SEO/SEM

The acronyms SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) are not new to me, but the whole topic is refreshed in my mind after having attended a conference last week in San Jose. It may be a bit generation baby boomer of me, i.e., like my mom, to write this, but I am amazed by the breadth of jobs in the Internet industry. While part of my work entails ensuring that my client's websites are search engine-friendly, it is not all that I do. At bigger companies, such as Williams-Sonoma or Home Depot, there are several individuals who call themselves SEO and/or SEM specialists, and there are 1 million and 1 consultants who have similar skills and can garner a pretty buck for a speaking engagement such as the one I attended. And these people are savvy. I feel as if I learned from some of the best last week, and was happy to realize that this type of work draws on some of my best skills -- writing, for instance, and the structure of information.

It's good to know so much now about a marketing strategy that can truly be quantified, and is more or less insulated from scammers. The community is far too vigilant and you can be shunned instantly if you attempt to screw the system.