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Sure… I also have considered joining a few SEO related membership sites, but I have only found one that really offers any return. Am I missing out by not signing on for industry related memberships?
Questions:
My intention is not to flame against specific SEO membership directories, but as I read through most popular memberships I find very little value in most of them. It seems there is more a prestige of being accepted or the money spent in obtaining a membership.
I understand demonstrating a businesses involvement in standards in important. I guess I want more from SEO related membership directories if I am going to serve up my memberships to the public. But wait! My competitors are members and they make it known all over their site… So I must be missing out on something I am not seeing? I want to understand what that something is…
Problem I have with memberships:
I feel a SEO related memberships should advocate its members more then they do – specially if that membership is fee based. Buttons, Links, Generic discounts don't seem don't seem to provide much value - if they did I would be signing up rather than posting this.
I feel if a client/prospect where to click on a membership icon they should be taken to a page that explains to our prospects the value the membership provides and confidence in their member. Promoting the member(s) involvement to the industry etc...
Quality of membership! Value to the Members audience!
I am walking a fence here…
What to do?
We even paid $75 to seopros for a listing and they declined us and kept our money. You would think paying money would guarantee a listing, but they really mislead you in this and no where on their site (that is visible) do they mention their listing criteria until after your site is declined and then they send you a link to the page with their listing criteria.
We have been around since 1998 and are one of the leaders in SEO. If I told you my company name, I am sure you would know us. You would think we should get at least a complementary listing for our repuation. But we don't need these directories. No client has ever asked us why we are not listed in these directories and we are doing very well the way it is.
If you are really a good SEO then just provide your clients some sample results and references and let that do the talking. Get your own site up in top 10 for SEO realted terms and use that to get clients or just kick back and they will come to you.
As such, SEO directories, memberships, affiliations and all the other junk are simply a waste of time!
If you can deliver, then go and do so! Business will naturally flow your way so rapidly your next question will be how to turn it down;)
Those that currently buy GoogleAdWords and Overture listings of course look at the "free" SERP's. If you dominate they will surely seek you out, and that is the only prospecting you need to do!
So what is the point of my competitors that rank around me – putting up all their memberships upfront? Do they gain more business than I do? Not that I am being greedy, but more business is always better for growth.
Business will naturally flow your way so rapidly your next question will be how to turn it down ;)
Taking on qualified clients is always important. I like cleanup jobs though for some morbid reason… I love success stories and this is a chunk of my business.
Part of my frustration comes from my consumer base, one bad experience after another. It really surprises me that so many SEO companies that boast their memberships to quality SEO and don’t actually conform the good business ethics and maintain the standards. It makes membership organizations even more of a joke.
The base of my rant is how few membership actually work for the consumer and the members. Maybe this is where I intended to go with this post…
If a consumer is seeking a BBB type membership that qualifies an SEO’s standards and industry involvement what are the better memberships out there? To date I have only found one that really does a good job. I would like to see one SEO membership organization do more for the member and more important the consumer. This helps our industry and it helps consumers.
We also participate in local chamber of commerce and local organizations such as Internet Associations. I find that you gain more from these type of places by networking.
Also, I really think we need some organization like SEMPO for our industry. They are headed in a good direction, but they need to do more in awarness and also service vise. The founders and board members of SEMPO are all from different companies and not like other organizations that were started by one guy/company who hide their identities.
Sloan - I notice so many SEO/SEM companies enjoy prominently placing their membership buttons throughout their websites. The question I ask is: Why?
Because the consumer places value on those memberships. Those buttons that you refer to have weight with a large audience.
submitx - If I told you my company name, I am sure you would know us. You would think we should get at least a complementary listing for our repuation.
Sorry submitx, that doesn't really mean anything. Reputation can work against you in some instances. Not saying that yours is tarnished but, if you were declined by SeoPros and others, then you did not meet their guidelines for inclusion. Simple as that. It has nothing to do with your reputation.
submitx - You will find that most of the SEO Directories have real strict acceptence criteria and will try hard to find a small reason to decline your listing.
That is not true. I am only aware of two directories that have strict acceptance criteria and I am the Administrator of one of them. I'll assume you were declined a listing with our directory as it appears your comments hint at that.
percentages - As such, SEO directories, memberships, affiliations and all the other junk are simply a waste of time!
Ouch, that is not true either! You may wish to speak with those who have memberships and see what value is in it for them.
Sloan - It really surprises me that so many SEO companies that boast their memberships to quality SEO and don’t actually conform the good business ethics and maintain the standards. It makes membership organizations even more of a joke.
No, it doesn't make them more of joke. It just means that they still have some work to do in maintaining their membership.
submitx - Just to add to what I said...we are a member with BBB and that can be used to tell clients about our good record, but we don't even put their logo on our site.
