There is an abundance of search engine information available on the web- some of it valuable, much of it contradictory. Throughout the years, some prevailing search engine myths have developed. Some of these myths are actively encouraged by companies with a financial interest in their continued existence. Others are based upon techniques that were effective years ago but no longer work. Still other myths come
from simple misunderstandings that inevitably come with a relatively new medium. What follows is a few of the most prevalent.

Myth: Using a program or service to "Submit your site to
10,000 Search Engines" is a good idea.

Fact: There aren't 10,000 search engines. There aren't even 500. In fact, the top 10 search engines account for the vast majority of search traffic (studies vary from between 85 and 98 percent). Most of the sites that these programs or services list as "search engines" are called FFA (Free For All) sites. These sites will agree to place a link to your site on their site, which is usually just a collection of links. Your link will usually only appear for a short time, since as new links are added, the older ones are pushed off the page. Almost no
traffic can be expected from such links- but you can expect a lot of unsolicited mail to the email address that you provide them. In fact, these pages are set up largely to collect email addresses to which spam can be sent (and you can get spam for free!). In addition, engines do not like submissions done by computer programs (because of the excessive use of resources and the general low quality of the pages they usually receive
in this manner), and many of the most popular have taken steps to make automated submission impossible. This means that these programs or services will not even get you listed in many of the top engines.

Myth: Using a program or service to "Submit your site to
10,000 Search Engines" or listing your site on FFA pages can
get your site penalized.

Fact: Search engines are very careful not to penalize sites
for issues that are outside of the webmaster's control.  For
example, if it were possible for a site to be penalized for
using one of these scam submission services, it would then be
fairly easy to get your competition penalized for a nominal
fee by simply submitting their site.  If a link to a site from
an FFA page were all that it took for penalization, it would
not cost anything to get your competition penalized, save for
the time it took to submit their link.  Your site will not be
penalized for incoming links, period, even if they come from
less than desirable sources.  You can, however, be heavily
penalized if you choose to link OUT to bad pages.  The
difference, of course, is that you have full control over the
sites you wish to link to, whereas you have very little
control over who decides to link to you.

Myth: Using software to check your search engine positions
will get your site penalized.

Fact:  This belief is still widespread today, even among many
respected industry professionals.  Since Google states in
their terms of service that ranking software should not be
used to check rankings, many people interpret this to mean
that Google will penalize the sites that are being checked.
However, for largely the same reasons described in the
previous myth, this just wouldn't make sense.  The ability to
get your competitors penalized by repeatedly running software
to check their search engine positions would be a very
powerful (and unfair) weapon, and Google realizes this.  What
they will do, however, is penalize the IP address of the
machine that is running the software.  This can make for
uncomfortable moments when you have to explain why everybody
sharing your office T1 line is denied access to Google, but
won't get your site penalized.

Myth: Meta tags are the most important factor in search engine
rankings.

Fact: Many search engines (most notably Google) largely ignore
meta tags due to constant abuse by webmasters. The only
importance placed on meta tags these days is actually the meta
description tag, which will appear as the description for the
corresponding page on engines that use inktomi data (such as
MSN). Meta tags are virtually irrelevant in the ranking
algorithms of the top engines- but many people continue to
believe that they are the only optimization strategy that they
need.

Myth: It's impossible to do search engine optimization in-house.

Fact: It often is done in house, and done effectively. This is
typically when a large corporation hires in-house talent that
is devoted exclusively to promoting the website. However, it
is unrealistic to expect someone with many other job functions
to do a credible job of SEO. Much of the skills are acquired
through experience- and it isn't usually desirable to have
someone "experimenting" with the company website (especially
considering that certain techniques can get sites penalized on
engines or banned outright). SEO isn't rocket science, but it
also isn't something that can be learned overnight. When
deciding whether to outsource SEO or do it in house, it is
important to consider the actual costs involved. Often, when
the necessary hours it takes to pay someone to learn on the
job are taken into account, it is cheaper to outsource (and,
if you've chosen your vendor wisely, the results are almost
always better). Only a careful evaluation of your goals and
resources can determine the best course of action for your
company.

