Search Marketing -- Advantages of a Professional

A major point of contention in many firms is the decision to use internal staff for search marketing and others who argue it should be left to the professionals. So if I may borrow some thoughts from Rand Fishkin's excellent write-up, here I summarize and restate what he says:

Advantages of Working with a Professional SEO

• Diverse Experience -- Professionals with years of SEO experience can help you learn what to expect from the search engines as you conduct the optimization process. They can also interpret and understand rankings data and "hiccups" in results that may indicate trends or strategies that should be implemented or avoided -- preventing expensive mistakes.
  
  
• Pre-Existing Relationships -- SEOs have many contacts inside the SEO industry with folks who have important skills (e.g. press releases, article distribution, directories, etc.) that can have a great impact on the success of your efforts.
  
  
• Link Building Knowledge -- The fastest and most reliable way to get results is though high quality links. Professionals have the ability to quickly identify the most important topical communities -- saving considerable time. SEO's will also have extensive experience with link acquisition -- so they know how to meet requirements and avoid problems.
  
  
• Identifying Linkable Content -- SEO's are often masters of crafting and launching content. Not only can they identify the content most likely to get links from a specific web community, they're also experienced in packaging and promoting it.
  
  
• Fixing Possible Problems -- Professionals deep experience makes them expert at identifying and managing issues that cause a lack of indexing, low rankings or penalties from search engines. This is a skill that can be very hard to develop without years of practice and experience. If you have a ranking issue, an SEO can be of great value.
  
  
• Time Savings -- SEO can be a very time-consuming endeavor. An experienced and talented SEO has the processes and systems of optimization down to a science and can use those to provide better results in less time.
  

A new website coming soon

Dear Readers,

We're building a superb new website for iOptimize Marketing. I can't wait. This will be awesome.

Stay tuned.

A new type of company

iOptimize Marketing is a very different kind of company. What do I mean? Please let me explain.

Our tagline is "Because Results Matter." The bottom line is simple. We are measured by business outcomes. For instance, should a hotel chain improve their occupancy rates and revPAR, we win. The customer got the outcome they needed.

Why did we start iOptimize Marketing, Inc.? Our deep research across the industry found a bunch of small companies run by technology folks. They talk in tech terms. One can envision propellers spinning over their heads.

I also got an earful from customers. One said they picked the top-rated firm as ranked by a well-known consulting firm -- and they turned out to be a disaster. One final reason is the lack of credibility. I worked for a firm that said they had an office in South Africa. Another said a New York City office. Both were untrue.

iOptimize will follow certain principles:

1. We'll focus on thought leadership and education -- not technology.
2. We'll ask questions and more questions -- we really listen.
3. We'll show no boring Powerpoint presentations - we promise.
4. In the rare instance when we speak, you will hear pure unadulterated truth -- in its purest and simplest form.

From a business point of view, we're going to use the best ideas from the best -- like Jill Konrath of SellingtoBigCompanies and Brian Carroll, author of Lead Generation for the Complex Sale. We also hire from the customer industry -- not just the search industry.

I also wish to point out that iOptimize is going to be a fun and exciting place to work and to be a customer of. Ron, my Chief Marketing Officer, is a cartoonist and professional writer. We're going to post Ron's cartoons to our website. We are going to work day and night to make it fun and rewarding.

To learn about iOptimize Marketing, Inc. I invite you to visit iOptimize Marketing.

All the best,
Jeff Ogden, President and CEO

Getting started...

Things are moving quickly at iOptimize Marketing. Ron Callari is my new Chief Marketing Officer. We are compiling a target account list. We have developed an outstanding video marketing piece -- with great graphics (thanks to Ron). We have a decent but weak website.

The first marketing piece launches on Monday. I can't wait.

iOptimize's first post

Welcome to iOptimize.  We intend to fill this with great ideas and best practices in marketing. But hey, everyone needs to start somewhere.  Please stay tuned.

www.ioptimizemarketing.com