b2c industries.
- They have worked as an in house SEO/SEM marketer for a mid/large company building sales through SEO and Social Media for at least 4 years.
- Have made a living practicing SEO for several or more years (it is hard out there so if you can build it on your own, I do respect that!
Either way, if someone is a newbie SEO or expert professional, I think everyone should be treated with respect and not looked down at…let’s face it regardless of how long you are in this industry you can NEVER know it all! The search engines and internet marketing strategies as a whole continues to evolve…
Thanks again for being a loyal reader and best of luck building your SEO business!
Hey Brian,
I hope you are doing well and thanks for reading!
Yeah, I would not mind being on the speaker lists (as I do enjoy teaching and talking shop!) but at the same time I don’t always have as much time as I would like, since I spend my time working with clients. I find that many of the “SEO/SEM speakers” many times don’t actually practice SEO and/or they don’t take on many clients (who can afford to pay some of them…I see some SEO folks out there charge upwards of $500 per hour, which is crazy!)
Anyway, I think you are correct about the deleted comments…just proves the point of this post. Take a look at the top commented posts on my blog and count how many could be considered as my competition…the way I see it is there is enough business to go around!
Keep up the good work. You have some very good information and I don’t see why anyone would want to block it. Just reading your blogs for the past few weeks has taught me quite a bit. I guess once you’re “cool” you forget about being rational.
Hi Dave S,
Thanks for reading…great point! Who said SEO was always rational?
I am so sorry to hear about your experiences Nick. I started doing SEO in 2002 and as a solopreneur I knew I needed to connect with others in the industry to be able to bounce ideas around and compare notes. I found most (80%) of those already riding the SEO wave to be friendly and forthcoming.
I love your newsletters/blog posts and agree that you should be among those speaking at conferences and teaching what you know. Please feel free to contact me and perhaps I can give you some introductions if you are interested.
Keep up the good work!
Seems this problem is parallel with the industry – a lack of standardization. There is an enormous amount of misconception about what SEO really means – both on the supplier and client sides. How many potential clients have you heard say their site is optimized because someone typed in a few keywords or a description. And how many people claim to practice SEO do the same? Any SEO that is advanced enough to be a guru should enjoy a bit of notoriety and respect – but not at the expense of snubbing someone else. I wonder what they really are frightened of? That kind of behavior has no place anywhere, anytime. Your analogy of the cool kids might also include the neighborhood bully. Either way, few cool kids and even fewer bullies lasted very long. As the industry evolves and changes, so will the gurus. My guess is the takers will fade (or crash) and the givers will prevail.
Hi Cindy T.
Thanks for reading and your kind words
Hi B Les,
This is so very true standardization is lacking and is indeed very important! Thanks for reading and your comment!
Nick,
Your post seems to expose the real purpose of seo blogging, and it really should not surprise; building community is time consuming, interaction takes thought. Who has that much time consistently? The sem professionals in Atlanta and Charlotte have made considerable effort to reach out, through Meet Up, to the huge benefit of newbies like myself. Don’t beat up yourself (and others in the profession). Carry on with your good work, let others have their blog for whatever their reasons are, and help the Meet Ups around the country (the best invention since sliced bread…or iPhones).
Hi JanetR,
Thanks for reading and your comment. Meetup is a fantastic outlet and it is great to hear the local SEO chapters are alive and well in other parts of the US! I am a huge fan and supporter of the Boston and Cambridge SEO meetup (and I am actually speaking at the next one in on April 5th!
Check it out:
http://www.meetup.com/BostonSEO/calendar/12560943/
Hi Nick!
I have read and enjoyed a number of your articles; always interesting, helpful, and thought provoking.
I was surprised to read that some people deleted your comments rather than respond to them.
Everything I have read on this subject agrees with you – when your well thought-out and written comment adds to the discussion, that is what the blogging concept is all about; communication.
And, as a variation on one of Abe Lincoln’s quotes, “You can communicate with all of the people some of the time, . . . but not not all of the people all of the time.”
Hi Ken,
Thanks for your comment and being a loyal reader!
Excellent reference to Abe Lincoln’s quote!
I am also in the world of SEO, although I have started to use the term Inbound Marketing as SEO by itself is only a part of the complete process (if there is such a thing as a “complete” process).
Being an independent Inbound Marketing Consultant my time is under significant demands and it’s difficult to read everything I would like. That said, your article did catch my attention and my reaction was this…
I felt like after 10 years of SEO, SEM and other development online, I had my first friend in the industry. Thanks Nick! I’ll stay in touch and invite you to do the same.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for being a loyal reader and SEO friend
Let’s keep in touch, for sure!