64% Of Companies Don't Follow Through With Seo, Surprise, surprise, surprise Options

[Jill]

Jenn at Search Engine Guide posts about an iProspect study that found:

Companies Miss the Boat When Outsourcing Search Marketing
A new study released today by iProspect shows that while companies are moving toward outsourcing their search engine marketing efforts, many are failing to follow through on the very advice that they are paying for. 64% of companies that responded to iProspect said that they run into problems implementing the changes that are suggested by their search engine marketing firms. The most frequent reason given? Lack of human resources and lack of budget to actually make the changes.

No surprises there for anyone who's been in this biz awhile. How many clients have you had that you analyzed their site, told them exactly what to do, even offered to help them do it, and yet it never gets done?

No reason like "that won't fit with our brand" or whatever. (That's understandable and no company should ever do something that would make their brand suffer.)

They simply just don't do it.

Generally, as long as I've been paid, I stop caring about those sorts of clients, but it is a very strange phenomenon.

[projectphp]

CYOA (Cover Your Own Arse) is what many business professionals like to do. Many hire an SEO so they can show their boss they are "on top of it". They never have to mention they didn't actually implement anything, cause by the time that is worked out, they have moved on.

Some businesses also have a convoluted structure, in which the person buying SEO isn't the one inolved in actually doing anything about it. So, the marketing guy buys it, comes to teh meeting, thinks "Now ti is IT responsibility" and teh IT guy goes "SEO? Stupid sucker marketing department, always paying for stuff we already know and do. We submit every day to Google" and bins the report. Or, in some cases, IT just go "Too much effort".

I can sympathise. many IT departments are over worked and don't get paid for results, so why would they care? Why shoul dthey work harder so Sales guys get paid more? What's in it for them?

[Jill]

You are scaring me, Mike. Have you been secretly attending the meetings we have had with one particular client?

Many hire an SEO so they can show their boss they are "on top of it". They never have to mention they didn't actually implement anything, cause by the time that is worked out, they have moved on.

We are in that exact situation!

[qwerty]

I've had this happen with clients that were one-person businesses, especially the ones who say they'll do the copywriting and just need me to edit it. There's one I've been waiting more than a year for now. If they'd let me bring in a copywriter, they'd have paid an extra thousand or two, but the project would have been done a long time ago.

I'm waiting...

[projectphp]

Hehe. Good when one gets Psychic points (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

It is a very hard to learn lesson that results, absolute, SEO bragging right results, aren't always what one is hired for. Sometimes, any of attend meetings, politicing, reports and getting nowhere are the SEOs job.

That is why the best SEOs are capable of adapting and still going in a positive direction. Not always the perfect direction, or perfect result, but certainly in the right direction.

Personally, I don't mind that sometimes I am not expected to do much. Secretly, and just quietly, I am more than happy to adapt, and be whatever is expected. I don't even mind meetings, despite the need to get dressed, iron and get hussied up.

But I do, 100% and without question and at the very least, if I have to attend multiple meetings that go nowhere and achieve nothing, expect a biscuit and a cup of tea (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The meetings where they don't give me one, either or both really irk me!!!!!

[bwelford]

I think this topic really gets to a very fundamental issue about search engine marketing. This can be illustrated by the following observations:
1. SEM or SEO isn't a one-off activity that you do to a website and it's done. That is a recipe for disillusionment and failure.
2. SEM and SEO must be seen as an ongoing activity that you must keep doing for success. It therefore must be built into the marketing plan and the marketing budget. The amount needed will go up and down from time to time but there's always an essential minimum you must do.
3. Most organizations cannot affort to hire an employee who will be the only one addressing the SEM/SEO issue. It well may not be a full-time job, but the individual will have a problem being aware of all that is going on in the SEM/SEO world if doing it exclusively for that company.
4. The most sensible thing therefore is to outsource all or part of the SEM/SEO function on a long term basis. This could mean consultancy support to an inside person for example. Ideally this should become a team action for maximum effectiveness.

I would guess that the number of companies actually doing this is relatively small. So does this show this is the wrong approach?

[Jill]

Personally, I don't mind that sometimes I am not expected to do much. Secretly, and just quietly, I am more than happy to adapt, and be whatever is expected.

I hear ya there too, Mike.

