The Benefits Of Participating In Our Professional Search Community

As a search and internet marketer, its easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work with our employers and clients, as well as the task of keeping up with the latest developments from search engines, social media platforms and industry tools.

Today, Id like to step back from this and discuss search and social marketing as a community and what that sense of community means for us as professionals and as an industry.

From the earliest days, search marketers have enjoyed an ecosystem that values sharing knowledge and friendship among search professionals, businesses and search engines.

The Search Engine Strategies conferences began in 1999, the same year WebMasterWorld.com was registered. Over the years, there have been countless articles, discussions, conferences, trainings, meet-ups and, yes, parties that joined us together.

Weve grown and changed quite a bit since then. In its early years, search marketing was largely about secrets and tricks. There were plenty of advocates for best practices and wholesome SEO in fact, the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, SEMPO, was created in 2002 as a professional community that promoted ethical SEO.

At the same time, our industry had a reputation for gaming the system with insider knowledge. Admittedly, that Wild West mentality helped make search a fun business to work in.

Over time, the general public came online and business grew to take the Internet seriously and as the web matured, so did the SEO community. Today, search engine optimization doesnt stand so alone; its part of a larger Inbound Marketing foundation.

The modern, professional age of SEO and internet marketing, one based on providing and demonstrating value, is well established. This makes our community professionally rewarding and we havent lost our sense of humor.

SEO is alive and well. As a practitioner, youre part of a vibrant community. Just look at the writers here on Search Engine Land.

Youll find people like Danny Sullivan, Barry Schwartz, and Eric Ward, who pioneered our industry from its earliest days. Our forums and online communities are strong. Visit sites like Webmaster World or Cre8asite. You can see great advice from longtime members, discuss the latest news and developments, and ask your own questions.

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The Benefits Of Participating In Our Professional Search Community

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