Bringing SEO In-House
-
Upload
carolyn-shelby -
Category
Technology
-
view
673 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Bringing SEO In-House
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Look (and Plan) Before You Leap
How Do You Bring SEO In-House?
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Common problems…
Not having a thorough understanding of your current situation AND longer range plans.
How do you hire an SEO when you don’t have an existing team/person to start with?
Where do you put the SEO position? Marketing? IT? In between? How much power/authority will he/they have?
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Do you NEED an in-house SEO?
Need
•You need/want someone in the office full time.
•You need a person dedicated to just your project.
Costs
•You’re spending enough with your agency that you could afford to hire (or would save money by hiring) an FTE instead.
•You’re prepared to provide continuing education (conferences, training) for the new hire.
Desire
•You’re emotionally prepared to take on a new FTE and to go through the hiring process.
•You’re ready and able to cut your agency loose.
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Do you NEED an in-house SEO?
You can have in-house SEO in a position that also handles other duties… Webmaster Web Site Manager Web Experience Etc.
Whether you can swing this or not depends on your goals, the size and complexity of your site, CMS, organization… what are your NEEDS?
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Where does the SEO go?
IT or Marketing? Or somewhere else? Really, either is generally okay, and “in a department unto
themselves and equal to both marketing and IT” would be ideal. Ultimately, you have to consider your corporate political landscape.
Potential power struggles? Trod upon toes?
Do not stick the SEO into a position where walking in the door he/she has to manage a department full of angry people with hurt feelings on top of everything else.
Make sure the person responsible for SEO has the power and authority to do their job.
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Where does SEO belong in the SDLC?
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Understanding Your Specific Needs
What type of site do you have? Catalog/E-commerce Brochure-ware Community/Interactive
How do you make money? Sell stuff online Lead gen/Affiliate Publisher B2B, B2C, etc?
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Different Types = Different Strategies
It is important to remember that what works for a business model based on advertising does not necessarily work for a lead-gen site, or for an e-commerce site, etc.
Different goals, different audiences, different needs Ad-revenue sites need traffic, but don’t care about
conversions E-commerce sites care a LOT about conversions, but
not so much tons of non-converting traffic Etc.
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Special Needs to Consider
Are you going through/planning a major site redesign (now, 1-3 months, in 6 months, etc)?
Are you planning any major technology upgrades? New domain, new web host, new platform, etc?
Switching from ASP to PHP?
Switching from Windows to Unix/Linux?
Bringing web site in house?
Sometimes what you need right now, isn’t what you need long term.
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Finding the right candidate…
Hire a consultant to help write job descriptions, vet resumes and conduct interviews.
Will ensure the job description will accurately describe the qualifications needed.
Will ensure the qualifications do not exceed the salary offered.
Can help you separate the posers from the qualified candidates.
Will be your BS detector in interviews.
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Typical Job Description: Webmaster Performs SEO optimization of content and search engine ad management
Responsible for maintenance and posting of content.
Performs QA throughout entire site, checks for broken links, relevance and accuracy of data, and corrects as needed; updates information in web pages/templates/db and locates and resolves bugs and other issues
Bring best Web 2.0 practices in site maintenance, functionality, and SEO effectiveness
Develop, run, and issue key website usage tracking and SEO reports on a monthly basis, and identify opportunities for improvement
Assist in the development and implementation of new media – including digital video, RSS feeds, product reviews, etc.
Must be proficient in image sizing/editing and have a working knowledge of HTML, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop
Will take part in product technical support, to maintain awareness of customer needs
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
And they expect to get all that and more for… $32,000 a year?
(Be realistic! You won’t get a rockstar for intern wages.)
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Planning Ahead Helps
Clearly defined goals and a solid understanding of your short term and long term needs will help you find the right candidate.
Hiring for the long term, and utilizing consultants or agencies for special needs or to fill in gaps can help when budgets are a concern.
Setting reasonable expectations with management and the new hire will reduce turn-over and increase everyone’s happiness.
web: cshel.com | phone: 312-212-3633
Carolyn ShelbyCSHEL Search Strategies
www.cshel.com
The Twitter: @cshelThe Email: [email protected]