Myth: Sites must be constantly resubmitted to retain rankings.

Fact: This is a scare tactic popularized by various submission
services and software companies. In fact, it is a waste of
money to pay to have your site resubmitted once it is already
listed in an engine's database. It will not hurt your rankings
to resubmit (or else people would constantly submit their
competitor's sites to get them penalized), but it will not
help, either.

Myth: Search engine optimization is not as effective as
"traditional" marketing.

Fact: In many ways, it is more effective. Companies often
spend countless dollars on direct mail, television and radio
advertising, and bulk email without a second thought. The
common thread with each of these strategies is that the
prospect is "approached" by the company, and that the company
must reach a great number of people to find a few motivated
prospects. On the other hand, search engines can deliver
highly motivated prospects directly to your website- people
who have already demonstrated, through their use of particular
keyphrases, an interest in your products or services.

Conclusion:
These are only a handful of the numerous search engine myths
currently in existence.  Even if these particular myths were
to be universally dispelled tomorrow, a new batch would surely
arise to take their place- and the motivations behind some of
them would be just as dubious. With search engine marketing,
as with anything else, it is important to treat everything
with a healthy dose of skepticism (including this article!).

Scott Buresh is Co-founder and Principal of Medium Blue
Internet Marketing.

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Six Signs Your Client Relationships Are On the Rocks

By Linda Formichelli

Are your client relationships what they used to be? Or have things between you and your clients… changed? Do you dread your next on-site visit? Your next flurry of phone calls? Your next contract negotiation? If so, don't get all mopey -- do something about it.

Make an honest examination of your IP life: take a good look at what you do, and the people you do it with, and change what must be changed. To get you started, here are six signs that your client relationships are on the rocks, and some practical advice about dealing with them.

1. You're Not Attracted to Him Anymore

You'll never forget those first few weeks with your client: the awkward, sweaty-palmed introduction; the sound of desperation in his voice when he called; the checks that let you know he was satisfied. But lately, traits you once found charming in your client have started to grate on you.

It may be time to see other people.

"Most IPs keep the same type of clients year after year, and all of a sudden they find themselves totally bored. It's no wonder they start to hate their work," says Jennifer White, business coach and author of Work Less, Make More.

Fantasy illustrator Craig Maher, whose stock-in-trade is painting chicks in chain mail, knows this feeling far too well. "You start off thinking that the industry is full of people who are into dreams and myth and self-expression, but after a while you start to think that they're all just a bunch of perverted assholes," he says.

If you're sick of dealing with "a bunch of perverted assholes," or other unsavory creatures, look for new kinds of clients. Bored with drawing barbarian babes? Try illustrating a kid's book. Tired of writing tech manuals? Write a short story, and then sell it. Remember, being an IP means that you choose the way you want to operate.

Author White agrees: "The best solution is to dramatically upgrade your business. Let the bottom 15% of your client base go -- those clients who don't pay well or whose projects are just plain dull -- and force yourself to find clients who will jazz you. There's nothing like new, exhilarating projects to get your heart pumping again."

2. You Have One Night Stands

Clients use you once -- and then disappear from the scene, leaving you to wonder how you failed to satisfy them. Your desperate calls go unanswered, and your letters go unread. Don't just sit there feeling cheap and sad -- figure out what went awry.

According to White, you probably made one of three mistakes:

• You didn't complete high-quality work for the client. Obviously, producing inferior work is the number one no-no.
  
  
• You didn't invest enough time in building a relationship with the client. Your clients need that emotional attachment that tells them you care. Start now by calling your clients to see how they're doing, and mail them occasional updates on your activities.
  
  
• You didn't screen the prospect. Not everyone can afford a high-class babe like yourself, and not everyone is ready for a commitment. You may be collecting losers. Next time, do some research before getting involved.

How do you know which IP faux pas you're guilty of? Suck it up, pick up the phone, and call a few of your past flings. Ask them for the lowdown on your work and what you can do to improve your services.

3. You Always Fight About Money

If you're still eating mac-and-cheese from a box (the generic brand, yet), you're probably not getting all that you should out of your client relationships.

