SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible

Rhea Drysdale, Internet Marketing

Manager, MPS Group

Rhea Drysdale is the Internet Marketing Manager for MPS Group, a Fortune 1000 staffing and

consulting company. She’s also an associate editor for Loren Baker’s Search Engine Journal and the

co-founder of a local SEM association.

MPS Group is a leading provider of staffing, consulting, and solutions in the disciplines of informa-

tion technology, finance and accounting, law, engineering, and healthcare. MPS Group delivers its

services to government entities and businesses in virtually all industries throughout the United

States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe. A Fortune 1000 company with headquarters in

Jacksonville, Florida, MPS Group trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

Jerri: What do you see as the current state of SEO?

Drysdale:The current state of SEO...I think that SEO is experiencing a major evolution with the

recent universal search update on Google and new Ask.com user interface changes. However, it’s still

in its infancy compared to other forms of marketing. With that in mind, I think marketers are still

trying to figure out what they can do with it. And unfortunately, the “rules” for SEO change on a

daily basis, which makes it difficult to keep up with those changes and provide formal education in

a classroom setting.

As search engines evolve, I’m really interested in seeing how search behavior changes accordingly.

I think users are going to get smarter about how they search, which will challenge marketers to be

more savvy in the methods they use to reach those users.

Jerri: What are companies doing well in SEO?

Drysdale:At this moment I think the experienced companies are doing an excellent job of tracking

results and justifying the SEO return, something that hasn’t been easy in the past. As an in-house

SEO, my biggest challenge is educating companies on an invisible marketing technique. Even if the

return is less, most companies would prefer to spend their ad budgets on a banner ad than SEO.

There’s something sticky about visuals whereas SEO feels a bit like smoke and mirrors to those that

aren’t intimately familiar with it. So companies that are able to translate results and track return are

rising to the top, while the more money-hungry spammers are crumbling. This is great for both the

SEO reputation and companies seeking quality campaigns.

Jerri: What are some of MPS’s challenges and successes in SEO?

Drysdale:With my background in e-commerce, the biggest personal challenge has been tracking

leads, which requires human interaction to document return. Previously, I could tie my efforts to

specific dollars, but now, the source is much more difficult to discern.

As for successes, I think MPS does an excellent job of bringing new acquisitions up to certain stan-

dards of design, usability, and optimization. From there we work with them to develop a marketing

approach they can easily maintain that targets opportunities best suited to their business model.

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Industry Interviews

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