Canadian Search Community

Since the introduction of the Yellow Pages new positioning within the search engines community with their new slogan: The Find Engine, I could not stop but to rant about the company. As if hearing them on the radio was not hurtful enough, that did not help last month when I saw them at Search Engine Strategies in Toronto where they were desperately trying to give their Yellow pages directory a new life by mingling with the search marketing community. I did find a new usage recently to the Yellow pages directory and I was delighted with it. Check it out:

This picture was taken over the last few days while Sonia and I were camping near Harrison Hot Springs, a great camping spot. Email me for indication. 

Thanks go to Sonia who thought it would be a good idea to unclog our closet with these massive books that we don’t use anymore. They not longer clog our entrance closet and I am warmth with pleasure. 

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David Forde from Profectio, a Canadian online public relation company, just launched a Search Engine Marketing Survey in Canada. After some great input from Helen Overland (non-linear creations), Ezra Silverton (9th Sphere) and Martin Byrne (Yahoo! Canada) the first annual Secrets to Effective Canadian Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Survey is ready for Canadian advertisers, marketers and all SEM practitioners to complete and participate.

“Recognizing the growth of Search Engine Marketing in Canada and its impact on businesses we thought it was time to provide Canadian specific data that we can all use to make better choices when we consider Search Engine Marketing as part of our campaigns and improve our buying decisions.” As part of the survey, Profectio gives you the chance to win tickets to Dirty Dancing at The Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto or an Apple 2 GB iPod.

The results of the survey will be discussed at their upcoming events and made available on their site after the event. Please fill out the Search Marketing survey now. Contest and survey closes October 17, 2007.

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I want to talk about the Search Engine Marketing job Market in Canada because I feel I need to clarify a few things. I have seen too many companies lately who are looking to hire a Junior Search Marketing Specialist with 2 years of experience (or so) or freshly out of school and expect to pay them $25-35k a year. If you are one of those, I have some news for you: that person does not exist. Why? Because there are simply no school that teaches Search Marketing. Demand for serious Search Marketing Specialists at all levels keeps increasing and there is a scarcity of talent in this field, which does not yet regenerate itself. In desperation, and after they have been searching for months to fill positions, business owners are calling me and ask if I know anyone. They are telling me that their job posting on Craigslist is not generating anything. Strange isn’t it? The gap between offer and demand keeps growing and the situation is alarming.

Therefore, I think there are misconceptions that would need to be broken here. Unfortunately, and I have met a lot of people that were *somewhat* interested in Search Marketing, I don’t know anyone remotely as passionate about search as I do. Hands on SEO with the motivation that leads to results can only come from 2 places (as far as I know): the owner of a company, a professional self-taught Canadian SEO such as Chris Breikss, Darcy Foster, Chris Genge, Ross Dunn, Jim Hedger, Ken Jurina, Andrew Goodman, Andrea Hadley and a bunch of others in their respective teams. That being said, what puzzles me here is that business owners are looking for SEO talent in the wrong places with unreasonable expectations with respect of the current job market. Proof? In all honesty, it does not seem normal to me to post an SEO job on craigslist and not receive anything back, especially when the job has been posted for months. If you are looking for a junior SEO, which seems to be the brand of choice these days, you are not the only one in that boat. A lot of business owners are going fishing for SEO pros that will work full time for us but those who have the knowledge already have their plate full with their own business.

The main issue here is that there is no Search Marketing education program nearby to fill the accrued needs. Since this is a new market, it is currently filled with disconnects and the sooner business owners will acknowledge the state of search marketing in Canada, the sooner we will be able to elaborate solutions.

Recommended Solution:
If you represent a University, a College, a School or everything in between, I seriously recommend that you start developing search marketing programs so that people in your community can learn about it. SEMPO Institute will help you. I will help you. The only program in Canada that has been brought to my attention lately was one from Fanshawe College in London (Ontario) with only one search marketing course and only as part of a full-on marketing degree. Universities want to position themselves as online & web savvy but most don’t have a search marketing program in place, which is the basis of any online promotion. They pretend but they don’t walk the talk. Maybe their Ad Agency can help. I doubt.

