Another New Skill: SMO

In the last few years search engine optimization (SEO) has become an important function for every online business. Now get ready for the next wave: social media optimization (SMO).

Part of the challenge of working in an emerging new industry is that rules, to the extent they exist at all, are written in sand, not stone. Tomorrow's critical skillset may not have existed six months ago. To succeed, you need an open attitude and an eagerness to learn. Complacent satisfaction in past accomplishments won't take you very far.

Less than ten years ago, web site owners increasingly noticed how great performance in search engines could drive a tremendous increase in business, and the SEO industry was born. As search technologies have evolved rapidly, SEO techniques continue to change and search engine marketing (SEM)--where advertisers choose where they want to appear in search results and pay for the privilege--has matured as a complementary strategy.

In the last couple of years social media has ramped up exponentially. Now companies looking for greater online visibility see tremendous potential in tapping into that popularity with techniques such as RSS feeds and links into sites such as Digg that can drive lots of traffic. Effective capture of social media opportunities has become so valuable and complex that, like SEO and SEM, SMO is being offered as a professional service by specialist firms.

Affirming the importance of SMO, it even has its own Wikipedia entry. However, the definition presented here isn't complete--for example, it doesn't touch on the important ability to utilize tools such as FaceBook widgets to gain more exposure.

So brush up on your SMO skills or hire a professional; it's today's hot online marketing tool and one that's likely to remain important for the foreseeable future.