How to Hire & Retain SEO Talent in 2013

One of the most overlooked necessities required to execute performance-driving SEO campaigns is talent.
Whether you’re doing SEO in an agency environment, in-house, or as a freelancer, your success depends heavily on the talent of your employees. A lack of talent hurts the service your agency provides, the results your in-house department drives, and the amount of money you make as a freelancer.
Over the last three to four years, the availability of talent in the marketplace has failed to keep up with demand. There are many reasons for this, some of which are chronicled in this article. A few of his points we agree with, others not so much.
Either way, this has created fierce competition for middle and upper management SEO jobs. So how can you hire and retain SEO staff in 2013?

Train & Develop Junior Staff

The most eligible candidates for any mid-level SEO opening should already work for you. Investment in entry level employees leads to a steady pipeline of qualified candidates.
Most companies face three common barriers when hiring mid-level staff:

• Lack of talent in the marketplace.
• Opportunity loss of the vacant position (recruiting time).
• Cost.

Promoting from within your organization guarantees quality candidates, significantly reduces recruitment and transition time, and minimizes cost. As a bonus, promoting from within is a great way to increase employee morale and retention.

Hiring & the Value Proposition

The fact that I have the word “SEO” in my title guarantees me the pleasure of interacting with tons of recruiters, most via LinkedIn. The most powerful tool any of these recruiters and hiring managers have is their value proposition.
Creating a compelling and unique value proposition for potential employees will make recruiting mid- and upper-level talent much easier.
The majority of companies use this infamous combo to pique interest: money and titles. While the current marketplace enables recruits to demand plenty of both, it’s not unique.
Every recruiter in the industry is going to offer a $5,000, $10,000, even $15,000 salary bump (depending on level) to virtually any qualified candidate. In addition, 95 percent of hiring managers target recruits where a title increase can be leveraged.
Developing a creative and unique value proposition will help you stand out from the pack. This includes aligning your value with what SEO candidates are looking for. Some examples include:

• Transparency from executives: Some employees need to “be in the loop”. Does your company align corporate goals with personal employee goals? If so, leverage this information in the recruitment process.
• Entrepreneurial environment: Some SEO candidates may desire to work in a setting that fosters and rewards initiative. Having freedom to be creative and test new strategies is critical to the success of SEO campaigns. While some companies are extremely process oriented, those who aren’t may have an edge. Recruits may also be looking to expand their job responsibilities organically. If employees recognize areas for growth and new opportunities, can they pursue them in your company?
• Unique corporate culture: If you work at an agency, you most likely already have an appealing culture. Most SEOs are young, so mentioning fun company events, happy hours, and other cultural benefits can be a huge draw. What new employee doesn’t want to play some ping pong in between doing some blogger outreach?
• Being part of a talented, passionate staff: Most talented employees want to be surrounded by other smart individuals. Do you have any standout or notorious employees on your staff? Leverage your existing talent to help recruit new employees. Ask these employees to message potential candidates to give real testimonials. Most of the time candidates respond better to peers or potential managers than they do to recruiters.
• Working for large brands: We’ve all seen and heard brand name dropping on resumes or in meetings. Some candidates will sacrifice other benefits for the chance to put a large brand on their resume. Specific to SEO, larger brands will see incremental lift from on-site optimization quicker than smaller companies. For on-site SEO specialists, this opportunity can be appealing. The PageRank of the clients’ site can also be appealing if it’s high enough. Who doesn’t want to work with a PR 8 or 9 site?

These are bare bone examples that may not apply to your individual company. Taking the time to define and communicate a compelling value proposition will enable your company to stand out and successfully recruit a higher level of talent.

Talent Retention

Employee turnover is bad for business due to a variety of reasons. The cost of recruiting talent is high. Client relationships and/or campaign performance can suffer when team members leave.
The perception that your company is a “chop shop” and doesn’t treat employees well can hurt future recruiting efforts. So what can you do to retain your talent?

• Close new business: The majority of retention tactics rely on closing new business to create opportunities. If you aren’t closing new business, it will be extremely tough to retain talent. A strong sales funnel can also be used in your value proposition for filling open roles.
• Establish career paths: Take the time for stellar employees to craft out custom career paths. Does an employee aspire to manage people or be a tactical expert? Identifying opportunities for growth that align with personal interest will increase retention.
• Aligning goals: Employees need to understand how their work contributes to the overall goals of their department and/or company. A large percentage of candidates mention this specifically when responding to the question “What are you looking for in a job that isn’t being fulfilled currently”. Aligning goals from the executive level down and communicating the progress toward these goals will increase employee satisfaction and retention.