It makes my business partner crazy though. She wants to do the work and be able to cross the bulk of the project off of her list. That really just doesn't work where SEO is concerned though...not for some clients.

We've even developed a "your project has been put on hold" letter that we've used a few times. It generally lights a fire under them for about a week, and then it's business as usual. (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/lol.gif)

[projectphp]

So does this show this is the wrong approach?

Yes and no. It is tough.

IMHO, SEO isn't, and never can be, a USP. It is just a marketing tool like any other. As such, the amount of energy that many organisation can afford to invest in SEO is small, and functionality, speed to implement and a host of other factors usually need to come first.

The real key with SEO, IMHO, is to employ a consultant who can educate all the people involved to maximise their existing efforts for SEO. Do a deal with a supplier? Get a link like XYZ. Web developers in house? Train them to build SE friendly sites. Adding new products and pages? Educate the copywriters to understand SEO copywriting.

SEO is a team effort, and improving how each team member does things that influence SEO, and teaching them to understand how to see an opportunity and maximise its SEO potential is the key.

At least, that is my opinion!!!

[SearchRank]

I have had this happen with not only "one person" shops but Fortune 500 companies as well! In fact this scenario for us happens more often with big companies that have to either have a board meeting or consult the legal team everytime they make a change to their sites. I also see it happen where a client's web designer is simply so busy with other projects that they cannot make the time.

We just redesigned a site yesterday that was in frames, taking it out of frames, that the client was trying to get their web designer to do for umm... about 6 months now. He finally asked us if we could do it and it was done within a week.

This is why I love projects where we get complete access to the site. Need something modified? No problem. New keyword strategy? No problem. Need to develop new content? No problem.

[oneofthe3lions]

This is why I love projects where we get complete access to the site. Need something modified? No problem. New keyword strategy? No problem. Need to develop new content? No problem.

Absolutely!! Altho only working in house a cple of days a week the company I work for give me total control and say 'do what it takes' Thats what we want to hear (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/appl.gif)

[DianeV]

LOL, qwerty. Don't I know it. Most major delays in building websites are due to clients not providing their text, whether it has to be edited or not.

Delay is one thing, but never getting it done is quite another. <edited>I've luckily found ways to move clients along on projects. After all, they're not happy until they're done, either. </edited>

Thing is, incomplete projects are still on your schedule regardless of whether you'll be working on them this month, next month or any month. They not only take up bits of attention, but they require that you take them into consideration whenever you're scheduling other work. In effect, incomplete projects mean you might not schedule as tightly (and financially beneficial for you) as you could if the projects were done.

> a "your project has been put on hold" letter

Now, that's a great idea.

This post has been edited by DianeV: Oct 2 2005, 12:20 PM

[robmarketshare]

I think the big difference with traditional marketing/advertising is in the fact that there is no real deadline to meet.
When you don't sign off and approve the add there won't be an ad published. But with a website you can always change and change whatever you like. This flexibility and lack of real deadlines kind of "softens" the yes/no desicions that marketeers were used to.

If they don't make a change there still is a website that can be changed,
as with print, once it is printed your stuck with it.

NO marketeer would ever say , well just print the add and we'll see what happens.

And with optimizing websited ..... ? well time will tell.

[braveheartdesign]

Interesting thread in that the reason given that the SEO recommendations are not implemented is because of the client. But what about those SEO companies whose recommendations are so large that there is no way that a client can possibly implement them.

We see SEO companies who in order to justify their high prices provide clients with recommendation documents that propose major changes to the structure of the web site as well as to the sites look and feel. Many clients are overwhelmed as it is and will never have the resources or budget to implement the changes. Thus the SEO recommendations are never implemented and the company becomes very hesitant about SEO.

David

[qwerty]

I'd say that if that occurs, it's due to a communication breakdown between the SEO and the client. The original proposal should indicate whether the SEO recommends major changes, so the potential client should have the opportunity to mull that kind of thing over before deciding to hire the SEO.

If the SEO proposes only minor changes and then comes up with some massive plan after the contract is signed, that's certainly a sign that they're not on top of the project. Either that, or we're talking about a bait and switch scam.

[cline]

When I interview prospective clients one of the key things I'm assessing is whether they're willing and able to do what it takes to succeed. The psychic cost of dealing with clients who aren't willing and able isn't worth what they pay.