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SEO specialties, groupings, and classifications

Posted by Michael Martinez on April 3, 2008 in SEO Theory

Trying to hire someone for search engine optimization is not easy. As an industry we have no standards and I don’t know of any university study programs that offer specializations in search engine optimization. In fact, I would regard any such degrees with grave reserveration and suspicion despite the fact that I have immense respect for people like Shari Thurow and Dr. Edel Garcia, both of whom have academic credentials in Information Retrieval.

Information Retrieval science was developed for other purposes than Web search engine optimization, and even though it has embraced Web search considerably it’s still not teaching SEO from an experienced marketer’s point of view. If someone came to me with an IR degree I would give them serious consideration but we still train our own SEO staff in house (including experienced SEOs who take positions with us).

Our traiing is fairly low-key. We have a manual that is updated once in a blue moon and we have weekly SEO classes. I also schedule regular and irregular group theory sessions, and we occasionally hold impromptu brainstorming. We also do a fair amount of experimentation and analysis. So for “low-key” training our program can seem fairly intense. In fact, we work in a high production environment that is very stressful.

In-house training is vital in most well-established industries, if not all of them. Every company has its own standards that exceed or parallel industry standards, and every company has its own way of doing things. Staff development and training are necessary functions in any successful company’s business operations.

Still, when people come to us for jobs we have to look at what specializations they offer because we have (despite my best efforts) settled upon some areas of specialization. Although I expect my staff to understand each other’s functions through cross-training and occasional special projects, they still have strengths and weaknesses that are honed by their daily work requirements.

So maybe now is a good time to talk about how search engine optimization has become specialized through the years and how we have matched that specialization with types of jobs. There may still be general purpose SEO technicians working around the clock (for themselves or other people) but our industry is more complex than that. For example, I no longer directly manage any pay-per-click advertising, though I strive to stay abreast of changes in technology and services (at least through surface knowledge of those changes).

Search Engine Optimization Industry Specialties

Organic Search Engine Optimization - Also called traditional SEO, or just plain SEO, organic SEO specializes in managing the unpaid listings in Web search. I have never liked the term “organic”. I never saw anything wrong with “unpaid search results optimization” but then I seldom win buzzword wars so I’ve learned to live with the metaphorical organic search engine optimization.

Organic SEO is really sub-divided into other specializations, but if someone were asked to do it all alone they would have to be proficient at query analysis (what most people call keyword research but it’s really about more than just which keywords people use to search), basic HTML coding, on-page optimization factors, standard directory submission requirements (how to write acceptable titles and descriptions), and how to place a few links. These are the skills I would require of a typical SEO technician.

Pay-per-click advertising - Also called search engine marketing (although that term is also used of the entire industry), paid listings optimization, and a few other obscure things. PPC management is not just about the search engine results pages, of course. Some PPC specialists work with content network campaigns although my PPC techs have told me that their cilents tend to favor the search results.

I would expect a PPC specialist to be familiar with at least 2 or 3 major networks (and maybe a couple of smaller networks) — certifications are always welcome, of course. I would also expect a PPC specialist to be particularly adept at query analysis, more so than an organic SEO technician. In organic SEO you can count on capturing long-tail traffic but in PPC management there is no long-tail, just broad placements of ads that may cost you (or your client) way too much money. A PPC specialist MUST understand how to identify where the money flows and how to map it.

PPC specialists also need to have excellent ad copywriting and landing page copywriting skills. You not only have to optimize for network requirements you also need to optimize for competitive reasons. PPC copy optimization is strategic and it’s a skill I don’t underestimate. In fact, it’s a skill that has become so important that firms like Relevant Copy specialize in these types of skills. (Disclaimer: Relevant Copy was co-founded by a former member of my staff — I personaly vouch for Gene Tapang’s skill and knowledge as being among the best in the industry but we do not currently sub-contract with Relevant Copy or any other firm because we handle these tasks in-house).

