What is an SEO specialist and why does the topic deserve a page or a section on a personal Web site?
Search engine optimization began with the first search engines several decades ago, but the science of information retrieval did not distinguish between those who create the search tools and those who seek to optimize them.
Only with the advent of search tools for the World Wide Web (in the early to mid-1990s) did independent search engine optimization specialists arise. Less formally trained than Information Retrieval scientists and database programmers, SEO specialists focused on techniques to help improve Web site visibility in the WWW search tools.
It didn't take long for someone to propose a name for the practice of search engine optimization, but the growth of the industry has been slow by Internet standards. In 2006, Danny Sullivan, original publisher of Search Engine Watch and later Search Engine Land, proposed a four-generation categorization of search engine optimization specialists based on when they entered the field.
Although Danny's categorization was purely arbitrary and personal, many people in the field have associated themselves with his proposed categories. Danny's proposed generations look like this:
- Prior to 1998 - 1st Generation SEOs, many associated with DetLev Johnson's I-Search mailing list.
- From 1998 to 2000 - 2nd Generation SEOs, most of whom learned about the topic from Virtual Promote and Jim Wilson's Search Engine Forums community.
- From 2001 to 2004 - 3rd Generation SEOs became known through early blogs, secondary forum communities, and early conferences.
- From 2004 to 2006 (and beyond) - 4th Generation SEOs followed in the footsteps of the earlier groups. They only rose to prominence during this period.
One might well ask if there is a 5th Generation of SEO specialists. Perhaps the SEOs who have focused mainly on social media networks over the past 3 years would qualify as 5th generation SEO specialists.
Michael Martinez first became aware of and active in the SEO community in the summer of 1998, joining the Search Engine Forums (where for a time he moderated the Inktomi forum). By Danny's informal list, Michael would qualify as a 2nd Generation SEO. After leaving the Search Engine Forums, Michael drifted away from the SEO community for a year until J.K. Bowman, another 2nd-Gen SEO specialist, invited Michael to participate in the now-legendary Spider-food Forums.
Michael contributed to and helped moderate Spider-food from 2001 through early 2004, when for personal reasons he again dropped out of the active SEO circles. Returning to Spider-food in 2005, Michael began rejoining the online SEO world gradually, eventually landing a guest blogger role at SEOmoz in 2006.
In the fall of 2006 Michael took a position with Visible Technologies in Seattle as their Director of Search Strategies, overseeing their Search Reputation Management services. Soon afterward Michael launched the SEO Theory blog, which earned many accolades from the SEO community.
Search engine optimization has grown up into a more mature industry but it still lacks a generally accepted set of standards and ethics. Most SEO specialists strive to promote "best practices" and many asssociate themselves with the "white hat" metaphor (whereas they apply the "black hat" metaphor to less scrupulous search marketers). There is currently no professional licensing or certification for search engine optimization specialists, although several companies and organizations offer SEO "certifications" based on their own training programs.
Michael's search engine optimization work has covered the areas of keyword research, copywriting, navigation design, site analytics, site engineering and trouble shooting, link building, and strategic planning. Michael is also a well-known theorist and "algorithm chaser".
Michael's SEO consulting service offers advanced SEO training and consulting.