Other Solutions:
Take Action: Join SEMPO Canada sempo.ca and start beating the drum locally. We need help to fill the growing demand of search marketing specialists of the canadian business community.

If you don’t do any of this, you have no right to complain that you can’t find the people you need.

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I have been chatting for the last few days with Joe Harkins, owner of On a Roll Media and he has been looking for a Junior SEO Professional in North Vancouver (BC). If you know anyone who would be interested, feel free to email Joe: joeh{at}onarollmediainc{dot}com. Here is the job description:

Do you like working in a fun, team environment for a growing, entrepreneurial company? Are you interested in Internet marketing and search engines? OnARoll Media Inc., a company located in North Vancouver, BC, markets a network of International content websites and is looking to fill a junior position Internet Marketing Coordinator who will coordinate Internet initiatives to increase targeted website traffic and build brand awareness.

The ideal candidate should have previous experience with SEO/SEM, online marketing and/or affiliate marketing; and familiar with response measurements. Excel, Word, HTML and Internet proficiency is a must. Attention to detail, top-notch client relationship skills, and resourcefulness are pre-requisites of this position. Compensation will be performance based, with great benefits!

Responsibilities:
· Co-ordinate and execute search engine optimization strategies to increase targeted traffic primarily though SEO including: paid and non-paid strategies, third-party link development, keyword analysis, and updating website content.
· Identify, co-ordinate and implement additional strategies to increase site traffic through social networking, blogs, and RRS feeds.
· Maintain and update site content to ensure content is optimized for search engines including: keyword enrichment, Meta tags, and complete internal and inbound links.
· Develop keyword inclusion documents provided to editorial team.
· Proofing of site content for SEO purposes.
· Review, coordinate and report on site usage and search engine metrics in collaboration with 3rd party website analytics program.
· Research and utilize the most effective technology/software/services that will attract and drive targeted website traffic.
· Set up and execute on-site lead generation tactics for data capture (through email marketing, refer-a-friend, surveys, contests, etc.).
· Coordinate the addition of new products applied to the websites.
· Coordinating functional enhancement projects with 3rd party web development firm
· Quality-assurance testing of websites.
· The Internet Marketing Coordinator will report to Internet Marketing Manager.

Requirements:
· Knowledge of SEO/SEM and experienced with “white hat” SEO strategies
· Proven ability to increase website visibility and targeted website traffic using SEO/SEM strategies.
· Knowledge and experienced executing online marketing strategies.
· Fluency in 2nd language (Spanish, Italian, German, or Swedish) highly desirable.
· Knowledge of poker and/or European sports is preferred.
· Experienced with content management systems.
· Experienced with website analytics (ie: Google Analytics).
· Experience with international SEO is preferred.

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It took a few rounds of iterations but we finally finished it. Ken Jurina and I completed a 5 Question article/interview that has just been published on Onedegree.ca. It presents our current and future initiatives to foster awareness and stimulate the growth of search marketing in Canada through our work with SEMPO Canada. Read about it here.

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Is it just me or everyone is looking for an SEO person these days? I got a phone call minutes ago from Robin de Pelham, Recruitment Specialist for HealthPricer.com and she is looking to hire a Junior Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist. The Office is in Vancouver (BC). Since I am not a good fit for this position, here is the job description:

Online Marketing Specialist (SEO)
HealthPricer is a comparison shopping engine committed to making it easier and faster
for consumers to find healthcare products at the best price from trusted online retailers.
If you are interested in being at the leading edge of e-commerce/ product search, search
engine optimization, visitor acquisition strategies, and online marketing, HealthPricer is
the place to be.

The culture and company is for you if you are looking for a company where you get
direct access to the senior leaders, there is an opportunity to see the big picture first
hand, and you want to work with casual and talented people. You are also someone
who likes to build stuff, believes in the power of the Internet and you like to be an expert
at the forefront of your industry. You will be starting with the company in the early
stages, which means you will be critical to shaping the culture and future.