If you wish to bring the BBB into the mix, I have all sorts of stories to share with you regarding companies who utilize their BBB listing to attract consumers. The BBB is not all that it is cracked up to be.
submitx - The founders and board members of SEMPO are all from different companies and not like other organizations that were started by one guy/company who hide their identities.
I'm not aware of any directories and/or organizations where the founders are hiding their identities. Those who run a respectable and reputable directory are fairly active in the search engine marketing communities and are known by most.
pageoneresults: Because the consumer places value on those memberships. Those buttons that you refer to have weight with a large audience.
Correct, some do perhaps...
It seems more like marketing value than ethical business, involvement and dedication to standards.
I realized from my first post it was not about membership but quality of membership that provides consumers with understandable value.
Like coding standards, don’t you agree that there needs to be just one SEO standards membership that brings weight of value to the consumer?
pageoneresults: No, it doesn't make them more of joke. It just means that they still have some work to do in maintaining their membership.
Point well taken. Perhaps I am a little upset with how SEO term is used so loosely – so I am just ranting.
When I speak to contacts corporate/mom-and-pop businesses, they generally don’t understand the meaning of SEO only that they want the service. Many don’t read the rich content on our site… they glance around and make the call. So in that visual scanning they base value on a glance at the portfolio, topical areas, and ...membership buttons?
This was my question - do I go out and join or spend the money on memberships if it is just going to say I have weight with a large audience just so I can give my prospects some value in my work?
Probably not a good idea… It feels like I am spamming my own business site. This is why I feel one well-represented membership should be enough, but have that membership advocate its members to the real audience – the consumer.
Thanks, I appreciate the replies…
Cheers
Like coding standards, don't you agree that there needs to be just one SEO standards membership that brings weight of value to the consumer?
The million dollar question! Unfortunately with the diversity of this industry and it's providers, developing a set of standards for everyone to follow is not going to happen anytime real soon. I follow these discussions with great interest and can tell you that it just isn't going to happen.
Right now the best set of standards are those published by the search engines themselves. Most of the major search engines offer a starting point with their Quality Guidelines which can be found here...
"That is not true. I am only aware of two directories that have strict acceptance criteria and I am the Administrator of one of them. I'll assume you were declined a listing with our directory as it appears your comments hint at that."
Any directory that declines well known players in the industry is not a complete directory and not worth submitting to. You guys make strict rules such as declining companies that offer guarantees and submission services and having affiliate links and so on...there are so many reputable companies in this industry that are excluded from your directory. I would not recommend your directory to anyone. It is a waste of time. I bet you decline 99% of those that submit.
I would not recommend your directory to anyone. It is a waste of time.
Thank you.
Before you respond further, I'll refer you to the TOS for WebmasterWorld. Item #12 reads...
This forum system is not a venue for personal or private vendetta's. Keep your personal business as just that - personal. This forum is not a venue for the resolution of personal disputes with members or companies.
You guys make strict rules such as declining companies that offer guarantees and submission services and having affiliate links and so on...
No, we have stringent guidelines and would prefer to keep this type of stuff away from the public. As quoted from your website...
Submission to over 75,000 search engines, directories and links pages.
We will submit your website to over 75,000 search engines, directories and Free For All (FFA) links pages and send you a detailed report via email on exactly what search engines you were submitted to. You will be able to go to each search engine to verify your listing.
I am not aware of any well known players who offer the above type of services, do you?
I bet you decline 99% of those that submit.
Actually it's 83%. :)
We will submit your website to over 75,000 search engines, directories and Free For All (FFA) links pages...
I can see why a site advertising something like that would get turned down.
An SEO worth his salt never has to look for business, they just have to select from the numerous prospects that choose to contact them.
We joined SEMPO as a way of taking some of the "snake oil" stigma away. Some people don't trust SEOs because they think it's all a line of BS intended to take their money. If you can show that you are a member of professional organizations, and exclusionary directories, it puts you that much above the next guy they talk to.
If you dominate natural search positions then you have the right to call yourself an SEO. If you sell based upon a "theoretical" prospectus then the client should consider it very carefully!
This is a results based business, my advice is to simply seek those that currently show that they deliver!
If I was looking for an SEO today, I would pick the company that performed today!
Of course things change, but so do the good SEO's!
Memberships are pointless because they lack the necessary qualification. Memberships are all about a desire to be part of the group, usually in hope of generating profit, not to be at the forefront of the group.
A good SEO will want to be a "loner". They will not want to be part of anything, they will want to beat the World on a level playing field simply for the fun of it......and in return they will get more business than they can handle!
In my estimation 98% of people who call themselves SEO's today are nothing but charlatans. I get at least a dozen emails per day from some of the more unsavory ones!
I know who my competitors are, and they are as quiet as a mouse. They go about their business in silence, letting the SE positions speak for themselves.......hence, these are real competitors......and incidentally, they have zero qualifications via memberships either!
