The Benefits of the SEO Community: Summary of Episode #11
Verena Hallam joins the podcast to chat about how the SEO community can be a great place:
The support the SEO community offers
The best resources available to SEOs who need some support
The impact of the pandemic on SEO culture
Resources:
Utilizing the SEO Community
While there is often a lot of negativity within the SEO community, Vernena wants you to know there are a lot of positive things about it as well. As she has gone freelance Verena says that the amount of support she has received from the SEO community has been invaluable.
Whether it be free events or easily accessed advice the community can be a great resource. Me, however, I am jaded at this point. I see a lot of jockeying for position and so forth. That said, Verena sees the community a bit differently as there are resources such as Women In Tech SEO that are wonderfully nonjudgmental resources. As Verena points out there is a lot of generosity. For example, when the pandemic hit, all sorts of companies made their resources free and the like.
It's also interesting to note the impact of the pandemic on the "positive state" of the SEO community. For example, a lot of negativity happens over SEO Twitter whereas a lot of sharing and overall positivity happens at live conferences. Of course, with the pandemic, those conferences are not a factor. The question is, will they ever come back even after the pandemic (at least in the same way as before)? If not, what does that mean for the state of the industry's culture and tone?
Using the SEO Community to Find New Jobs
To end on a positive note, Verena talks about how the SEO community, despite the pandemic, still offers a lot of employment opportunities and SEOs have not been unappreciative of this. Rather, the community has shown tremendous grace in being appreciative of this unique dynamic.
I have to be honest... hearing Verena talk about how the community has been a beacon of light... I think I might need to change my jaded ways.