Hiring SEO. The New Guy or The Veteran?

Well, it seems this blog is turning more to the "SEO industry" area lately, but I promise it's not going to stay that way. Just one more to get it out of my system, and I'll get some meat in here. I do have some plans for that, and I hope I can get it in the blog this coming week.

We've discussed ideas on hiring an SEO (In house or freelance), SEO as a career, either good or bad, and we've seen the benefits for SEO going freelance or in-house themselves. I thought it would be neat to explore one more angle that we see a lot. Either in-house or not, do you hire the new guy, or the weathered, "experienced," SEO veteran? Oddly in this industry, the benefits and the disfavors almost even themselves out, so how do you choose?

I think I should define each before we get too into this post. I'm coming up on my 4th year in the SEO world, placing me somewhere below the veterans, but not really new to the game. The industry as a whole is still very new (only really coming alive around 1995-1996) so even the veterans haven't been doing this for much more than a decade. Things change so much and so often, that someone practicing for 2 years could very well have what would be considered "old school" tendencies. So, let's say "new guy" equals less than 2 year's experience, and "veteran" equals more than 4 years. Anything in between just means you are super sexy...and bald...and cool...

The New Guy
New guys often have a good bit of energy you sometimes forgo with the veteran. They see things as newly found, and perpetually push themselves as revelations are made, making them push a little bit more. New guys are also going to be a good bet for knowing what's happening right now. They weren't there 2 years ago, so they aren't going to have a reliance on older methods or old habits that need to be broken. Because of these new things, the new guy will likely be more cost efficient, letting the opportunity for experience outweigh his demand for compensation. The new guy will also be willing to take greater risks (however unwittingly) by trying new things out as they come, getting a site exposure while riding waves. But then, this is also a lack.

The new guys doesn't know of penalties like the veteran. They may get you into a bit of trouble, without even knowing it. You also have that risk of losing the new guy forever. SEO is a pretty neat concept, and draws a lot of people in with its mysterious allure. Once the new guy realizes that it's not all glamor, he or she may very well move on to something else all together.

The Veteran
The veteran has been here for a while. The veteran has staying power, knowing all too well the real work that's involved with analytics, usability, constant monitoring and tweaks, etc. He or she has seen the methods of old, and has a great deal of experience, not only in the core SEO methods, but understanding the search engines themselves. As a veteran, one will see the new trends that pop up all the time, and better determine which ones will actually work, and which ones will soon fade. The veteran will also be a little more careful with any risks, being more aware of the consequences, often felt first hand. Therein lies the veteran's faults.

The veteran may carry some old habits and reluctance to jump into something that is too new for a rightful fear of penalties or backlash. The veteran can sometimes be a little jaded. They have seen new trends come and go over the years, and looses that energy and excitement (except for Danny. I swear that guy drinks 4 cans of Red Bull before a podcast). Then there's the price. You can bet you will be paying top dollar for the veteran, as his or her methods are tried and true, and they know it.

Points For The New Guy

• A lot of energy
• Willingness to try new things
• Willingness to learn and push a little bit hard
• Often equals $avings

Takeaways For The New Guy

• May sometimes be risky
• Lacks in the experience and ability of prediction the veteran may have
• May not stick around for long, once the idea of real "work" is realized

Points For The Veteran

• Staying power. They have roughed and bared it all. They aren't leaving so easily now
• Experience. they've seen it all. They better know what's going to stick and what isn't
• Safety. They aren't going to run your site through the dirt to test something new

Takeaways For The Veteran

• Hard to teach this dog new tricks. They may have some old habits that won't die
• They sometimes lose that spark they once had, also losing the energy to keep with the times
• Price. As lack luster as they may seem, they still know what they're doing, and they are going to charge for it

Exceptions
There are exceptions to every rule. Even these. There are plenty of new guys that are getting out there, thinking they know plenty without keeping an open mind for more, and there are more than enough veterans that still have that spark and desire for more.

I heard a great metaphor, comparing life to school. Current state of education aside: as a freshman, you don't know, but you don't know you don't know. As a sophomore, you don't know, but you know you don't know. As a junior, you know, but you don't know you know. As a senior, you know, and you know you know.

Me? I'm an SEO. That's pretty much all there is to me.