Help for In-house Search Marketers

[seminhouse]

SEMPO just announced they're stepping up to the plate to help in-house search marketers. It's good to see progress for non-agency search marketers.

SEMPO now has an in-house committe, which I'm on, and creating things like job descriptions and skills to look for, to help companies who want to bring search in-house.

Learn more with the SEMPO Press Release:
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20061005005370&newsLang=en

Being in-house is different than being in an agency. My Question to other in-housers... What do you need really help with from industry experts? What would you like to learn from someone who's successfully implemented search marketing in-house? What could be written, examined and/or published to help you do your job better?

[sportsguy]

OK, I'll chime in here.

What I'd personally really like is to see some mentoring going on.

I'm a practicing in-house SEM, but I'm certain there are still lots of things I could still learn. Specific things that apply directly to my very dynamic environment. Sure, I've been at this for about 6 years now, but there's always more to learn - and I know others have "been there, done that".

My wife is an HR Manager, and the professional association she belongs to offers a mentorship program. The last person she mentored, she hired.

So, I guess I should start spreading this idea to the BoD at SEMPO and see where we end up.

...and I'm not talking you IM with someone a few times, or you go to the forums and ask questions. These interactions are always useful (I'm into both daily.), but one on one with set times and a chance to ask and learn just works better for some folks.

I mean an actual mentorship program where someone is paired with a qualified candidate to discuss and learn tips and techniques useful to them.

Heck, if someone knows lots about optimization for a dynamic website in a Windows environment, I'm all ears. Been doing fine so far, but even if I only picked up one thing new it'd be worth my time. If it turned out I learned nothing new, well, I still made a solid contact and the mentors time is freed up sooner.

I am aware this requires that professionals give of themselves - freely. It's also a commitment in time.

But, it would help the industry grow in a positive manner and mentoring someone always looks good on a resume.

Sadly, I'm pretty sure this idea won't get any traction, but who knows.

Other than that, I'd love to find tools that include data from Google - like the actual number of searches on a phrase done through the great, colorful beast that is G.

Duane - just some guy doing search work

...oh yeah, and if anyone has a set of those cool Webtrends short martini glasses from the party in Chicago, and they want to send them to me, drop me a note. ;)

I think short, blue martini glasses would benefit all in-house SEMs. ;)

[Mel66]

Great post, Duane. I'd love to get involved in some kind of mentoring program, both as a mentor and a mentee.

I'd also like a place to share tips and ideas that's not quite as "public" as this and other SE forums. Maybe the SEMPO private forum is the place to do that. I was at the Chicago in-house meeting (didn't get to meet you, sorry - I had intended to but didn't get a chance!) and haven't joined yet, but that sounds like a good start.

I've gotten great info and made some great in-house contacts on this board and at SES, but something beyond that in terms of sharing ideas on what works and what doesn't would be very useful.

Melissa

[sportsguy]

Well (and mods, feel free to edit this if you need to), Melissa, get on over to SEMPO and join up. :)

That forum you mentioned (that I mentioned during the session) was more for networking than for actual knowledge sharing - at least that was the original plan behind it. No sense trying to replicate solid resources like SEW, SEF, etc. - though this is just my opinion.

I get lots from those (and other) places.

But heck, I'm biased. I lurk here, mod at SEF and am neck-deep in SEMPO now, so there we go. ;)

[Mel66]

My concern with public forums like this and others is that I know at least some of my competitors read them. Therefore, I hesitate to share as much as I would like to, sometimes. OTOH, nothing would stop them from joining SEMPO and reading my secrets on a "members only" forum there, either!

However, the mentoring thing would be great - sharing ideas with someone who I know is not a competitor would be very helpful.

I do plan to join SEMPO when I get 5 minutes free. A hot commodity these days. ;)

Melissa