Interested in Working at Home? Consider a New Career as a Search Engine Marketer!
Written by: Robin Nobles
Web Site: Academy of Web Specialists
Interested in Working at Home?
Consider a New Career as a Search Engine Marketer!
By Robin Nobles
With the advent of the Internet, more and more people are looking
for full- or part-time jobs in Internet-related industries.
Needless to say, being able to work at home is ideal for those
who can't find work in their location but who don't want to
relocate. It's also ideal for those who need to work from their
homes, such as mothers with small children or physically
challenged individuals.
One such industry that's ripe with possibilities is search engine
marketing. Before we learn more about this exciting and
relatively new industry, let's find out what "search engine
marketing" is all about.
Search engine marketing, also known as search engine optimization
or Web positioning, deals with strategies for boosting a site's
chances at top search engine rankings. In other words, it's a
specialized area of online marketing that deals with visibility
in the major search engines and directories.
Now, let's look at why this field is particularly attractive,
especially in these tough economic times.
Virtually endless possibilities for clients --
Web sites spring up by the thousands every single day. Each one
of those new Web sites, as well as millions of existing Web
sites, want and need top search engine rankings to insure the
success of the site.
Every online business wants traffic from the search engines. But
how do they get that traffic? By learning and applying search
engine marketing strategies.
However, many online businesses don't have the time or desire to
learn the strategies themselves. That's why search engine
marketers are in such demand.
But where can you find clients? Targeting niche markets can be a
great way to build a local, small business. Join your Chamber of
Commerce and target local businesses with Web sites, such as
realtors, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, limo services, local
hotels, and more.
You can also partner with local Web developers to offer the SEO
piece to them and have them build it into their proposals for new
Web sites. Simply offer a commission to the developer for
referral traffic, and you're off and running in the local market.
Numerous avenues for employment opportunities --
With search engine marketing, you can work for a professional
search engine marketing company, or you can start your own
company as we mentioned above. You can work part time to
supplement an existing income or to bring in additional funds for
the family. Or, you can work full time.
Many search engine optimizers work part time in the industry
until they build a strong client base, and then they switch to
full-time search engine marketing work.
Whereas large online businesses may want to employ their own
search engine optimizer or hire a professional SEO provider,
smaller businesses may be interested in hiring part-time
individuals to work on their sites.
So, the employment opportunities can vary greatly.
Relocation often isn't necessary --
One major advantage to a search engine marketing job is that you
can often work from your own home in your own location. After
all, you can do almost anything you need to do for a company's
Web site from your home on your own computer system.
Some search engine optimization companies do require that their
optimizers work in the company's location, but other companies
hire optimizers that live anywhere in the world.
Large outlay of cash isn't needed --
Unlike many "stay at home" careers, with search engine marketing,
you don't have to spend thousands of dollars in necessary
equipment or supplies in order to get started. In fact, the
largest expense you'll have is a computer, and if you're reading
this article, you've probably already met that expense.
Other expenses include software and training:
* HTML or text editor, such as HotMetal Pro, Dreamweaver, or
NotePad Pro. Visit Stroud's (http://cws.internet.com/) to
download trial versions of many of the popular HTML or text
editors. This software is what you'll use to make changes to Web
pages.
* Ranking software, such as WebPosition Gold. In fact,
WebPosition Gold is an excellent software that fills quite a
number of needs in the search engine marketing industry. Use the
program to submit pages, to check rankings, to track visitors,
and more.
* Page checking software, such as Search Engine Optimizer (SEO).
SEO is an easy-to-use program that runs your pages through a
series of over 60 checks, then offers suggestions on how to
improve the page's chances at top rankings.
To find the URL's for Gold, SEO, and other optimization software,
visit: http://www.acws.com/resources_tools.html At the top of
the page, you'll find links to additional resources for training,
marketing, and e-commerce.
Training is offered online --
One of the most effective ways of learning search engine
marketing strategies is through a training course at the Academy
of Web Specialists
(http://www.academywebspecialists.com/more_info).
The Academy offers beginning and advanced courses in a variety of
different formats to fit the needs and pocket books of everyone.
Beginning courses start at $99 for a PDF download, and the
advanced courses begin at $129.
Can you learn search engine marketing strategies without taking
formal training? Yes and no. There are certainly free sites that
offer information on how to position sites in the search engine
rankings. However, the information is often not presented in a
basic "how to" fashion. So, while you may be able to read and
understand the concepts, will that information actually teach you
how to do the work yourself?
Plus, it's crucial to make sure that you learn search engine
marketing strategies through a company that keeps up with the
constant changes in the industry. In other words, if you read a
few articles on search engine marketing that were written a year
or two ago, chances are excellent that the concepts presented in
those articles have changed considerably since written.
You need to learn the latest strategies - what's working right
now - versus what was effective last year.
How long does the training last? If you take an instructor-led
course with the Academy, you have up to 16 weeks to complete the
training. However, you can work at a faster pace and finish much
sooner. The choice is yours.
After the beginning course, you'll know the basic strategies for
search engine marketing. By taking the advanced course as well,
you'll be able to apply those basic strategies and learn more
focused skills that will benefit you greatly in an online career.
Networking possibilities are also available online --
By "networking" with others in a particular industry, you can
learn tips from those who have become successful as well as learn
about job opportunities and the latest industry developments. In
the search engine marketing industry, you can network online
without leaving your home!
For example, numerous sites offer excellent online forums where
you can meet with others in the industry and learn from their
expertise. Examples of the forums are:
Search Engine Forums (http://searchengineforums.com/)
Spider-NetForums (http://forums.spider-food.net/)
Webmaster World (http://www.webmasterworld.com/)
MarketPositionTalk (http://www.marketpositiontalk.com)
For the benefit of their students, the Academy of Web Specialists
offers five or six chat sessions every week on a variety of
topics. These sessions are led by experts in the industry, and
guest speakers are frequently invited to lead various
discussions. To see the current month's chat schedule, visit:
http://www.onlinewebtraining.com/chat/schedule.html
Enjoy a good challenge?
If you enjoy challenging work, search engine marketing is a
perfect career choice for you. It's a constantly changing and
evolving industry that requires keeping up with the latest
developments and a willingness to change tactics when new
strategies come along.
One thing for sure: it's never boring!
In conclusion . . .
If you're in the market for a new online career, or even a career
to supplement your existing occupation, consider search engine
marketing. With little expense and some specialized training,
you'll soon be ready to venture in to this exciting new industry.
Robin Nobles is Director of Training for the Academy of Web
Specialists. Robin has taught close to two thousand students in
her online and onsite search engine positioning courses during
the past several years. Her latest books, Web Site Analysis and
Reporting and Streetwise Maximize Web Site Traffic, can be
ordered through Amazon. Visit the Academy's site
(http://www.academywebspecialists.com/more_info)to learn more
about their search engine ranking courses and software solution.
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