The president of MoreVisibility reveals why marketers aren't achieving their desired results from their SEM and SEO programs.

When I was asked to contribute a piece on the fundamentals of search today, it didn't seem like a terribly difficult challenge. Then as I sat to write it, I realized that for many, the basics are old news. And for those who are newer to the space, my 600- to 800-word allotment wouldn't be particularly comprehensive and there is a slew of this sort of information readily available. This presented a quandary (and also a publishing delay).

My next thought was to identify the most significant challenges people are facing (relating to fundamentals) as they navigate through SEO/SEM. What I determined is that successful SEO and SEM operations require a greater degree of internal cooperation and execution than any other marketing channel in history. Never before have there been channels with as many moving parts and with as great an upside for well-crafted programs.

MoreVisibility conducted a survey of marketers in January of 2006. We found that:

• 59 percent of companies reported they have an SEO initiative in place
• 43 percent of respondents noted they were satisfied with their results
  
  
• 64 percent of companies reported they have an SEM campaign in place
• 46 percent of respondents noted they were satisfied with their results

While these numbers can be viewed from either the half-full or half-empty perspective, it is evident there is a significant amount of room for improvement. Below are some of the elements I believe are separating marketers from their desired objectives.

For SEO
Planning: While it's better understood that certain tools like Flash can impede the crawl ability of a site, there still isn't enough time devoted to crafting a site that maximizes its search engine friendliness, while also excelling from a user-experience perspective.

Planning for sites can be disjointed with several teams (marketing, sales, IT, web design) having responsibility for different portions of the site. Moreover, not enough productive time is spent discussing how all the elements will affect and support each other. This includes conceptualizing the site without sufficient consideration to what's practical for SEO. It follows that only after the site has been live for a while and natural results are lacking that SEO seriously enters the conversation.

Resources: I have yet to encounter a company whose IT resources are not in short supply. In larger companies the challenge is competing for tech's attention. In smaller businesses the tech team (or individual) is typically wearing so many hats that site optimization falls through the cracks during the development of a site or never makes the stovetop during a redesign.

For SEM
Pragmatism: Interestingly, many companies who are poor performers on the SEO side have made SEM a priority. For some it's a recognition of their SEO-related weaknesses; for others it's lack of confidence that meaningful results can actually occur through site optimization. This can be a consequence of unsuccessful attempts in the past or being in an ultra competitive industry (or both).

Analytics & Study: A few companies have developed software that accurately details which keywords in which engines are delivering the most cost effective (and converting) traffic. Other companies use third party tools or work with agencies that provide access to this information. While this is a vital first step, it's just as important to invest time studying and understanding the data. Like so many other skills, grasping the fundamentals of a CPC campaign will only occur with disciplined focus and discussion. Even where there's an agency involved, the client still needs to become proficient in the nuts and bolts of the program.

Where it can get increasingly complex is being able to make changes that involve multiple decision-makers based upon what's gleaned from the data; in a timely manner. For example, landing pages are an important variable in any campaign. Testing multiple keyword/landing page combinations can help highlight the best strategies to pursue. This type of scrutiny requires intellect, effort and coordination between the sales, marketing and web design team members.  

The soft skills
Now more than ever, the tools to optimize sites and efficiently manage paid campaigns are accessible to most marketers. The major bridges to be crossed in the SEO/SEM space relate to effectively bringing together the individuals who can execute the process.

Andrew Wetzler is president of MoreVisibility. The firm was founded in 1999 and specializes in SEO/SEM services. MoreVisibility was named to the 2005 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies and is located in Boca Raton, Florida.