Long time no posts again. Feel sorry, I have been sought for a job, or some commission contract. It’s not easy to take a job, especially when you introduce yourself as a SEO Consultant. You ask: “Hey, are you interested in hiring SEO Specialist?”, and you hear “What? Could you spell it? S-E-O? What the hell it is and why we have to determine the matter on that?“. Then you have to explain why Search Engine Optimization is one of the most important issues in the whole Web. By the way, if you don’t want to miss the chance, you are forced to do a slow burn, take it on the chin, don’t hit the roof, and don’t ever give somebody the gate.
Of course I’ve failed. Naturally it’s not related to my comprehensive explanations, or nice descriptions added to every point in offer I’ve showed. No, usually my “potential orderer” in these 2 weeks got a point and have been interested in starting our participation. There is one another major reason why I failed - the price. I won’t ever make any internet marketing plan (business translation of “SEO strategy”) that might be able to dramatically increase earnings of one’s company for only 3 figures sum of cash. I’m not a frakin’ picker, and I won’t work for amusing amounts of money coz it’s not okay with me. I know these words have a strange tone when you look around, especially in my native country, but it doesn’t change sense of my writings. Sooner I will eat my hat and work as a common white-collar worker, than you will get me interested in buisness participation to the tune of 500 bucks. I can spend next few months on working on my own projects without other external sources of money. I run out of gas and now I’m not seeking for a job. I couldn’t care less 
I used to think living on western side of the world is much easier and similar problem doesn’t appear in the United Kingdom, or the United States of America. After reading a post written by Aaron Wall finally I realized that I was wrong. Don’t know why but it doesn’t make me feel better. Some people just want to waste your time.
June 26th, 2007 #
Truly agree on this.
Alot of people just wanna waste our time. And there are really plenty of people out there who doesn’t know SEO but they just simply don’t care.
June 26th, 2007 #
I’m about to say that wasting your time seems to be a major goal for overall majority of people you have to deal with.
Another curious thing is a fact that search engine optimization already become a REAL hot topic, so something like 75% of what people say about this makes a little or no sense at all. One day Matt Coddington made an appropriate poll, 65% of voters responded that “SEO is easy“… Impressing isn’t it?
June 29th, 2007 #
Depends what your talking about regards SEO… I learned how to build SEO sites… but now everyone has access to wordpress that knowledge is not worth much.
No one in the blogsphere even botheres to talk about site design / structure… they dont even understand why blogs index well… they have it all on a plate.
The more advanced stuff is far harder to learn and can obly be gained through a LOT of experimentation, you quickly move beyond what the books tell you, and then your on your own….
Regards work you may try using ukbusinessforums.co.uk there are always people looking for SEO advice for E-Commerce sites… if you can demonstrate you know your stuff you may get some work out of it…. if you are lucky….
I have said before, I think you are in the right country for this work… many people in the UK cannot compete with Eastern European prices….
June 29th, 2007 #
Another thing is that you need a portfolio… if you do some cheap jobs, and do them well then you will be able to build your portfolio and may start to get recommendations.
I think a lot of this kind of work comes through recommendation as opposed to advertising / cold calling.
People do not know what they are buying and so look for someone they think they can trust (via recommendation…) as opposed to hiring someone they dont have a clue about….
June 30th, 2007 #
Do you mean that I have to help someone in making sales online just for a couple of bucks? NAY! If there’s a total lack of people offering a reasonable amount of money for my work, I’d see much more benefits in building websites on my own. Maybe it takes a bit more time to return, but in that case the amount of earned cash will be acceptable, and at least it won’t make me feel like a donkey…
June 30th, 2007 #
I would not employ any SEO who did not have a PROVEN TRACK RECORD and a portfolio of work.
I think you will find that is the way most companies work.
If you would rather work on your own sites then do that, but if you want to contract for other people you need to build a portfolio / reputation any way you can…..
If you think building a reputation / portfolio in this way is beneath you, then dont do it… leave that to your competitors….
June 30th, 2007 #
I’m afraid you have gone too far in your comment, Jeremy. Dunno why you haven’t grasped and think that I’m a fool that walks round and round among companies with empty hands. Obviously when I describe my offer I’m not afraid to show the color graphs
Please notice there is a lack of competition, bigger clients from my native country are simply not interested in hiring a SEO guy for a reasonable amount of money, luckily others also don’t seem to be interested in doing monkey business, so they work with a batch of smaller clients, and everyone is pleased and satisfied. Also, thanks all the scams spamming with junky offers SEO is one of the most acerbic group of interests on Polish market. Got my drift?
June 30th, 2007 #
Sorry for going too far… not trying to upset you
I am not suggesting you are a fool, what I am saying is that one thing sometimes leads to another… sometimes loss making work leads to better things…. and sometimes not….
Ask successful people what their first or best jobs where and it is often a surprise….
I ASSUMED you were starting out in this… if you have a portfolio of work and testemonials from paying clients already then clearly there is no point in you taking “loss leaders”. If you are starting out and have a limited portfolio of paid / contract work, then building that up will help you…..
Hope you make it whicher way you do it
July 28th, 2008 #
So what’s all the whining about?
I am a SEO consultant. I just got a job for 104K per year. I’m going on vacation next week to New Zealand on my honeymoon.
C’mon man, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and let’s get this party started!
July 28th, 2008 #
I’m pretending. I am alone right now weeping in my closet. No food in the house.
August 1st, 2008 #
This post is about trying to get some safe part-time job deal. Just in case one day when something bad happens to you, you are not left in the lurch. I have no idea on the current level of earnings in the USA, 104K per year for a lousy job like this doesn’t sound reliable though — especially when I read the second comment of yours
October 4th, 2008 #
Hi there,
Well Im starting off small Im only after the three figure jobs at the moment, as I have only just started.
I still do other freelance work while I build up my portfolio (just work on this at the moment thanx guys). The thing is there are some people out there who have just started a business they need marketing but cant afford to pay the big bucks…why should they be priced out