question for full time SEOs

blockbuster got fucked by netflix
Borders book stores got fucked by amazon

how do you feel about the lack of security being an SEO offers?
What if tomorrow first page is only PPC ads so your job becomes meaningless? how do you avoid being the next blockbuster? do you have a back up plan? if yes, what is it?

diversify your portfolio.

SEO / IM / ORM is just a fraction of my income.

There is no assurance in any market you go into. It's just how any market works, not just SEO.

I've got my McDonalds job lined up.

I think that's a bit unlikely. Either way the answer is the same: adapt and find opportunity.

Create long-term websites that earn money from advertising, instead of churn-n-burn websites?

verilix said:

Create long-term websites that earn money from advertising, instead of churn-n-burn websites?

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This. Do this and you'll be fine. One goes down you have others. Replace what goes down and keep going.

Keep calm and carry on.

A) SEO will never die.
B) There is always other things CPA,Affiliate Marketing,PPC,etc
So dont keep all your eggs in one basket.

Untouchable said:

A) SEO will never die.
B) There is always other things CPA,Affiliate Marketing,PPC,etc
So dont keep all your eggs in one basket.

Click to expand...

why would you rank your crap on Google alone ? Google is starting to suck it's own dick and if they will keep it up people will start moving towards other search engines which are just as good G is starting to collapse on itself otherwise they wouldn't approach the PPC audience like they're doing it now ... i give them another 2 years max

lmxftw said:

why would you rank your crap on Google alone ? Google is starting to suck it's own dick and if they will keep it up people will start moving towards other search engines which are just as good G is starting to collapse on itself otherwise they wouldn't approach the PPC audience like they're doing it now ... i give them another 2 years max

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True. You can rank on other sites. Nothing wrong with that.
Truth is everyone is dependent on big G. They are creating more and more things that we are gonna rely on. Like self driving cars, google glasses, google internet,etc. So we wont be able to escape anytime soon unless a true competitor arises.

My strategy is this:

I do build sites for long term and make them like small community's with a personality/brand .
That way I don't rely on traffic just from G because it opens opportunity's from other bloggers/sites. It's much easier to approach other to get links
that way because when they check out your site they see a blog from someone with a passion about the topic the blog writes about.
I am not always passionate about all topics I have blogs in but an entrepreneur is good at deliberate to others aka outsourcing.

In return for a little higher investment( if you compare with a micro niche site) I get a blog that has direct advertising opportunities, better way to get
high valued links and a blog that has value in itself that is worth flipping for $$$$.

The downside is you must invest a little more (no 5$ content)
And the site must mature first (may take 3 months and above) but most sites make money sooner than that.

To answer your question as a summarize: If for whatever reason G decides to disappear I will just build stronger connections with other sites
to get more traffic.