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Monday 18 November 2013

SEO AS CAREER OPTION: PROFILE, FEATURES AND FUTURE

SEO is Shining Career Objective
Today's post is nontechnical information passing post. I can't say about other countries, but in India, it's been a practice since long that engineering students who passed with good score insist to make their career as a developer only. Few people might go in designing or animation field according to their interest. But nobody, specifically want to develop their career as an SEO Executive. Even few companies select candidate applied for job of an SEO to the designation of developer. Even, few candidates apply for job of SEO, just because they are unable to find job as a developer and just to earn their bread and butter, they get ready to work as an SEO on temporary basis and leave career of SEO, once they get another job as developer. Few people think SEO is kind of data entry. I think all these myths are due to lack of knowledge of what does SEO actually mean?

I will not give any techy definitions of SEO as there are millions available online. I will just talk about some facts which might be helpful to new generation to explore new career option of SEO. First, I would like to break the myth “SEO is a data entry job”. This is absolutely wrong. SEO is only and only smart work.

Now let me describe, What is SEO? 
“SEO, Search Engine Optimization is a technique which will help to increase your/your products online presence.” Mark the words in bold. It's not about guaranteed top 10 rankings for so called “trophy Phrases” or “keywords”. If you used to read online blogs and news, Google has become smarter, so SEO is no more job of running in the rat race of getting top 10 rankings for trophy phrases.

What SEO can do? 
  • SEO can make your website search engine friendly 
  • SEO can increase your online presence 
  • SEO can build your brand 
  • SEO can manage and improve your online reputation
What Does an SEO Executive Does? Or What is the Job Role of an SEO? 
  • Make thorough analysis of website, market, competitors 
  • Use logical & mathematical reasoning to understand current SERP [Search Engine Result Page] Trends 
  • Use logical & mathematical reasoning to understand Search engines Indexing algorithm 
  • Understand current ranking, indexing trends 
  • Understand competitors' strategy 
  • Filter data gathered by analysis 
  • Create first phase action plan as per the filtered data 
  • Execute action plan and results achieved by it 
  • Keep on monitoring the action plan and its results 
  • Fine tune plan as per achieved result to get desired result 
  • Keep on monitoring changes in search engines, digital marketing and competitors' strategies 
  • Implement latest changes in ongoing action plan 
  • Repeat loop of actions of analysis, planning, execution, monitoring, fine tuning, monitoring 
What Qualities an SEO Executive must have? 
SEO Executive or an SEO [Search Engine Optimizer] must have following capabilities built in to build sound career in SEO industry:
  • Analysis power 
  • Logical & mathematical reasoning 
  • Good understanding of algorithm 
  • Forecasting 
  • Action plan creation 
  • Continuous monitoring 
  • Quick new changes adaption capability 
Scope OF SEO Career: 
You might reading few posts or hearing some rumors that SEO has no future and SEO is dead, but all those are just rumors. SEO is running since born of search engines and it's become necessity with cutting edge technology and neck to neck online competition. Until and unless there is scope of search engines and social media websites, SEO has bright future. Because web development or designing can be one time job with occasional maintenance, but SEO is an ongoing process which must be taken on regular, I would say on monthly basis. There are many big names overseas, who are in SEO industry, namely, “Rand Fishkin”, “Danny Sullivan”, who are contributing in SEO industry from many years. If I talk about India, Gujarat University has introduced new subject “SEO” as part of syllabus, which is showing worth of SEO as a career in its own.

So after reading this blog, I hope you get a new branch of career, which is actually as smart and progressive as traditional development. So try something out of the box. Make career in SEO. :)

Ash Vyas SEO Ash Vyas is working as an internet Marketing manager at Ecosmob handling digital marketing activities like SEO, SMO, Linkbuilding.
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Tuesday 5 November 2013

Keywords and/or SEO are dead due to Hummingbird?

Nowadays, I often hear this question. In fact, few SEO Gurus have just created long long blogs and presentations and what not on the topic, “Keyword and keyword targeting is DEAD”. Few are a step ahead and saying “SEO is dead”. In fact, few of my clients asking me to stop focusing on keywords because according to hummingbird, now keyword is of no use. So this article is to answer all those forecasters who are predicting that “keyword targeting & SEO are dead due to hummingbird”.

First of all try to understand what hummingbird algo does mean?
Hummingbird algo is a user-friendly algorithm who will try to understand the conversational language query of normal user and will give the best suitable result. This is the simplest definition of Hummingbird algo and its functionality.

Now, we are coming back to the most heated question.

Is Keyword Targeting Dead? Is SEO Dead?
NO. The answer is straight no, not now and not will be in future.

Why or How Keyword Targeting and SEO aren't dead?
If you came to this article via any search engine, then I just do not need to answer this. You just go back to your search result and check the query which you typed in and check the words which are bold in snippet. You will see the words which are bold are exactly the same as you typed in as search query. Is it so? You got your answer I guess.

If you are one of my followers or subscribers, then let me clear the reason. I have made search with keyword “Digital Marketing with Ash Vyas” and here is the snippet of top result I got from Google.

As you can clearly see all the results have the keywords which are also known as search query in normal language. You can compare the search query I used for my search with the bold keywords available in search result. Do I need to say further to prove keywords are not dead nor SEO, nor keyword targeting?
Now, let's take one more example for searching conversion query. Let's say I search “asterisk services near Ahmedabad”. And, below is the snippet of what I received as search result.
Picture says more than words. So, you might understand the point that whether someone searches with either search query i.e. keywords or conversational query i.e. keywords [again], the keywords were there, are there and will be there.


Now Why or How Keyword Targeting and SEO Will Not be Dead?
Usually those who are really looking out for some professional or personal services, they will use queries which will have keywords like “Hire SEO Engineer” or “Pizza center near Mansi Circle”. There are keywords. And, SEO experts can easily recognize such keywords.

Myth of Hummingbird:
People are having myth that hummingbird has removed keyword targeting, which is not so true. Hummingbird made search smarter that's also from their own point of view and for end users so they can give the best result to non technical people as well. Otherwise, search has not changed at all for technical people. Yesterday, they were searching for “affordable SEO services” and also today they will use the same words. And, Google will show the result. Hummingbird has changed the scope of local searches. As SEO people know there was no big change in search query results after launch of hummingbird which was visibly seen in Penguin and Panda update. Google is advising since ages to not to focus on specific keywords and not do this and not to do that. And, these are the old standards set by Google and it's as it is. No doubt Google has changed a lot, changed policies, but it will affect those of SEO people who might practice massive SEO tactics. For ethical SEO people, it is still the same. You just need to work smart by selecting and targeting right keywords with right optimization and promotional strategies.

Hope you got answer and clear idea about hummingbird :) Give your question, feedback and suggestion in comments.

Ash Vyas SEO Ash Vyas is working as an internet Marketing manager at Ecosmob handling digital marketing activities like SEO, SMO, Linkbuilding.
Likes : Blogging, net surfing, networking, travelling, photography
Connect with the author via: Twitter | LinkedIn | Google+ | Pinterest