Distinct SEO Interview #2 - Randall McCarley
Last week Sam interviewed me with our SEO question set, (I think for next interview rounds we'll do video or audio.) This week I've returned to the interviewer table and pose some straight questions to one of the first SEO's to actually start SEO interviews -- Randall McCarley. I tracked down Randall to turn the tables and have him answer a few questions.
1. Your vitals:
Name: Randall McCarley
Web site: www.14thc.com (14th Colony)
Shameless plug about yourself: 14th Colony builds the hardest working websites online.
Randall McCarley Interview - SEO Questions for the Pros
Without further ado let us begin with our first SEO question:
2. Defining SEO should be more than ‘on-page and off-page’ components. If you had to describe the industry to someone new what would you say?
SEO is the process of making a web site receptive to what search engines want so that you get targeted traffic that converts well.
3. Many managers, webmasters, and web owners have heard horror stories about the SEO industry. In your opinion what’s the biggest problem preventing SEO from becoming a mainstream component of business marketing?
Actually, I don’t think this is nearly the issue it was a couple years ago. The mainstream press along with many marketing publications are covering SEO in a positive light. Just this morning, I met a man at a meeting that told me about an SEO-related article in the Wall Street Journal he read recently.
As to what is holding us back as an industry, I think the main issue is the veil of privacy many clients insist on. They don’t want to reveal that they use SEO services or who their SEO is because of fear of the competition.
4. How can we solve/address this issue?
If we as an industry can convince more of our clients to be forth-right it will legitimize things and bring even more positive mainstream press. One step toward this is non-compete agreements.
5. What’s more important to you? On page optimization or off-page optimization.
Onpage. Making a bad site rank well is much harder than boosting a site that has the right structure in place.
6. In your view, what are the top 5 must haves (if you think there are 5) for on-page optimization?
Link structure, page titles, page hierarchy and the canonical fix. Most of onpage is what not to do though.
7. Same question, only this time off-page optimization.
Links… preferably non-reciprocated from related authority sites.
8. Web 2.0 is here and alive, where do you see Web 3.0 (Web Cubed) heading?
A lot of 2.0 is functionality based on the programming side. I think the next evolution will be the experience. Get rid a lot of that white and grey and build a stronger brand through a website that not only functions well, but looks good doing it.
9. Is it true that just about anybody can ‘do’ SEO?
Anybody willing to learn and keep up – sure. There are some fundamentals that all website designers should be implementing. And asking for links is something anyone can do. Ask your relatives, business associates, customers, vendors, etc. The worst thing that could happen is someone says “no”.
10. Case scenario: a strong web programmer (short on business skills) and a strong businessperson (short on programming skills) enter the SEO industry at the same time. Who has the advantage?
The businessperson. They will be better at cost analysis, profit margins and outsourcing. They will also have a better understanding of how to raise money when needed and have better insight into how a “normal” person uses a website.
11. Do you find that most popular and savvy SEOs fall in one of the two above categories?
Most popular SEOs are smart businesspeople that have a creative streak. I think most of them are pretty weak at programming but great with ideas and people.
12. Additional thoughts?
Anyone that owns or manages a website should have a professional SEO evaluate it. The rewards are well worth the expense and many SEO forums (like SEORefugee.com) offer free community evaluations.
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NavyCS said,
May 27, 2007 @ 4:08 pm
First off, good stuff!
I agree with the answer to number 4's non-compete clause. I think most companies have a website but are uneducated about the potential. Its funny but most the time I ask the business owner their website address they have to pull out a card to check. SEO as a business is really in its infancy. I predict the days of the website design company getting away with doing just design to make a site look pretty are coming to an end. Once the general public understands just placing a page on a server doesn't by itself create traffic the SEO community will become overwhelmed with work (not that some are not now). Do you envision an industry standard accreditation coming?
barry said,
May 27, 2007 @ 10:36 pm
I think SEO is really a smaller subset of web marketing. That means the web designers work for the web marketers and not vice versa. I think a little past infancy and into the growth and maturity stages is where we're at. Many business owners understand they need advantages and the web gives them this option. I really doubt a standard will ever come about. Web designing never did, mind you it's a different game. Having said that, you can still find some business courses that offer some SEO stuff. But you dont go to school to learn how to be a good business person do you? Accreditation will never come together, ever, why? This industry relies on the movements of other corporations for its info and changes. What google does we follow. no SEO can actually lead the field at the top cause we're always interpreting what some beast online is doing.
Tom said,
May 28, 2007 @ 5:34 am
True. W3C has, were not used to its potential, created a code standard. I agree SEO has some what a "smoke and mirrors" persona. Nothing really hard and fast - what works well for one engine doesn't produce the same result in another and what may work today won't during the next update.
Good content and creative link building (virtual, PPC, affiliate and static) I think will always be staples to get people to the site...a year from now I can read this and think how stupid I was in my belief - what is around the corner?
NASCAR, Black Angus Beef and other organizations were developed because of the need for standards - those needs came about because the trust factor in their products was declining. Once those organizations came on-line the peoples trust soared - the same can happen for our business if done properly. It will take the leaders in SEO and design to take the first steps, not just one company but the Dale Earnharts, Richard Pettys of SEO to sit a board and deliver accreditation. It will go a long way in educating the public.
Time for me to have my morning coffee
barry said,
May 28, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
I still don't see SEO rising to the occasion like this. To me, it's just a subset of a new marketing trend that smart business' will figure out and implement. SEO's can't create organizations on their own because their decisions carry no weight in how things rank. That's up to Google and Yahoo. (And the other ways to drive traffic, social media, etc.)
sawan singh said,
August 7, 2007 @ 5:53 am
how to answer the following question in interviews:
How can you decide targeted keywords for your website?
75 SEO Interviews | SEO News - All The SEO Scoop said,
August 13, 2007 @ 8:35 am
[...] Randall McCarley [...]
75 SEO Interviews | SEO News - All The SEO Scoop said,
August 13, 2007 @ 8:35 am
[...] Randall McCarley [...]