The tools

Introduction
The tools
Experience
Hiring
Conclusion

There is little doubt that search engine marketing firms have the upper hand in tool development. Many organizations that consider adopting an in-house search strategy fail to appreciate how few "industrial grade" tools are commercially available. Most SEM tools are built by a search marketing firm and not released commercially because they constitute part of the firms' competitive advantage-- their "secret sauce."

Ron Belanger: Tools are certainly important. I've never seen a house built without using a hammer. However, a mature, well-rounded strategy must accompany the tool. When evaluating an SEM firm, look for clues to determine if an overarching strategy is driving the process, or whether too much emphasis is being placed on the "black box" science of the tool. A top-notch firm will have a tool where its development was driven by market needs, with years of experience providing the product specifications.

Fredrick Marckini: After years of managing search marketing campaigns, most search marketing firms have encountered every conceivable search marketing challenge. Most of us have built an arsenal of tools to address them.

These tools are closely guarded secrets. Why? No one wants their competitors to develop similar tools that have taken years to perfect. Tools provide each firm with a unique competitive advantage by enabling firms to produce superior results for clients-- hopefully, greater than those of competitors.

Some tools make people more efficient. Some retain organizational knowledge and identify trends in search engine ranking algorithms. Some of us operate our own proprietary bidding agent technology to optimize paid search or paid inclusion and shopping feeds. There are keyword research tools and tools that reveal keyword strengths and weakness across very large sites and that's just a start.

When you think of the search marketing firm's technology advantage, remember: 

1. Tools have a profound impact on a search marketer's ability to produce results.
2. None of these tools follow employees when they leave-- they are typically enterprise tools, not tools that run stand-alone on local PCs, and most are not commercially available.

Next: Experience