PROGRAMMERS turned SEOs -vrs- DESIGNERS turned SEOs = Differernt Approach?

[! !]

Do Designers turned SEOs approach SEO differently than Programmers turned SEOs

Whom would you chose - would both skills be optimum or conflicting? :confused:

[Marcia]

I don't believe they conflict, but I do believe that those who start out as programmers have definite edge to begin with, because they've already got the technical skills necessary for some of the things that need to be done.

[David Wallace]

I agree with Marcia in that programmers understand the inner workings of html as well as all the various types of programming languages (PHP, ASP, Cold Fusion, etc.) so that when they are making changes to web sites, they may have a little more grasp of what they are doing than one who simply designs.

That being said, a an SEO working with non SEO programmers and designers in getting things changed on a site, designers are easier to work with at times because programmers often want a technical explanation of "why" you are making certain changes whereas designers just implement them.

[DaveN]

the best combo imo is a team of 4

1) Good Graphics Designer with small understanding of seo and small understanding of Programing

2) Good Programmer NT/ASP with small understanding of seo and little design skills

3) Good Programmer Linux/PHP with small understanding of seo and NO design skills

4) SEO with good understanding on intergration of design to script and good commuicator ( really nice boss type person )

Well i have to say that because thats my webdev Team

DaveN

[rustybrick]

the best combo imo is a team of 4

1) Good Graphics Designer with small understanding of seo and small understanding of Programing

2) Good Programmer NT/ASP with small understanding of seo and little design skills

3) Good Programmer Linux/PHP with small understanding of seo and NO design skills

4) SEO with good understanding on intergration of design to script and good commuicator ( really nice boss type person )

Well i have to say that because thats my webdev Team

DaveN

That looks extremely familiar. :D

[cline]

Do Designers turned SEOs approach SEO differently than Programmers turned SEOs

Whom would you chose - would both skills be optimum or conflicting? :confused:

As a broad sweeping generalization, I'd choose neither. I'd choose a Marketer.

[St0n3y]

I would have a marketer, a programmer, a writer, a researcher, a sales person, a designer and a project manager (non-pointy-haired boss) who knows a bit of all of the above, a lot about SEO, and and how to work with clients effectively.

[DaveN]

dude i'm a pointy-haired boss

[I, Brian]

Something I learned quickly is that there are all sorts of specialisations within SEO - it is not one simple general field.

Body copy, doorway pages, auto-submission, link building, dynamic-catalogues, accessibility elements, custom-software, cloaking...there are different areas that different people specialise in. And the best SEO companies seek to bring different specialisations all together.

Point is, there are many different ways to skin a search engine.

[kidmercury]

whoever's the best copywriter wins.

[St0n3y]

whoever is best at assembling ALL the elements wins!

[seomike]

Whoever can disguise spam to look normal wins :D

[I, Brian]

Who dares wins.

:)

[DaveN]

who ever thinks outside the box wins

DaveN

[Anthony Parsons]

Here goes the age old debate on a marketer vs. an SEO vs. an SEM vs. programmer vs. designer!

What really is the difference? Everyone has their opinion, but knowbody has a sound solution. Maybe this is one thing for the industry bodies to finally put something too? They are all working to market the industry, how about defining the industry first.

I agree that everyone has their specialties, and nobody is better off than anyone else. Some venture into PPC and that's it. Some copywriting and that's it. Others do a broad spectrum of each, and expertise in one particular area. A programmer needs good page copy. A designer needs to know PPC, Overture, Adwords, and all the third party PPC engines. Neither a programmer or designer know a damn thing about link building, thus must go and learn. Nobody has an advantage as everyone starts somewhere and learns as they progress.

[St0n3y]

...hence the reason to have the person with the knowlege of what needs to be done assemble a team of those skilled at doing it. Sounds like a solution to me.