News Search Optimization - There are whole teams of Web specialists who ensure that major newspaper publishers’ copy shows up in search results. These folks have to work by a different set of rules than most generalists in our profession. But other people besides the news publishing industry need to understand News Search Optimization. Occasionally, PR firms are asked to dabble in the craft (and I have to admit that I have not been personally impressed by such dabbling, but there are some pretty knowledgeable people in the PR Industry and their ranks are growing).

Blog Search Optimization - SEOs have been propounding the virtues of blogging for years but blog search optimization goes way beyond the cheap link building tricks that lazy SEOs promote. Black hat spammers have taken this art to new levels but there are less controversial business interests in the blogosphere who need to develop sophisticated blogging strategies. Blog Search Optimization has not been well-monetized by search marketing agencies, in my opinion. In fact, most small business owners still resist the idea of blogging for business for a variety of reasons.

Reputation Management - Also called defensive SEO, search reputation management, search engine reputation management, and other things. Todd Friesen suggested to me yesterday that a more appropriate name might be search engine results management and I think he may be on to something. Search Reputation Management is still finding its legs and there will be different levels of expertise and specialization. Although Search Reputation Management requires good SEO knowledge it also requires skills in corporate communication, strategy planning and analysis, and stealth SEO.

Negative SEO - Also called Google Bowling and search sabotage this is one of the areas of stealth SEO that has not been widely discussed. Through the years many people have expressed fears in SEO forums that competitors were engaged in negative SEO operations against them. Although Forbes started waving red flags last year, search sabotage is not easy to execute and the classic model of Google bowling is either impossible or nearly impossible to achieve (claims to the contrary not having been proved).

Is negative SEO unethical? Most of you may feel it is, but I know of several instances where it was utilized “for the greater good”. For example, Google implemented negative search optimization to disable harmful link bombing (although failure in the white house still presents malicious results). Some religious groups have been accused of engaging in malicious negative SEO, but other religious groups have openly asked their members to help promote other content above malicious “hate” sites.

In my opinion, it’s not a ethical issue because “good” guys are engaging in negative SEO on many fronts already. They’re just not as well organized as the “bad” guys.

Search Reputation Management may prove to be the “white hat” version of negative SEO, where SRM is focused on promoting one’s positive or favorable content and negative SEO is focused on destroying someone’s search visibility. Time will tell how blurred those distinctions become or remain.

Search engine optimization job specialties

Haven’t I just written about these? Well, I mentioned some but I think we need a much more clear idea of what types of jobs there are, can be, or perhaps should be.

Search Strategist - This is what I do, primarily, as a Director of Search Strategies. I sit around all day, blog, and think up weird stuff to try in the search engines. Amazingly, we’ve had a lot of people contact us asking if they can be trained to do that, too.

Actually, my job is only about 30% strategy. I also have managerial responsibilities (signing vacation requests, chasing people down for reviews and sick leave, interviewing people for staff positions, filling out HR forms I’ve never heard of, and helping to write job descriptions). And I do hands on SEO work (how else can I stay fresh in the field?). I work with our staff in setting up client campaigns. I occasionally come in and wow the customers with my deep knowledge of the field (okay, I’m asked once in a blue moon to suggest something where a client campaign seems to have stalled). And I do get to make strategic project planning decisions — mine is the responsibility to say, “Today we will set aside work on Client A so we can help Client B”.

I have to study search results all day long while taking care of business. I have to plan new Web site concepts and ask my staff to develop them. I have to ask my staff to plan new Web site concepts for my review. I have to report to senior management that I’m keeping their clients happy (or explain what we will do if a client suddenly decides he’s NOT happy). I have to watch for search engine updates and decide if we need to make adjustments in copy production, link placement, and my blogging time.

It’s a challenging job and there are other directors of search strategies out there. Their daily tasks may or may not be similar to mine. They, like me, may have to put together a training program for their staff. If I am not planning a weekly lesson I am conniving how to hoodwink someone else into planning it (even Todd Friesen has fallen prey to my devious and cunning manipulations, but mostly I swap training duties with our SEO Manager). Perhaps like me other Directors of Search Strategies have to justify their jobs — I mean, report to senior management about boring things like Return on Investment, make six-month and twelve-month projections, and beg for new hires — I mean, plan staff expansions.