The solution to this one is easy: ask for more money. "You'd be amazed at how many people whom I coach simply ask for more money and get it," says White. "The problem is not with your clients not wanting to pay. The problem is that you're scared to ask for what you're worth. You must put this fear aside." (Of course, just asking is not a guarantee -- but your fear of asking must be overcome if you're serious about upping your income.)

To solve your financial problems, take the advice of the wise Susan Vaughn in her article Charge Your Clients More: give your clients reasonable notice before the new rates take effect, and don't apologize. Another tactic, called leapfrogging, is to raise your rates for new clients first. Once you have enough clients paying the new, higher rate, you can safely tell the old clients that you're upping the ante. If they refuse to pay, you can dump them without endangering your business.

4. He Treats You Like Dirt

Why do you put up with it? Why do you let your client push you into doing things you don't want to do, into agreeing to impossible deadlines, into making unpalatable changes in your contract? Have you no shame?

Independent consultant Marilyn Mobley used to have no shame. One of her clients asked her to develop an ad. Though she insisted that ads were not her forte, Mobley eventually backed down, hired an artist, and produced an ad. The client hated it. Finally, at Mobley's insistence, the client hired an ad agency to create an ad that he really liked. "Our relationship was never the same after that," Mobley says. "He seemed to question my counsel on just about everything. After five months, I resigned the account because I felt I was hurting my reputation. I should never have accepted the ad assignment. I tried to be what he wanted me to be, not what I am. Never again!"

The moral of the story? Stand your ground when your client asks you to do something you can't or don't want to do, or he may lose respect for you.

5. He Never Says He Loves You

Do you get a little melancholy when you realize that the client you worked your heart out for isn't dousing you with words of love and appreciation?

Snap out of it! You're not in that type of relationship. He's using you, and the only thing you should expect for your efforts is a wad of cash. "IPs expect clients to give them the 'attaboys' or 'attagirls,'" says Linda Talley, author of Business Finesse: Dealing With Sticky Situations in the Workplace -- and more likely than not, it ain't gonna happen.

If you need to feel affirmed, don't turn to your clients. Instead, Talley suggests making a list of accomplishments at the end of the day -- whether it's finishing a project before deadline, backing up your files, or making a few cold calls -- then calling friends or family members who will provide you with the love and support you need.

And be happy that he never says "I love you" -- because it can be even worse if he does say it. "My biggest car dealer client just yesterday said, 'Come here and give me a bad girl hug so you won't forget me,'" says Marsha Koller, owner of the "virtual agency" MBK Marketing & Advertising. "God, I just looked at it as a $2,500 hug. Whoever said prostitution was a lowly business didn't know about advertising for car dealers."

6. He Doesn't Trust You

You tell him that you spent a lot of time with his project last night, but he accuses you of gallivanting around town on another client's expense account. You offer him heartfelt advice on an assignment, and he runs to someone else for a second opinion. If you can't win your client's trust, your business is doomed.

"I had a young client who would ask for my PR counsel, then call a friend of his at a PR firm who had far less experience than I did to ask if I was on the right track," says Mobley. "Sometimes the friend would suggest a different solution, in which case the client would call me and ask why I didn't suggest his friend's alternative."

Finally, Mobley did what all IPs need to do with an untrusting client: she gave him an ultimatum. "I told the client, 'You hired me because I know what I'm doing. If you've changed your mind and think your friend provides better counsel, then hire your friend,'" she says. "That was the last time he ever questioned my counsel."

There's always the chance that the client will call your bluff and look elsewhere, but don't worry -- you're better off without him.

Zing

So take heart, unhappy IPs, it's not as bad as you think. Expanding your client list, becoming more independent, and taking a stand for what you believe in can add some much-needed zing to your troubled business relationships.

Copyright 2003 Linda Formichelli & W. Eric Martin, used by permission.

Linda Formichelli and W. Eric Martin are a writing couple who provide original articles, reprints, copywriting, and Web content to businesses and publications ranging from Woman's Day magazine to Bay State Gas. You can reach Linda and Eric at linda-eric@lserv.com or http://www.twowriters.net

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