Stay Competitive: Invest in SEO Talent in 2013

Agility and creativity are required to drive incremental organic performance. Processes and procedures aren't agile or creative, but people are.
Talented employees within your organization will be responsible for creating new strategies and tactics required for success. Investing in hiring and retaining talent will ensure you organization remains competitive.
Setting the standard is always better than following it. Leverage your talent to set new standards and continue driving SEO performance in 2013 and beyond.

Reference:-http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2240725/How-to-Hire-Retain-SEO-Talent-in-2013

Ebriks Infotech:-SEO Company

Victorious Over Google & AOL, Vringo Targets Microsoft in Search Patent Suit

Microsoft has become the latest company to face a suit from Vringo subsidiary Innovate/Protect (I/P) engine over search patents.
The suit is based on two online search patents owned by the Vringo subsidiary. Patent numbers 6775664 and 6314420 are based on a technology that allows search engines to work concurrently with advertisement systems.
I/P Engine alleges that Microsoft has, and continues to, infringe on the two patents. The firm is seeking damages for past and future revenues potentially gained from the two search patents.
Vringo made headlines last November when it successfully sued Google and AOL for damages based on online search-related patents. The jury in the case awarded Vringo $30 million in damages. Vringo was originally looking to score some $696 million in damages from the consortium of infringing companies.
Vringo was founded in 2006 as a mobile software firm. Last year the company merged with I/P Engine, an intellectual property firm that makes money by licensing patents.
It was following the merger that Vringo received the patents involved in the current lawsuits. Both patents were originally created by employees of the internet search firm Lycos.

Reference:-http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2241045/Victorious-Over-Google-AOL-Vringo-Targets-Microsoft-in-Search-Patent-Suit

Ebriks Infotech:-SEO Company

Tips for Marketing a Sales Call & Free Sample

One of the most important elements of any search-based lead generation campaign is the offer – what does your prospect get as a result of giving you their contact information?
Ideally, this offer acts like a magnet, attracting qualified prospects and having no effect on non-prospects (in this metaphor qualified prospects are iron or nickel, while unqualified prospects are lead, or wood, or belly-button lint).
A good “magnet” can bring in oodles of qualified prospects, while a poorly conceived or described offer can stop your lead flow dead in its tracks.
There are several different forms of the “what’s in it for them” for becoming a lead. Three basic formats include the sales consultation, a demo or sample of the product or service, and information about the prospect’s need. This article will focus on the first two.

Sales Consultation

The sales consultation is fairly straightforward: fill out this form and we’ll get in touch and try to sell you stuff. While hopefully your sales consultation would be, in fact, a consultation in which you assess need and answer questions, the fact is that most prospects are highly resistant to “being sold.”
The sales consultation is the default offer, probably because it’s the most obvious and easiest to fulfill. And there are cases where it can be highly effective – especially when you can identify and articulate tangible benefits that come from the consultation itself, even if no deal is closed.
For example, if you're selling a service, your offer should promise several outcomes. Your prospects will gain clarity about their goals, increase their motivation and energy to achieve those goals, and identify and make plans for dealing with likely obstacles.
Even if they don’t end up hiring you, that sales call has tremendous value in and of itself. Your job as a marketer is to highlight that value on the landing page that describes the offer. Here’s some copy:

“We'll get on the phone and talk about your current situation, your goals, and the challenges that have been getting in the way. Whether we decide to work together or not, you'll leave the call with a clearer picture of what you need to do, and you'll be more energized than you've been in months.”