The Online Marketing Specialist (SEO) will execute and implement Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) strategies for various HealthPricer.com departments by understanding
customer segmentation and creating tags and keywords that increase traffic from the
target market segments. By tracking, reporting and acting on the results of SEO metrics,
the Online Marketing Specialist will improve HealthPricer’s visibility in the marketplace.

Responsibilities include:
Develops keyword rich content for various products/ product groups and
departments.
Develops title tags and meta-tag to increase online visibility.
Researches health industry terminology keywords and calls to action used by
target audience.
Researches inbound links.
Prepares and analyzes reports on organic search rankings using tools such as
WebPosition.
Prepares and analyzes reports of organic search traffic and the sites status in the
various search engines.
Performs continuous revision and refinement of keywords, title-tags and metatags.

Qualifications include:
Degree or diploma in Marketing, Computer Science or another relevant field.
Training in search engine marketing or internet marketing.
1+ years of industry experience in a technology or online marketing function.
1+ years experience using SEO tools such as WebPosition, WordTracker,
Keyword Density, Google and Yahoo Keyword tools.
In-depth knowledge of SEO principles, factors and techniques (including meta
tags and Google page ranking factors).
Demonstrated experience writing and editing copy for health or comparisonshopping
websites.
Proven experience with sitemap protocols, especially Google.
Expert Microsoft Office skills, particularly in Word and Excel.
Intermediate experience writing HTML and XML code.
Strong understanding of web analytics.
Strong understanding of E-Commerce.
Proven search engine marketing success.

To Apply
Please submit your resume in PDF, MS Word or RTF format via email to
rdepelham{at}healthpricer{dot}com.

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With all kinds of funny stories circulating around in the area of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), it could have been expected that someone, somewhere decides to launch an SEO Cartoon blog. These stories who most often come from challenging client relationships originate from the fair bit of misunderstanding & miscommunication that arise in any new field. Search Marketing is no different. As such, Chris Genge from 1st on the list Search Marketing in Abbotsford BC just launch the SEO Cartoon blog with the help of one of his employees Tony Hutchcroft, who happens to be very creative.

“We are happy to have on staff a very gifted writer and cartoonist: Tony Hutchcroft. The team here at 1st on the List Promotion Inc. realized just how funny and ironic the SEO industry really is and decided to share some ideas and experiences we feel others can relate to. We will be releasing these comics regularly, so feel free to view, register and comment on the posted comics. Can you relate to any of these comics?”

My favorite is this one.

If you have an SEO comic story you would like them to post, feel free to submit it by email: contact{at}1stonthelist{dot}ca

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Something happened this week. I have been laid off from a major Canadian ad agency which was trying to clue in on Search. I have seen it dozens of times over the last 7 years but this group is especially resistant to change. Their advertising code of conduct does not leave room to question & reconsider their spending habits and underlying beliefs. And then, as I am reconnecting with my Small Search Marketing shop from my home office on a full time basis, the first article I read this morning is coming from Gord Hotchkiss who makes a blunt statement about the advertising industry saying that Canadian advertisers have their heads up their ass. This is not a typo! He goes on in the article by saying:

“By common consensus with most Canadian search marketers I’ve talked to, Toronto seems to be the epicenter of the orifice that Canadian advertisers have lodged their collective heads in. The city doesn’t get it, the province doesn’t get it, the country doesn’t get it. When it comes to search, Canada (with a few exceptions) is clueless.”

Unfortunately, I could not attend SES Toronto this week but I completely agree with this statement. Major Canadian Advertisers are not even close for getting it and they would do anything to avoid the confrontation. According to ComScore research, Canadians spend lots of time online: Canadians are top with 40 hours, followed by Israel with 37.4 and South Korea with 34. The U.S. is in 8th place with 29.4. Canada also leads the pack in online reach, with 70% of households wired. This time, the U.S. comes in second with 59%. Average pages viewed per visitor? Canada comes in tops with 3800. The U.K. is second with 3300 and the U.S. clicks in with 2500.

