SEO from the Ground Up

I just read this guy talking about how SEO Companies don't always practice what they preach - or in the least - let their own pages lack in SEO friendly. Now I have never been one to need to make someone else look bad in order to feel like I am looking good. It's a subtle trick based in ego but an astute audience will know. Not that I'm insulting this guy but his points were obvious and I could expand the list - but I won't today. Suffice it to say that my opinion as to why SEO Experts don't pay that much attention to the design of their site is due to the working on other peoples' sites. I've been there. I used to joke with my Mom, "Yeah if my site looks like crap it's because someone's paying me." I guess that would depend on one major influence: Is it an SEO Firm or an SEO Person. SEO Firm or SEO Company I expect a corporate presence to have a well-designed site and SEO Optimized to the nines at that. I expect every trick to be employed and for the design to be smashing at that. BUT. This can backfire. If a particular company continually ranks #1 in all the Search Engines and you're trying to get your site Optimized for #1 status let's say because you, too, are an SEO Company, wouldn't you rip it's source apart looking for the tricks? Wouldn't you check the ststus of their backlinks and start stalking their progress with every gadget that's available? I would! On the other hand if an SEO Company has a plain site, is not SEO Optimized very well and doesn't rank very well why would you trust them with your baby? Oh no. And you wouldn't stalk their site's progress either because you would be trying to surpass absolutely that kind of sandboxing right? SEO Dude or SEO Dudette It might be just me but I love one on one better than companies - perhaps because I'm the Dudette. If there's an SEO Dudette who's got a winner on her hands by way of top ranks and awesome design we wouldn't help but to want her to do for us what she did for herself. We would find it endearing that she took the time to make her ALT tags count. Or I would. I would want to duplicate what it is she did. On the other hand, if I have a pal who tells me he specializes in SEO and I visit one of his sites [yeah because never does an SEO/Designer Dude or Dudette just have a few websites...they always seem to have a FEW websites. Yeah I know. Weird.] and it looks like plain jane was there, I might have to ask "What's Up?" Then he'll explain this was his newest one and he has an awesome idea for widgets but let me check this other one out: THEN I am blown away. "You designed that?" Then he tells me yeah but the ranks aren't that great yet. Invariably I get to the Big Kahuna. His baby. The one he's the most proficient with but not so proud because it's been around forever. It ranks #2 on Google for a particular term and he's not really stoked he's like "Yeah." By this time you know this is your guy. This is your guy. What to Look for in Choosing/Following Someone to Design/SEO Whether I plan on following them or if I planned on hiring them there will always be a checklist of things I would look for in a person to design and SEO my site. Since I have done this for ten years I have learned a little... Design holds hands with SEO Always - What good to get the best designer in the world who Flashes up and Images superbly and lays it out spectacularly and it's so cutting edge you need a band aid...but then splat. Realizing a year later you're still not breaking past the PR of 1 you start to look at your error. YOU begin to pick out the SEO flaws. You mistakenly call up the Design Company. "We're sorry sir. We don't do Search Engine Optimization. We strictly concentrate on Design. If you like I can get a phone number for you." So they do. SEO standing alone is Design UNFriendly - Now at this point if the SEO Company takes over your case you are probably going to have a sacrifice a lot of the same things you spent insane money for. That would suck. However, if you chose a person - a Dude or Dudette, they may have to break some bad news to you too but I bet they'd be willing to go the extra mile to simulate whatever it was that was on your site originally. [Yes. I said simulate.] Choose and follow no one who makes it sound like SEO is some complicated secret language - The only thing secret is Google's algorithm for determing PageRank but thanks to Google and Matt Cutt's and other people who have taken the time to research and reveal the specifics, it's not so secret anymore - Not the important things. Anyone who tells you Content is King is a Liar - Sorry Virginia. It's true. Content *should* be king but marketing rules on the internet. Now. When you get so popular that Google comes asking YOU if they can spend money for YOU to push THEM then you are allowed to get back to thinking "Content is King" but until then...YOU are in a game and that game is popularity. You have to be your biggest fan - BEFORE you start following or thinking about someone to design your site or make it awesome for the Search Engines you need to know who you're dealing with. If the person or company you're following or asking to help you clearly thinks more of themselves than YOU, then you need to puch yourself in their face and make it clear YOU are the one you are paying for. YOU. You. YOU. If you cannot reach an understanding and they're just looking to add you into their portfolio [for design OR SEO] and you have made it clear you need both, fire them. Spam is worse than ever - Google's cracking down on manipulation and that's no joke. I call all of it spam. Spam is devious employment of any method designed to let the spammer get ahead at no regard for anyone else. This can take the form of UCE/UBE [ Unsolicited Commercial Email/Unsolicited Bulk Email ] or websites. I was at a website the other day who claimed to be a design firm. No kidding when I checked the source as I was wondering how this small page with no links had a PR of 5. [Boy! I learned another spamming technique that seems relatively new and I'm not telling. Google must not know it yet either.] Suffice it to say I'd stay away from them and not trust them at all with anything! If one cannot offer complete transparency as to their marketability then I'm sorry. But no way! These are just a few things off the top of my head that I would look for in someone I would choose to mentor me or someone I would hire. I read the SEO journals and the websites and the books. I am an avid enthusiast when it comes to SEO but my heart belongs in Design.