Earlier this evening, I was explaining to my wife how PPC is different to SEO. So different it requires separate skill sets. And then I read Rand’s post which got me thinking about the line between SEO and marketing.
My background went like this: art, then commercial art (now called graphic design), desktop publishing, web design, print advertising and direct mail, branding, marketing and then SEO. It’s hard for me to draw a line between those disciplines as they are related and overlap in several ways. I’ve always seen marketing as the top of those skills with everything else holding it up, including SEO. A lot of people disagree with me.
But a search engine is just a client in my eyes. It is another user looking for a good value proposition (“here is something great for your users Mr. Google!”). Ranking well requires some promotion skills.
My marketing background is helpful to see the bigger picture of what the client is looking for. Especially when you get into intangible areas like branding. I think the age of “mom and pop design” is fading away. Viewers want some polish. They want a message. They want something that stands out. If you give them these things, they are more likely to convert.
Strong brands rule. A clear message will put a good site over the top.
Last week, I helped a client create a tag line and an “elevator pitch”. It was great fun! I’m hopefully helping people create businesses that may be around through generations. It’s a great feeling to be part of that.
Finally, I have to say that knowing about things beyond SEO helps me connect with prospects. They don’t understand SEO… or if they do they are usually misinformed. By talking in terms of ROI and sales I can lead them into my world a little deeper.
So what extra skills can you bring to the table? Are they SEO-related? Do you promote them or keep them secret?
