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SEO Spotlight: Ian McAnerin
In October of this year, we at Anduro Marketing were very excited at the prospect of partnering with renowned Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert Ian McAnerin. Bringing over a decade of experience in the field to bear, Ian’s contributions to Anduro clients were evidenced immediately, particularly in regard to long time Anduro client, Pharmacy-Online. I recently had the opportunity to discuss the current Search Engine Marketing (SEM) climate with Ian in an attempt to learn and share his perspective on our business. Facing a significant influx of clients, with an increasing diversity of SEM needs, Anduro Marketing President Jeff Nelson decided to engage Ian McAnerin in a unique partnership that would combine Ian’s keen insights into SEO and Anduro’s formidable SEM services. Jeff and the staff at Anduro focus on maintaining customer accounts and generating new sales, including recently signed client NovAtel, allowing Ian to address targeted challenges, more specifically improving optimization and Search Engine Ranking of clients like Pharmacy-Online whom utilize websites based on dynamic technologies such as Java Server Pages (JSP). Aside from directly applying his surgical SEO skills to certain Anduro clients, Ian acts as a consultant, answering detailed questions and walking companies through the complicated process of Search Engine Optimization. On the more public face of the industry, Ian continues to be a featured speaker at many SEM events, including the Search Engine Strategies conference in Toronto and Business Link events in Edmonton. He has also authored a series of popular articles on issues such as copyright law and geo-location and is presently writing a book to be published in the near future. Along with his expertise in the area of SEO, Ian’s background in intercultural relations, anthropology, and law make him a strong partner in the competitive field of SEM. Founder and CEO of McAnerin Inc., Ian also acts as a moderator for the forum dealing with legal issues stemming from SEO on Search Engine Watch and as an SEM advisor on High Rankings. The SEM Market: Only the Tip of the Iceberg In his view, the North American SEM market is heating up and will continue to expand as customers become more aware of the impact of SEO and more educated about what the process involves. As well, as SEM firms become more and more knowledgeable about the marketplace and how Search Engines operate, they will be able to improve their products and services. The ongoing need for broad based marketing solutions and the growing online population guarantees SEM a strong place in the future of advertising. From an economic standpoint, it is estimated that in Calgary alone only 4 out of 20 million dollars is being tapped in the local SEM market. And though competition is growing, only those firms that have an acute understanding of the specifics of SEM will be able to take advantage. Ian sees specialization as a growing trend in the future of Search Engine Marketing. Presently, a lot of companies are attempting to advertise themselves as complete solution providers and are consequently being overloaded, leading to lower quality results for their clients. He feels that these companies will begin to have internal specialists in certain areas, such as Pay per Click (PPC), link building or dynamic site issues. Another ongoing development in the SEM world is internationalization. While a large sector of present marketing is becoming focused on localization, the very core of the Web is globalization and realizing the scale for SEM effectiveness on a world wide scale is an exciting possibility, particularly as nations in the eastern hemisphere begin to increase their Internet usage. Ian went on to explain that SEM/SEO professionals must be flexible and adaptable as tools and techniques are constantly changing. This is due to the fact that actual Search Engines are always evolving in terms of their user base, ranking priorities, algorithms, and even ownership. They are also getting much smarter at detecting and penalizing spamming methods, such as cloaking, that have been a thorn in the flesh of quality SEO experts for years. Though there is certainly professional debate over Search Engine usage statistics, particularly following the split of the Google/Yahoo partnership, it is estimated that Google use has dropped by close to 40%. However, it still has the largest index (~8 billion documents) and greatest resources of any Search Engine. It is still the undisputed choice of the technical community and synonymous for the term “search” with many users. Yahoo remains popular though and Microsoft’s newly launched MSN Search must also be considered as a serious contender for the Search Engine crown. A professional SEO consultant should be aware of the intricacies of each Search Engine and where they place their ranking priorities. For instance, Google clearly favours links while Yahoo favours content. However, algorithms are generally in a state of flux and there are always other options to be considered, such as the entire spectrum of paid Search Engine positioning, or PPC advertising. SEO is just one part of the SEM products and services available. Choose the Best SEO for your Business Ian is careful to point out that SEM techniques should be tailored to a given business and that, while the concepts remain the same, the tools used by small businesses do differ from those used by large corporations. In the small business