• by Jonathan Kendall , December 7, 2005

"All right, we've got our site ready for launch--so we're ready to start thinking about search!"

The mainstream media has done its job introducing SEM to marketers across the world, and now it's up to us to orchestrate the timing. Quotes like the one above are all too common at a time when getting found on the Web is perhaps more important than content itself. And the current mindset needs to be changed quickly so agencies can maximize client success.

If not, the job of a search engine marketer becomes increasingly challenging. Once site structure, navigation and content have already been approved (or even worse, already gone live), one is likely to encounter strong resistance to making changes. Even beyond this, post-launch alterations take far longer to implement; when money is literally being left on the table every day, can your client really afford to wait an additional month or two before achieving some sort of online visibility?

And if you've ever dealt with a client whose in-house IT/marketing team has employed dodgy optimization techniques and managed to get its domain banned from an engine or two (refer to the old adage that states "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"), you likely have already encountered the worst-case scenario for waiting too long.

The last thing any SEM wants is a phone call from frantic clients explaining they need a big traffic push and "we need to be listed on the first page of Google by this Friday morning." Or worse, explaining that they've already burned through their entire marketing budget during the site design phase. So how does a search agency ensure that it gets involved in the creative process as early as possible? Help the client understand the benefits of having a search presence in even the earliest of conceptualization stages:

Taking search into account prior to the initial design stages presents an organization with a clear idea on its online competition, allowing it to get a more focused sense of market positioning and establish a defined set of competitive advantages.

By selecting main keywords early and basing page content around them (as opposed to vice versa--which happens entirely too often), the site will have greater relevance as defined by the main engines. This will be further complemented by having an SEO expert in the loop during site mapping, cross-linking, content development and even domain name selection.

Sitting in on brainstorming/creative/site mapping sessions also gives search engine marketers a greater understanding of target audiences and business objectives, ideally translating to more effective targeting and better response rates.

Especially in the case of non-transactional sites, clients are unaware of the value that a SEO analytics program can provide. Is your position No.3 ranking in Google for that industry-competitive term yielding any submitted contact-us forms?

Specifically in instances of Web site redesigns, it's additionally advantageous to allow search marketers the chance to get a clear benchmark of the existing Web sites saturation; once a redesign goes live and populates across the popular engines, quantifying your agency's impact becomes that much harder.

The input of a search agency will promote the use of proper HTML and CSS requirements and assist in avoiding tech issues that may interfere with crawler traffic down the line.

Early input will also get some clients out of the "only metas matter" mindset. Someone who read a white paper or two last year may not be aware of the depreciation of meta data and the increased emphasis on content and relevancy.

With that in mind, early engagement also presents an opportunity to share select optimization techniques with clients. By keeping them in the loop, you begin to manage expectations, fix pre-determined ideals and gradually paint a clear picture of what type of results they can expect to see. You'll also instill further confidence by demonstrating the use of a documented process, assuring them that you aren't simply running with whatever hot techniques are currently making waves in the industry.

Taking all of this into account, it should be clear why it's paramount for organizations to involve search on the ground floor of all marketing efforts. For both your firm and theirs, having a search rep attend ALL creative meetings should be a priority, if only just to offer periodic guidance or advice. After all, we're hired as experts in our discipline and warrant being treated as such, not just as an afterthought in the face of crunch time.