Are SEO Forums Still Needed?

[pow-wow]

John Carcutt wrote at Search Engine Journal that "real SEOs don't go to forums".

Check out: Are SEO Forums Still Needed? and share your opinion.

[Bagi Zoltán]

I'm sorry this is too long reading for me, but i would like to share my though with you. I believe that there are some excellent webmester community and without them i should give up my favourite hobby hanging around the different boards. Who cares what this John says?

[OldWelshGuy]

REAL SEO's

Most of the names named don't do SEo any more. They have moved up the food chain.

I know most of them, was a founder member at both Highrankins (where I moderate), & Also digital point!

REAL SEO's still do SEO

[Alan]

Yes there is still a need for SEO forums, indeed the author of this article has included

Real SEOs used to go to forums all the time. As a matter of fact, I bet most Real SEOs learned the craft on those very forums.

As an ackowledgement that these "Real SEOs" used the forums to learn their craft indicates that those of us who still use these forums are still learning, or at least discussing new ideas and concepts.

[Merras]

Who is "real SEO"?

IMHO, every profession has an own community, and every professionals needs these communities - not just SEOs, everyone, who has expertise in anything. A SEO expert needs the friendship and support of a SEO community.

And, SEO is always in change - a good forum can help to follow these changes.

[andrej]

Well I learnt a lot regarding SEO on webmaster forums.

[zurk]

6. Real SEOs … Don’t go to the forums

It sounded a little mean to me... I believe real SEOs still go to forums. SEO forums are important to increase your knowledge and be aware on new trends/techniques. It is also where you can discuss and solve your site problems with other SEOs.

[johnafrankllin]

If someone don't want to share his experiences, knowledge and think that he is complete and don't need any help may be keep himself from this kind of stuff, but if one wants to know something more about anything he will definitely join his community. and this is what a forum is all about. Forum is a place where we share each others ideas and thoughts, teach others and being taught by others.

[OldWelshGuy]

In defence of this, i have to say that forums REALLY take a lot of my time away from me, and for no return whatsoever. I make nothing from forums, I give a hell of a lot of information and help out.

There comes a time when you think 'WHY?' why bother. I have started posting on a couple of new forums and some people there are out and out aggressive towards me because i am a 'new kid'. I am getting snide remarks, and little comments questioning what I said, yet they are by and large talking crap. It is obvious they are NOT seo's, they just carry out copycat SEo, ie doing what others have said to do, sheep SEO

I have been wondering 'why bother'? So many people are calling themselves SEO's, on almost every forum I visit (apart from here), 'se oh no's are trying to put each other down, trying to score points off each other to try and prove THEY are the best.

Personally I can't be arsed. Forums HAVE changed beyond recognition, they are now being spammed to high heaven, they are full of Wannabbees who worse than anything are offering a service that they don't fully understand.

Forums have gone from places of giving, to places of taking with nothing being given back

I truly can see why many top SEO's have walked away from forums!

[KingPin]

I can see both sides of the argument here. My point of view of SEO forums are a place to learn and share experiences, experiments, to HELP others that have no knowledge of the internet marketing/SEO/SEM/online marketing, whatever you want to call it, business.

I think SEO forums are still places filled with knowledgeable people that may not be known to the world yet do just as well as the celebrity SEO's.

Then I can see and understand OWG's view because it does take time out of his schedule to come and post informative, educated posts. Unfortunately I have seen OWG's comment about being the new kid on the block and experienced the snide remarks and comments from so called SEO's that are established on certain forums.

It always amazes me because they worry that their SEO crown will be taken when it really shouldn't be like that at all.

I guess that's why I am very very selective of which forums I choose to spend my time at. UKWW and SEO.com are really the only places where I will put thought into posts and make major contributions.

Like OWG I can see why the likes of Sullivan, Wall etc etc have walked away because there are and is so much bullshit about SEO and as I have mentioned in many posts, not just here, but everywhere about wanna be SEO's claiming top ranking results for obscure phrases that are not keywords and it's totally crap.

The main problem I see is SEO's trying to get one up on each other and trying to make out they are the best thing since sliced bread.

I don't know everything about SEO and I read OWG's posts with intent and take everything on board what he says, even if I know it.

After reading this, it seems like I'm ass kissing OWG lol, but I'm not. He is just one of the very few people I take notice of when he talks and I know he is a secret admirer of mine

KP