How do you explain SEO to your friends and family?

[Mandy1]

The nice thing about the ordinary gigs is that everyone knows about them. If you are a doctor or lawyer, people won’t stare at you when you tell them about your job, but if you are an SEO or even a blogger, you will probably have troubles explaining your gig to them.
This is what I experience most of the time. At college, when somebody asks me about what I do, and I say “I’m a Search Marketing Consultant” (I don’t even say I’m an SEO because I don’t want to confuse them with acronyms) they just stare at me and say “what the hell is that”?
So I just start explaining the whole thing and most of the time they don’t get it.
Is it because SEO is so geeky or just a weird job? Some of my family members think that I work for Google which is really funny.

[SouthernFriedJulie]

I just tell people who ask that I make websites better.

[JenNipps]

I just tell people I'm a writer. That covers a very broad base and I generally get an "Oh" response. (Before, of course, they launch into their spiel about being a wannabe writer themselves.)

[SouthernFriedJulie]

I just tell people I'm a writer. That covers a very broad base and I generally get an "Oh" response. (Before, of course, they launch into their spiel about being a wannabe writer themselves.)

Or send you to a webpage with something that makes your eyes bleed.

I don't want to offend new writers. I mean the people who have NO natural talent at ALL. They write in L33t or worse.

[Button]

I say writer. If they ask what I write, I tell them I write content or website pages for businesses.

It is a little amusing. They usually ask if I've written fiction after that. Almost as if the other types of writing isn't really writing or something. I don't know. ;)

[petec]

You are Top Dog at an internet marketing strategy consultancy

[benbradley]

I've got something I want to say, but it involves the words "search engine" and a derogatory word for luncheon meat...

[JenNipps]

I realize you don't like SEO, the term or the theory, but please refrain from being so blatantly anti-SEO, since that is a lot of what is discussed in this particular area of AW.

[AngelRoseDarke]

I tell them I write website content and tutorials. The next question is usually if I get actually get paid for it. My response is always something along the lines of, "If I didn't, I wouldn't do it."

I know that there are some writers out there that look down on SEO writers. All I can say is that it's keeping my home out of foreclosure, so I'm not going to knock a good thing. Those of us that do it put a lot of work into it.

[Button]

I've got something I want to say, but it involves the words "search engine" and a derogatory word for luncheon meat...

Maybe what you have experienced was more like spam.

Search engine optimization requires a lot more than just writing, and top corporations use this method to maintain positions with search engines.

Companies provide content for readers, and optimize for search engines. Many sites do this, including this one, so if you don't like it, well, it's a big, wide world out there...

I've worked with some very interesting, and top clients over the years. I've been paid as much as $90 and up per page. I'm happy with my 'luncheon meat'.

[MrsHannigan]

I wish someone would ask me more about what I do, no one in my real life understands any of this stuff. I make a fantastic income from SEO, writing for revenue-sharing sites and private contracts, so it's totally not lunch meat, it's a cash cow for a mom like me. Why on earth would someone frequent this board if not to share resources and encouragement? What a waste of time.

[inkkognito]

I tell them I am a writing 'ho' and write for websites inbetween print work to get as much folding green as I can. If they are fellow writers, I try to bring them over to the Dark Side too.

[speel00]

I just say that I am writer/blogger, and if they ask what I write about-I just say content writing or technology/gossip or whatever else I have written about.