But enough about me — I mean, Directors of Search.

SEO Manager - An SEO Manager has to be “more in the weeds” as a few vice presidents around here have put it to me. An SEO manager still handles client campaigns personally but also oversees SEO technicians (or, at least, should be able to do so if the staff grows). An SEO manager should be capable of strategic, long-term campaign planning. An SEO manager should have at least surface knowledge if not detailed in-depth knowledge of everything being done by the SEO staff — organic and PPC campaigns, the tools and methods they use, which services they’re heavily invested in, etc.

An SEO manager should have at least some management tasks, even if they only manage outsourced contracts. You’re an SEO Manager because you manage not because you do SEO. We do actually use some outsource vendors here, or we work with partners (like Web design firms that don’t provide on-staff SEO services). An SEO manager needs to be able to manage more than one project.

SEO Project Manager - Ask anyone what an SEO project is and you’ll get a hundred different answers. All from the same person. Nonetheless, there are SEO Project Managers. Their reporting duties are more streamlined and work-focused than SEO Managers’ and Directors’ of Search. An SEO Project Manager may or may not work with a team but will almost certainly work with a client — at the very least this person has to work with someone and should not be operating in a vacuum.

Where I would expect an SEO Manager to have more input into setting project goals and priorities an SEO Project Manager should be capable of providing at least limited guidance for project goals and priorities. An SEO Project Manager should be able to plan out timelines and deliverables (changes in search results cannot be plotted on a timeline). An SEO Project Manager should be writing reports, not just doing the work. It’s a position with considerable responsibility in a larger marketing program.

SEO Technician - Around here people look at these guys with considerable respect. They’re cocky, confident they can shape search results any way they want, and powerful influencers — oh, wait. That’s Todd Friesen (see UPDATE note below).

An SEO Technician should be confident, in my opinion. They should have well-rounded knowledge of how search engine results change, what influences them, and what it takes to get the job done. Sometimes they need good customer service skills, and they always have to be writing reports to someone. An SEO Technician needs to work with minimal supervision but should meet with someone on a regular basis to ensure that campaign goals and priorities are being met. A capable SEO Technician can do some strategic planning but this is not someone you would want to take on a management role — not yet.

The best SEO Technicians are eager to achieve exceptional search results and are not deflated when there are downturns in the campaigns. They can reassure their clients that all will be done to improve the situation and executing their deliverables. A great SEO Technician is meticulous, not sloppy, not lazy. A great SEO Technician knows better than to go to Yahoo! Site Explorer for “link analysis”. A great SEO Technician takes the time to become intimately familiar with the client’s queries. A great SEO Technician studies the competition, looks under the hood, compares queries with other verticals.

SEO Technicians may focus on organic SEO or a combination of SEO and PPC. I would not expect every SEO Technician to be excellent at PPC management but some SEO Techs are pretty darned good at both jobs. These people are indispensible and are most likely future SEO Managers and Directors of Search Strategies. If you have one those highly flexible superstars on your staff, pay him or her whatever you need to keep that relationship going strong.

You can’t always keep good talent on staff, but you should try. I feel like I haven’t tried hard enough sometimes.

PPC Specialist - This person does not need to know much about organic SEO, in my opinion, although that would be a nice bonus. A great PPC specialist studies queries, keywords, and advertising copy all day long. A great PPC specialist writes reports all day long. A great PPC specialist studies landing page copy, tracking tools, and ROI. A great PPC specialist thinks in terms of “how can I make more money?” These people should easily be able to support themselves on their own turnaround advertising, so you want to pay them what they are worth.

Content Specialist - I used to hire copywriters and turn them into SEO copywriters. SEO copywriting is an important skill but in a high production environment you cannot hire enough people to turn out the copy you need. I’ve retraining my copywriters to be Content Specialists. This was a controversial move because it extended greater responsibility and challenge to the positions.