Tips for Marketing a Sales Call

1. Give it a title that highlights the benefits of the call itself.
My “website scorch” combines an in-depth critique of your website with an action plan for instant improvement.
2. Charge money for it
Nothing says “this is valuable” like making people pay for it. If you position your sales call as a sales call, you often devalue your expertise in the eyes of your prospects. When you charge money for the initial call, you attract a much more attentive prospect. And you approach the call differently yourself, knowing that you have obligated yourself to provide value.
Not everyone can charge for a sales call, but often the only thing holding you back is your own doubts and fears.
3. Limit availability
Nothing erodes prospect confidence faster than your neediness. If you give the impression that you’re just sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, your sales calls will fall into the dynamic of you need them more than they need you.
In fact, the opposite is true. They have money – a commodity. You have knowledge and experience and caring and skills and discernment around a particular topic – that makes you uniquely valuable. They definitely need you much more than you need them.
When you offer the sales call, stress that you only do so many of these per week, or month. And then honor that limit – the worst thing you can do is pretend scarcity and not enforce it.
The truth is, a great sales consultation can be exhausting. You need exquisite presence, you must be a great listener, and you must balance your business needs with the goals and needs of your prospect. There really is a limit to how much attention and presence you can muster each day.

Product or Service Sample

You may have noticed that in the case of my coaching practice, the sales call actually serves as a demonstration of my coaching style and method. If someone came to me pre-sold, I would still begin the paid coaching by asking them about their goals, motivation, obstacles, and so on.
As Mahan Khalsa writes in “Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play”, “the way you sell is a free sample of the way you solve.” (Although, it doesn’t always have to be free.)
If your business is consulting, then your sales call can easily be a sample as well. In order to deliver useful advice, you need to assess their needs, the context in which you’ll be working, what they’ve already tried, who the key stakeholders are, and so on.
The software industry most commonly uses product samples as lead generators. Just like a warm tidbit in a paper cup at the end of a supermarket aisle, a taste of something that makes your prospect’s life easier or more enjoyable can create an appetite for the full-fledged product.
The biggest challenge about sample marketing is getting the prospect to consume the sample, and not just stick a zip file in their downloads folder and forget about it. Samples should be accompanied by an email autoresponder series whose entire purpose is to get the prospect to try it.

Tips for Marketing a Free Sample

1. Turn your consultation into a free sample, if possible.
2. The goal of your sample is to give an experience of what life would be like with your product or service.
Focus on the one or two ways in which your product or service enhances your customers’ lives the most, and craft the sample to address those specific issues.
3. Focus on getting prospects to consume the sample.
If there’s a set-up process, provide a tutorial that makes it drop-dead simple. If using the sample requires a new habit, then provide support to build that habit in your prospects.

Reference:- http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2241069/Tips-for-Marketing-a-Sales-Call-Free-Sample

Ebriks Infotech:-SEO Company

Digital Marketing Tips For Home Improvements Industry By EBriks Infotech

Ebriks SEO Company provides the Information about.Are you are interested in growing your home improvement business online but don’t know from where to start? There are dozens of effective tips out there which you can try but most of the contractors and home improvement business owners have no clear idea from where to start with. So, let's have a look on some digital marketing tips which can prove useful-

·         More keyword research- The most important thing which you should do before starting your marketing campaign is researching on those keywords which most of the customers are looking for. For instance, if you sell women jewellery in Delhi, you should know whether your customers are searching more for 'Delhi jewellery seller', 'jewellery seller in Delhi' or 'jewellery Delhi'. Also, you will also need to find out how big your service area is. Are you giving services in the entire Delhi area or just one area of Delhi? You should decide keywords on the basis of your servicing area.

·         Creation of good content- Merely creating a good website is not sufficient as you would be needed to create the overall content marketing campaign. What you need now is a well-written blog and a writer who can give you a good blog. The blog can be centred around anything related to your industry. If your business is of repairing plumbing and electrical systems then you should write about latest electrical equipments which are safe to use and include pictures, or perhaps you could also write on that room modification which you did for your celebrity client.  Make sure your blog is having some informational content that your customers might be interested to get, like benefits of home improvements, etc. In short, you should try to portray the real image of your business by writing some useful and interesting content. Such approach will not only diversify your blog’s content, but it also gives you a chance to reach out to a broader target audience.

·         Link building- Link building is undoubtedly the most imperative part of any online marketing campaign and ultimately it gives you a chance to come higher on the search results. Some basic link building tactics which a contractor can apply is submitting their website to varied home improvement and contractor directories. It is a good idea to indulge into guest blogging. You can write content for some good home improvement and remodelling blogs in exchange for a link. It is crucial that you post all your articles, including guest blogs, on your social media accounts also.  

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