Is SEO Dead?
Author
Discussion

twoblacklines

Original Poster:

1,575 posts

191 months

Friday 14th October 2016
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So I was looking at DME jobs earlier (digital marketing executive) and I noticed they want an SEO expert in all DME jobs including PPC specialists. In my opinions SEO is useless now, if you google something the first 10 pages are all PPC results (paid traffic). But no, they want SEO experience.

I have no seo experience other than installing an seo plugin on WP and entering basic on page SEO. I have never needed it and quite frankly it is a PITA keeping up with Googles animal strikes (penguin. panda etc).

So say my personal business died and I needed to get a job.. how would I get one with no SEO experience, or how would I best learn SEO to DME standards?

Or do companies need to update what they actually want? I know people who own companies that do millions, near billions in revenue a year and they all tell me SEO is useless, content and paid traffic is king. Surely they know better than an employer for a company with a £25k networth that wants a DME?

Dejay1788

1,314 posts

159 months

Friday 14th October 2016
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How do you get the idea the first 10 pages are paid? In my experience it's Google shopping ads at the top of the page and 1 or 2 text ads at the bottom, this is on almost every page.

Apart from that, the rankings are organic. We rank #1 for certain terms that we've worked on and on the first page for other, despite competing against high street chains. So no, SEO isn't dead.

Edit: As for large companies not bothering with SEO, I guess it depends largly on your budget. If you can afford to plough tens of thousands into paid ads to generate leads then so be it, but small business' can't, so SEO is king for us.

jammy-git

29,778 posts

242 months

Friday 14th October 2016
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I agree with ^^^, not sure why you think all the first page listings are PPC?

From my experience, SEO definitely has less of an ROI than it used to, but it really does depend on your niche/product/keywords. I'd say there are a whole lot of scenarios where by the big boys will just wipe the floor with the competition now due to the amount of traffic they get. Other than that a good domain always gives you a leg up, but the cheap domain land grab has long gone, so if you want a well performing domain you'll need to pay good money for it!

I'd say there are very few situations now where SEO is worth it, especially when it's so hard to forecast or measure ROI.

uber

860 posts

200 months

Friday 14th October 2016
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SEO is dead is the myth told to people by people selling paid search. It's a million times harder to sell a possible return service that it is a more controled/targeted service.


Oceanic

731 posts

131 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
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Simple answer is NO... this is a clients website after one year of various SEO improvements I have implemented for them..



However, I do agree that SEO has become more of challenge, but that is good for people like me who really love what they do, focus on long-term sustainable methods and not churn and burn tactics.

DonkeyApple

70,609 posts

199 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
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It's a different world today. SEO is still relevant but the reality is that a competitor with deeper pockets can just dominate search engines and social media by just buying prime locations. It has also evolved heavily from just a few years ago in terms of what is needed and how it works.

cat with a hat

1,488 posts

148 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
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OP logic = I cant get a digital marketing job because i dont know anything about SEO and i know businesses that dont do SEO therefore SEO is dead/pointless/explitive.

rufmeister

1,498 posts

152 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
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Oceanic said:
Simple answer is NO... this is a clients website after one year of various SEO improvements I have implemented for them..



However, I do agree that SEO has become more of challenge, but that is good for people like me who really love what they do, focus on long-term sustainable methods and not churn and burn tactics.
Don't suppose you'd mind contacting me? Only a small company, but would like to push up Google rankings for my site.

Gave up on SEO a long time ago, as it was all smoke and mirrors, people promising what they can't deliver, and so on.

Oceanic

731 posts

131 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
quotequote all
rufmeister said:
Don't suppose you'd mind contacting me? Only a small company, but would like to push up Google rankings for my site.

Gave up on SEO a long time ago, as it was all smoke and mirrors, people promising what they can't deliver, and so on.
I have sent you a message via your profile page here.

Cheers

Bikerjon

2,211 posts

191 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
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Actually PPC is getting pretty annoying too what with all the changes to the layout of the search results. I don't think SEO is dead but it just takes so long to get anywhere that I can totally understand why people give up!

anonymous-user

84 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
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It depends on your business. For our lead generation company, being at the head of the organic traffic wouldn't make us rich. It would still be dependent on our PPC activity; our target consumers tend to click on the top 4 before even considering the organic listings.

Bear in mind, Google's first priority is giving the consumer what they are looking for. PPC advertisers are, for obvious reasons, trying to provide exactly that. PPC advertisers spend a lot of money (we spend about £80k a month, and we're a tiny business with 4 emoloyees), whereas organic listings are not as cash generative for Google, so who do you think they're going to please first?

Jasandjules

72,646 posts

259 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
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Oceanic said:
I have sent you a message via your profile page here.

Cheers
Can you contact me too please? I don't have much of an advertising budget but still...

Oceanic

731 posts

131 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
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Jasandjules said:
Can you contact me too please? I don't have much of an advertising budget but still...
Done!

twoblacklines

Original Poster:

1,575 posts

191 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
quotequote all
Oceanic said:
Simple answer is NO... this is a clients website after one year of various SEO improvements I have implemented for them..



However, I do agree that SEO has become more of challenge, but that is good for people like me who really love what they do, focus on long-term sustainable methods and not churn and burn tactics.
And what percentage of that traffic converted?

Oceanic

731 posts

131 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
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About 4-6%

Edited by Oceanic on Sunday 16th October 12:32

Porkupine

1,722 posts

195 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
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Hi Oceanic, I would also be interested with some help for a small start up business. If you can help with SEo and perhaps even PPC, please send me a message. Did try to send you one, but says your account does not accept emails!

schueymcfee

1,577 posts

295 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
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twoblacklines said:
Oceanic said:
Simple answer is NO... this is a clients website after one year of various SEO improvements I have implemented for them..



However, I do agree that SEO has become more of challenge, but that is good for people like me who really love what they do, focus on long-term sustainable methods and not churn and burn tactics.
And what percentage of that traffic converted?
My budget is £1.5k per month, let me know if you want to possibly review our's and show what you'd do as I think we're getting the arse end of f-all at the moment!

Evolved

4,079 posts

217 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
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Sub'd

Oceanic

731 posts

131 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
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Porkupine said:
Hi Oceanic, I would also be interested with some help for a small start up business. If you can help with SEo and perhaps even PPC, please send me a message. Did try to send you one, but says your account does not accept emails!
Sent you a mail, I am also doing PPC!

Oceanic

731 posts

131 months

Sunday 16th October 2016
quotequote all
schueymcfee said:
My budget is £1.5k per month, let me know if you want to possibly review our's and show what you'd do as I think we're getting the arse end of f-all at the moment!
Also sent you an email, thanks!