Over the last couple of years Search Engine People has grown tremendously. But we didn't come out of left field: we came out of the SEO community.
We studied together, we learned together, we researched together; together we've been flabbergasted by moves that Google has made, have wondered why they killed a good site but boosted a dirty one to the top. We shared compliments and ducked out of the way when mud was being slung.
Together.
And now, frankly, it's enough.
No more taking; we want to give back to the community. More than that: we want to invest in the community.
When we started it was about e-groups, Yahoo groups, forums (which we sometimes refered to as Web boards). There were just a few Names in the industry and everybody knew them.
These days we're scattered all over the place: we're at Sphinn, Twitter, forums, and of course we write on our own blogs.
We're scattered, we're divided.
It's harder than ever for a newcomer to find her place in the industry, to make an impact, to build her name. Unless you know somebody who knows somebody it's really hard to get a break somewhere, somehow.
We want to turn SEO Scoop into that break; we want SEO Scoop to be that somebody, that somewhere, that somehow.
To begin with SEO Scoop will be used as a platform for new SEO bloggers, to give them a podium and provide them with an industry respected audience so they can showcase their knowledge and grab the chance to establish themselves.
Additionally, continuing Donna's brilliant initiative of highlighting search bloggers, we'll continue to put the spotlight on people who've already established themselves and deserve some extra attention.
Together we're of course going to establish a solid team of regular contributors. In fact, you might be one of them, right?
Throughout 2009 we'll continue to roll out ideas and changes that we think will benefit the SEO community as a whole.
That said, those are our ideas; the ideas of Search Engine People and some of our friends.but what do you think the SEO community really needs? What do you need? What do you want, what would you like?
As Barry Schwartz would say, discussion continues at Sphinn.