Want more numbers? Check this out:

* Canadians spend $28.05 in online advertising per Internet user. The US spends $71.43.
* 21% of Canadians media usage is online, but it gets 6% of the budget.
* In contrast, newspapers and magazines get a 7% share of total media usage, but capture 42% of Canadian ad budgets,
* The U.S. spends almost twice as Canada per capita on search marketing.

It is too bad I did not have a chance to go to SES Toronto and share this point of view with Gord. What I am most interested in at this point is what we could do to change this situation. If you have any ideas, please send them my way. Because, we are going to have to keep trying, collectively. Read the full article here.

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Julien Raby, Director Search Marketing from Cossette Media (Montreal) sent me this job posting today. Please feel free to pass it around to whoever might be interested.

Job Title: Director - Search Marketing

Description: Cossette Media (Toronto) is looking for a passionate individual to fill an immediate opening for the Director Search Marketing role within Cossette Media’s Toronto office. The selected candidate will work with Interactive Media Specialists and Traditional Media Planners to ensure clients are making the best use of their search engine presence. The role will cover the creation and implementation of Search strategies for many of Cossette’s clients including Nike, Saturn, Saab and Coca-Cola.

Responsibilities
* Propose, create, implement, track , analyze and optimize search engine presence projects - both Paid and Organic
* Ensure the lowest price is being paid through bidding, landing page and various other optimization techniques
* Manage the ongoing relationships with each of the major suppliers and partners
* Work with Search Marketing Specialists in other Cossette offices to hone the search offering nationally

Job Requirements:
* 4+ years of marketing experience
* 3+ years in an online marketing role with a focus on paid search
* Intimate knowledge of paid search listing providers, tracking tools, bid-management systems and keyword development tools.
* Passion for the industry and a vision as to where it is going
* Experience managing marketing budgets with a focus on ROI
* Direct marketing enthusiast
* Expert in Search Engine Optimization
* Strong leadership skills
* Excellent written and verbal presentation skills
* Solutions-oriented approach
* “Never say never” attitude
* Caring, professional, fun
* Impeccable organizational skills

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SEMPO Canada Working Group which I am a proud co-founder is pleased to announce a new member on the team. Darcy Foster from VKI Studios based in Vancouver (BC) is joining the Canadian Search Marketing group of experts and we believe his extensive experience in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) along with his leadership skills will help us grow the Search Marketing industry in Canada. Here is some more info on Darcy as you may also find in the SEMPO Canada Founding Members.



Darcy Foster is the president and co-founder of VKI Studios. He has over eight years of search marketing experience. He has successfully helped clients grow their online businesses from the early days of AltaVista through to present, where he currently oversees multiple teams responsible for organic SEO, paid search, usability and web analytics. 

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Mark your calendar! The main event of the year in Search Engine Marketing: Search Engine Strategies (SES) Toronto is coming back again soon on June 12-13 2007. I will be there representing SEMPO Canada along with all representatives of the Canadian Search Marketing Industry. During SES, Ken Jurina & I will host a wine & cheese evening session to present the first year of accomplishments within SEMPO Canada. For those who may not know, Search Engine Strategies is the premier event about Search Marketing (SEM) technologies and tactics and we are proud to have this show coming to Canada once a year. Organized by two of the world’s leading search authorities, SES Toronto Conference Chairman, Andrew Goodman and SES Programming Director, Chris Sherman, this show can help you learn:

* How search engines list Web sites for free and through paid placements;
* How to get free “organic” traffic by building a site that pleases search engines and your visitors;
* How to efficiently purchase listings guaranteed to rank your company at the top of search engine results;
* How to calculate the ROI of your search marketing efforts by tracking your visitors from the time they hit your site until they buy? and get tips on improving conversion if they don’t;
* How to build links that generate traffic to your Web site, and how to avoid the penalties of “spamming” the search engines;
* What’s coming next in the constantly evolving world of Web search, and how you can profit from those changes.

Search Engine Strategies Toronto will be held on June 12-13, 2007 at Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Toronto (Ontario).



For more information on SES Toronto, please visit the SES Conference website.

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