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Hiring & Training a New Search Engine Marketer (SEM)

Published by Ben | Filed under Amplify-Interactive, Search Industry

So, my posting frequency has died off a bit over the last week. Why? Because we’ve landed a few new big projects at the same time that we hired a new employee. Amplify-Interactive is a small SEM firm, and the new hire increases our size by 33%. We’ll be introducing our new guy to the blog in due time, but for now - I’ve been getting reacquainted with the process of bringing on & training a new person, and focusing on getting him up to speed as quickly as possible.

In addition to our own processes - I got curious about advice from others on how to best do this - and a few recent articles came to mind:

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/070731-144134

http://www.searchengineguide.com/mintz/010272.html 

As mentioned in the search engine guide article - there are SEO training & certification programs out there now like:

The SEMPO Institute 

Search Engine Academy of Oregon

I find the certification aspect compelling, and I see how I could leverage certification as a selling point. However, and I realize I’m going to catch heat from some people for saying this, we’re small enough that I’m confident in my ability to teach SEM & grow employees from within. As we grow and certification becomes more common, I’ll likely consider certification as a qualification during the hiring process. Just like the rest of the SEM field, there are so many options that I’m kind of waiting to see if some clear industry-accepted winners begin to emerge.

I do plan to evaluate training programs as a way to speed up the integration process as we grow. I welcome comments from people who have gone through an SEO training course or certification program - I’d love to hear your feedback or recommendations.

August 2nd, 2007


4 Responses to “Hiring & Training a New Search Engine Marketer (SEM)”

  1. Colleen Wright Says:
    August 2nd, 2007 at 8:37 pm

    As owner and trainer for the Search Engine Academy of Oregon, I understand where Ben is coming from, but if I had the choice between a candidate with training in SEO best practices and one without, I would choose the one who has the certification. Of course, I may be a little bit biased being the owner of the training program, but I can tell you that I personally went through this program and found it extremely enlightening and helpful. The positive feedback received from students all over the country is very positive. That is the reason I decided to start the program in Oregon, because I believe in the training and I know it works.

  2. cindyt Says:
    August 3rd, 2007 at 6:42 am

    I have been through a few SEO training programs and feel that the online programs from Robin Nobles and SEMPO Institute are without a doubt the best I have seen. They are comprehensive enough for the newbie to really get a grasp of how to start. And, they would free you up to take care of your new clients while your new emp. is being trained!

  3. Ben Says:
    August 3rd, 2007 at 8:26 am

    Thanks for commenting! I agree with your points. I should clarify a bit - in this particular case, the person I hired already knows the fundamentals and has had some real-life SEO + PPC + SMM experience. So, it’s really more of a matter of getting him acquainted with how we work.

  4. Bryan Siegel Says:
    August 31st, 2007 at 8:42 pm

    I have been doing SEO and PPC for two years now without a certification or any type of degree. I was promoted by my current employer who taught me the fundamentals and I currently manage successful campaigns and became addicted to Search Engine Optimization.

    My opinion is that a certification does not mean the person is fit for the role because my big question is how you can certify Search engine Optimization? Most is all hear say and experience. My experience with SEO has taught me that every keyword and industry is unique. You can do a competative analysis against your competition

    A successful employee is one that reads alot, can build a website, knows html, css, php, has common sense and the willingness to try new things. If you stick to a formula you’re bound to be outperformed by your competition. That’s why it’s essential to hire someone who has experience in the field because they can breath new life and provide a unique point of view for your company.

    By the way I’m thinking about relocating to Oregon you still hiring?

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