A Content Specialist is someone who takes content and assembles a coherent Web site out of it. The Content Specliast has to be a good writer but also has to be a good editor and a good Web site conceptualist. On my staff the Content Specialists work closely with our Web Designers to create new sites completely from scratch. They develop the concepts, arrange for the copy, write some of the copy, edit the copy, and figure out where the copy needs to go.

They’re also pretty good at on-page optimization, but they understand off-page factors, too.

SEO Copywriter - There is still a need for SEO copywriting but these days more and more SEO copywriting is being outsourced. There are different kinds of SEO copywriters. Some just write feature articles. Some write landing page copy. Some write PPC ad copy. Some write product descriptions. SEO copywriters may be on-staff positions at larger companies but most people who need good SEO copywriting either get it through their Web design agencies or from specialty vendors.

Link Specialist - This is not someone who sends out emails asking for links. That is just plain stupid. A link specialist is trained in link theory and spends a lot of time doing research and analysis. A link specialist may buy links or may work with Web design teams to suggest how links can be placed on the sites or may do other things to “build links”. A link specialist needs to be a strategic thinker. Link specialists had better not be looking at Toolbar PR. You cannot afford to have a link specialist on staff who reads SEO blogs, looking for “Top Ten New Linking Secrets” posts.

Your link specialist should be able to look at your site’s linking structure and say, “Hey, you’re not doing this right”. A link specialist should understand site structure principles inside out. A link specialist should be able to discuss the value of internal links versus external links. If your link specialist gives you a blank stare when you ask, “What do you think of our navigational links?”, ask yourself what you really expect of this person. Raise the bar. Challenge him or her to know all things links rather than how to beg for attention.

SEO Web Designer - Some people prefer the title Web developer to Web designer. The Web design and development industry needs to work on its standards, in my opinion. This company employs Web application developers so I try to call my Web people Web designers but they have pointed out to me that they do more than just design Web page templates. And that’s true.

In an SEO capacity, a Web designer/developer needs to understand both on-page and off-page SEO. They need to understand what their Web pages will do for the site and what they can do to help other sites. Maybe we should call these folks SEO Web Specialists but I’m not sure that does justice to their knowledge and skill. Our Senior Web Designer has the largest library in our service group. He reads all sorts of books on Web design, Web tools, protocols, and stuff I cannot even pronounce.

You want someone who is passionate about this kind of work but the challenge will soon go away. This is a good position from which to promote someone into SEO Technician (which is not to take anything away from the copywriters).

Link Seeker - I cannot believe there are people who get paid to do this kind of work for organic SEO. If they take pride in their accomplishments then I applaud them for being passionate and making a difference. They are performing a function that someone values but this is just not an efficient way to do SEO. It’s certainly not cost-effective unless you’re building a network for leasing links (but that’s an entirely different type of service).

Client Account Specialist - There are so many titles for this type of job it’s impossible to know them all. This is the person who calms the client down after the client realizes the salesperson made impossible promises. This is the person who gracefully persuades the client to provide those long-promised product categories, biographies, pictures, phone numbers for whomever is designing the “back end”, etc. This is the position that works closely with clients to manage their relationships.

You’ll find people like this in a lot of PR agencies. Not many search marketing agencies have these kinds of positions but believe it or not we do. I guess my people skills aren’t as good as I would like them to be….

A client account specialist can make the difference between a client braving the storm of search engine changes with you or walking out the door. Just because you know everyone needs to sit tight through an update doesn’t mean the client wants to hear that. Clients hate being told, “We’re waiting for the search engines to do their thing because we’ve already placed lots of links and copy”.

The client account specialist will push you and your team to deliver SOMETHING that helps the cilent campaign move forward while you’re waiting for the search engines to do their thing.

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Okay. So, I’ve spent far more time writing this article than I thought I would. There are a few other jobs I don’t have time to write about but these are positions I’ve worked in, worked with, or will never have the right personality or skill to be. Almost all of them have proven to be vital in my search engine optimization experience.

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UPDATE: Just so it’s clear to everyone, Todd Friesen is a Vice President and NOT an SEO Technician….

Sheesh!