Thanks For Joining Us In The Dungeon
We’d like to thank everyone who attended and donated to the LondonSEO.org meet-up on Tuesday. The Cittie of Yorke proved a great venue and everyone seemed to enjoy the unique Sam Smiths pints. We easily reached the £400.00 drinking target in time for last orders and even have some money left to roll-over for the next event. Unfortunately due to Jon Roy’s choice of shot, I was too incapacitated to remember my photographer duties. If anyone did take some photos of the night, please let me know and I’ll stick up a link.
A number of people were getting increasingly jealous of the limited edition LondonSEO.org T-Shirts which Ekky and I were wearing. So, by popular demand, I’m please to announce the SEO clothing range by LondonSEO.org (summer collection). Each T-Shirt donates 1 pint to the beer fund 
Did anyone read what was on the beer cards by the way or discuss the questions posed on them?
Post your thoughts below if you did 
>> Should we form a UK Search Marketing Association?
The critical first question is “Why?” What would such a body actually aim to do? Until there’s a good answer for that, the answer is “no”
>> How should it be run and what should we offer members?
When you can answer “Why?”, everything else follows naturally
>> Keep the name LondonSEO or become UKSEO?
Hmmm, there’s a certain Gimp who might object to that…
>> A number of people were getting increasingly jealous of the limited edition LondonSEO.org T-Shirts which Ekky and I were wearing.
Hah, in your face!
Rob recovers from his hangover, just in time for the weekend festivities
Thanks for, once again, organising a damn fine meet up.
>> Should we form a UK Search Marketing Association?
Yes. It should exist to act as a registrar for SEO/online marketing people in the UK, as an accredited list of people who officially know their stuff. Kinda like if you’re an accountant, being ACCA accredited.
It should also act as a resource, so people who want to hire an online marketer/marketing firm know who the go-to guys are. Essentially, it would be a way of ensuring that fewer people get ripped off by scammers promoting “Guaranteed first page on Google” or similar.
>> How should it be run and what should we offer members?
Same way ACCA is, and offering the same kinds of things. Qualification and official industry recognition, training and career help, a single accredited resource point for press and media to go to… In short, an official, consolidated face for online marketing in the UK.
>> Keep the name LondonSEO or become UKSEO?
Neither. UK based name, not London, but UKSEO wouldn’t be cool. After all, what we do is more than just SEO. ACOM or similar would work (Association of Chartered Online Marketers). And saying you’re a member of ACOM would just sound cool. It’s got Google effect (it trips off the tongue, and sounds “right”).
>> A number of people were getting increasingly jealous of the limited edition LondonSEO.org T-Shirts which Ekky and I were wearing.
I want one. Must buyyyy
I am afaid I can’t agree with Pete until a set of standardised University courses are available that test everyone in a standard way and therefore provide an educational standard.
I understand the need for a place people can turn to in order to get someone who knows their stuff but what will we charge - this accreditation is often expensive. It is also often time consuming and rife with legal issues.
I’m a natural skeptic and I’ve seen good ideas like this go wrong (massage, aromatherapy, etc.) amnd so wjile I’d dearly love to see some move towards standardisation, I still feel it’ll be a problem unless there is standardised training first. Otherwise, the cost of running it is high - CIM for example.
>> Should we form a UK Search Marketing Association?
I really like the idea. Any accreditation would be nice and a unified voice might be useful in future.
I get very sceptical when anyone talks about standardised qualifications in this field though. I get the feeling that anything that can be that standardised and agreed upon to that level is getting a bit old hat.
What would the entry requirements be? The more restrictive we make the entry requirement the more the accreditation would seem worth. Basing it on what people have achieved seems the most relevant requirement.
Is there anything else like this in any other countries.
Online marketing is by no means close to approaching standardization and I agree with Judith, although a fantastic ideal - an unlikely one to transpire soon.
I think the breeze shooting easy going atmosphere should be the vision of london-seo and will be the manner in which will become differentiated when standardization does slowly develop.
Perhaps the question should be – how can it be improved and partner with existing organizations (sempo?)
I think (being an in-house PPC/SEO guy that isn’t part of a small seo army) that there’s a lot of benefit to shared knowledge and having a community of TRUST. If that isn’t an ideal worth striving for – I’m not sure what is
Just to clarify, we don’t have the time/money/resources to create a qualification or chartered accreditation (that needs full-time staff and big bucks). We were thinking more along the lines of forming a non-profit organisation, getting a proper bank account, offering a voice/soapbox for our industry, building up more of an online community, having a members directory for finding an SEM and maybe making a membership scheme which can be revoked after x number of complaints. Maybe have all-day events with grub and guest speakers/attendees.
You may just think that LondonSEO is perfect as it is and should not change in any way, or you may not.
Just do it.
If it works then great and if it doesn’t I’ll say it was all your idea Rob
Though as the mighty SEO Mr 4Eyes once said, “It’s like herding cats” when referring to doing stuff like this
Thanks for organising the last event Mr. Monkey, the beer was flowing nicely.
As for the organisation you are thinking about I think it is agood idea, probably something similar to the US based web analytics association (http://www.webanalyticsassociation.org/) and I think its definately worth making something like this for online marketing in general. And maybe you could get the web analytics bods to join your association?
Coolness - as long as “quality” and “accreditation” don’t come in to it… like the complaints thing.
Also - more regular sponsors for the beer events *grins* *winks*
and perks for the organisers (you of course!)
Would be fabbo! It could be like a barcamp for SEO! Everyone who attends has to give a presentation - how cool would that be?!
[quote] Everyone who attends has to give a presentation - how cool would that be?! [/quote]
omg… not sure about that.. lol..
The long tail of drinking beer
Oi gabs are you a regular?
Anywayz I’m watching this one. For me - the closer to (and easier to get to from) Stansted it is, the more I can spend on people’s beer. Watching this very closely, even tho I’m a LondonSEO virgin
……..
Hmmm, the next one is probably going to be in Brighton so not much closer.
Been over a year now Zwart since I got u pi**ed.. Along with that funny stuff u smoke over in nl