Today, I slapped myself on the wrist – hard – not because it was something that I had to do, or even wanted to do, but as a necessary step in stopping myself from letting something get so bad in the future. OK, I’ve been busy, so busy that I have rarely posted on this blog, but that excuse apart I should have really been keeping a close eye on my outbound links.

Like a victorian mother hooked on gin I fleetingly gave a second glance to my nearest and dearest – this blog – all the while the non-attention was having an adverse effect against my own rankings. My shame, apart from not posting as often, was to neglect an seo rule 101 : Keep an Eye On your Outbound Links!

Linking to bad neighbouthoods is bad, very bad! Linking to pages that are no longer available is just as bad. Linking to sites that look ok, then when your no longer checking your outbounds, and they pull the ol’ “301-switch-to-a-tasty-adult-porn-site” is, well, downright, ingenious of them and slap-on-the-wrist material for you for becoming lazy!!!

I’ve watched a few posts on this site go from a PR3 to grey, they still rank, except they nor longer rank on the 1st intended page but wallow on page 2 or heaven forbid on page 3 because my labour of love became just too laborious. Not anymore!

There are plenty of tools you can use to help you combat negative outbound links, Xenu is just one.

Remember, checking your outbounds is part and parcel of your sites homekeeping, don’t become a gin infested parent to a blog like I became, yous’e your nounce, check, check, check and keep the gin and the bad neighbourhoods at bay.

Make no bones about it, after reading Jennifer Osborne’s excellent post about ‘So, You want a Career in SEO‘ and reading the poor woman’s frustration in trying to find a suitable applicant for a SEO/Online Marketing position within their company have I ever wanted to post about a subject of considering a career path in SEO.

Looking back on my own fledgling career within the industry if I were to score my progress, in a control freak type headmaster fashion, I’d probably score myself with a B-.

Reason being, is that no matter how much you progress in this business, there is always another page to turn.

Having not ventured into the industry, till I was in my – almost – mid thirties, has helped me with a number of learning curves and also hindered my online experience in the same vein. Y’see, in my other life, I was never a geek, more sports nut, one of the boys, live for the weekend types. Then suddenly, due to my own doings, I’m flung in amongst people at university who are a million miles away from what I’m used to conversing with.

But you adapt!

Most of the online people I know, started off as something else, no-one ever thought off SEO / Online Marketing as a day job, even if they knew off its existence.

I have been many things in my short life, but as an SEO I can truly put my hands up and say that nothing I have done workwise comes close to making you feeling like a God one week and ready for pulling your hair out the next. It can be that emotional sometimes.

Believe me, SEO affects your thinking process, it takes over your dreams, renders you speechless in normal social environments as you grind over in your mind that next pr release or link building tactic or blog post. SEO gets inbetween the bits you didn’t know existed!

Then add a dash of clients into the mix and your truly rocking. It is the ultimate compliment/ responsibility, that a person, company or organisation is willing to pay you in advance for you to deliver what they seek.

Of course, gaining measurable rankings is only part of the journey. Influencing how a site works, communicates and sells to a person browsing is something that comes along eventually with the territory. It is a very potent part of your armoury. SEO is NOT just about rankings – Lesson #1.

So, if your seeking the ultimate in scunnerism, have an addictive nature, seek highs, like to put yourself on the line and like learning from a never-ending book then SEO /Online Marketing is for you. Just don’t expect much sleep! And don’t say I never warned you so … welcome to the best experience of your life.