market, presently the bread and butter of many SEM firms, competition is not as fierce in the broad sense but localization is the key. Larger companies have a wider target audience and can invest more into SEM strategies. While Search Engines appear to have no bias toward websites from companies of any size, there seems to be a trend in associating more generic terms with large corporations, making localization and effective keyword choice all the more important. Regardless of the type or size of company looking into their Search Engine Marketing options, Ian recommends that an organization carefully consider the use of paid options such as Pay per Click advertising or link buying. Once a strategy is worked out in that area, a trained SEO professional can bridge the gap by optimizing for “organic” or “natural” (read: free) listings. Decision makers should be careful to examine available SEM firms to ensure they exercise good practice, have a positive reputation, and can identify with the company’s goals and objectives. In other words, do your homework and examine the firm’s or consultant’s track record and remember - you get what you pay for. Choosing an inferior SEO consultant may result in more than your website simply going unnoticed. The work of “black hat” optimizers (read: spammers) could potentially lead to your site being banned from Search Engine Results, or in the case of Google, also having your PageRank reduced or removed. Rectifying ban problems is a long process that can take up to one year and could be compared to the effort and time required to repair a bad credit history. Save yourself the time and expense by ensuring a high standard of quality from your SEM provider. Remember that it is crucial to look at the SEM process as an ongoing investment rather than one time expenditure. Quality optimization and the maintenance required to support it are valuable assets. In light of this, be sure to learn how to track the success of your efforts to determine your return on investment (ROI) and make changes when necessary. SEM is often a cyclical endeavour involving a great deal of research and production effort. So, despite what some may claim, there is no silver bullet that can guarantee top Search Engine Ranking. Ian often finds himself consulting with companies who have been the victims of attempted SEM shortcuts by less than reputable providers. Myth busting has become a common duty for quality firms that have to point out, for example, that only using Meta tags has zero influence on Search Engine Results. There is a myriad of other misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding the practice of SEM/SEO. Spamming techniques have been mentioned; another trap some companies fall into is trying to look at SEM as simply another mode of traditional advertising, where the focus is on reaching the customer, rather than making it easier for the customer to find you. It is not hard to get caught up in the wrong attitudes toward SEM. Thankfully, Ian offers up more helpful tips. Try not to get overly concerned about PageRank, just focus on proper optimization. Be careful not to underestimate the value of links or the importance of content. Links are quickly becoming the currency of Web based advertising and high quality content allows for more effective use of keywords, greater relevancy, and encourages other sites to provide inbound links. Be sure to maintain your website, updating your company and offerings information as often as needed to maintain relevance to Search Engines and potential customers. Following these tips in cooperation with professional SEM consultation will put any company on the path to higher Search Engine Ranking and thereby higher levels of traffic. Make the Most of your Investment Ian makes is clear that consideration of SEM services is becoming less of an option and more of a necessity in today’s marketplace. Personal and business Internet use has had a dramatic effect on traditional advertising paradigms. Professional SEO experts like himself and Anduro’s SEM team can lead you through the technological jungle to the potential goldmine beyond. As we enter a time of Dot Com maturity where Madison Avenue types continue to realize the cost vs. reach vs. effect matrix involved in SEM, it is no longer being considered a vanity or afterthought, but a tool; and corporate budgets are being adjusted accordingly. The realities of the “live” nature of online business and the e-commerce (r)evolution have put the Yellow Pages on the back burner and directories like Business.com in the limelight. It is important to point out that SEM is not intended to replace traditional advertising, but to complement in the new dimension of Internet business. Taking advantage of the broad application of traditional marketing along with the surgical precision of SEM creates a win/win situation for any company doing business. Let a qualified SEO consultant like Ian McAnerin get you into the game, and find a professional SEM firm like Anduro Marketing to show you how to make the most of your investment. Search Engine Marketing is a process. It is not a single act or one-time investment, and should not be treated as such. Properly planned, executed, and maintained, this process can substantially improve your company's Internet presence, thereby generating increasing numbers of qualified leads and customers. For more information on any of the products available from Anduro Marketing, contact us at info@anduro.com or (403) 410-3803.
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