Building and Growing Your SEM Business – SearchFest 2009

Posted • March 18, 2009 • Comments Off

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Building Your SEM – SEO Business

How could I not attend this session? This was the easiest decision of the day for me. I made a good choice just check out my presentation notes.
Build Your SEM Business

Moderator: Lisa Williams – Media Forte

Lisa Williams is a 12-year web marketing veteran. Lisa started her business in 1998 with a focus on content development, and website usability. Since then SEO and SEM have also been added to her repertoire.

Anne Kennedy – Beyond Ink

Anne Kennedy A Proust Questionnaire . . . for Business

What is your idea of perfect business happiness?
“A great team, contented customers, and profits.”

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
“A cube farm with a punch clock.”

Who are your heroes/mentors/role models?
“My partners.”

What is the trait you most appreciate in others?
“Relentless resourcefulness.”

What is your principal talent?
“Networking.”

Where do you most like to run a business?
“In the Cloud.”

What do you value most in your business associates?
“Opportunity.”

What do you consider the most overrated business virtue?
“Thrift.”

What is your greatest fear?
“Not making payroll.”

What is your greatest regret?
“Having to let people go.”

What is you greatest extravagance?
“Travel.”

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
“Frittering away time on useless stuff.”

On what occasion do you lie?
“When I have a hair appointment.”

What is your motto?
“Follow the money.”

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
“Building a brand.”

How would you like to leave your business?
“Turn it over to my partner.s”

Adam Audette – Audette Media

Adam Audette Second generation Search Marketer

Danny Sullivan is the Pope of Search

Search is really going off.
There has never been so much crap…

What do you do … differentiate your self

have skillz!
contribute
put yourself out there
ignore “stardom” trap
add value

Services

core competencies
expertise!
walk the talk
focus on the client

Marketing

be on twitter
ask for help
blog, blog, blog!

Know your values

core values
you build what you practice
focus on your strengths

Build a smart team

lead by example
hire great people
build upward mobility
foster and reward growth

Rand Fishkin – SEOmoz

Rand Fishkin Why start a business?

Motivation & Focus Changes Over Time

Stay Alive
Build a Brand in SEO
Find the Right Path
Scale

Who do you hire and how do you find them?

I know, trust and like them
Passionate about their work
“Fit” with the company culture

What is your competitive advantage and how do you communicate it?

History and profile
Boutique level of service
Technology
Rigorous process

How do you decide what products and services to offer?

competence with deliverables
Passion for work
Scalability of the deliverable
Educational or promotional value to the company

What payment model do you use and why?

Consulting – custom pricing
Product – monthly and annual pricing

Is offering unique products and services a differentiation path for you?
What has been most effective?

Consulting – speaking and networking
Product
- - raising prices
- - email marketing
- - testimonials

What Behaviors have you had to change…?

personal scalability and tasks
sensitivity to criticism
answering email
employees as friends
product – “I am not the customer”

So now you have the final session I chose to attend. It was very inspiring and helpful too. I will also be posting a SearchFest 2009 wrap up.

Late,
Gary Pool

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