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Editor's Note: The entire SEO industry is changing at a rapid pace. Some professionals even maintain that traditional SEO is dead. We decided to go to practicing SEOs and ask them what they would like most to see in the industry in the next year or two, and what they would do if there were no such things as search engines. The following is the first of our series.

By Jake Lowrey

While technically no longer an SEO, Kim Krause Berg is well-known in SEO circles. In the 1990s she owned a website and website promotion club devoted to SEO, search engines, directories and how to promote sites.

When asked how she would get traffic if search engines no longer existed, Kim said she would start locally and work up. She pointed out that the top down aspect now provided by SEs could nicely be covered by social media sites, such as YouTube, blogs, and articles in niche sites, which is different than articles directories.

"Word of mouth marketing is very powerful stuff," she said.

Another method she would consider is partnerships with other websites.

"Where I live," Kim said, "some of the most famous fast food chains partner with other ones, to make a new restaurant where you walk in and order root beer from one, and chicken from the other one, all at the same time.

"The same theory would apply if search engines didn't exist. You buddy up with your competitors and find ways to sell together, she said.

Plenty of Local Advertising Opportunities

There are plenty of ways for businesses to advertise their websites off line, she said, especially at the local level.

"I love all the small ways that don't involve the web," Kim said. "My town's athletic associations allow not only huge banners posted on the soccer and baseball fields with business names, but businesses sponsor teams. Every kid wears a t-shirt with the company name on it and when the season is over, they keep wearing those shirts because they're proud to be in sports.

"This is a fairly inexpensive way to work on branding, especially for local businesses."

She pointed out that chambers of commerce sponsor business card exchanges and networking events, which are perfect for getting the word out about a website.

Teaching a course for adults in the evenings is another great marketing tool, Kim said.

"Even craft sites can do this," she said. "Show students how to make jewelry and they will remember you when they want to buy more or send gifts. Always repeat your domain name when talking to students and make sure the URL appears on all handouts." Kim even uses her car to promote her site.

"My domain is my car license plate", she said. "It doesn't make sense at first, but people stop me all the time and ask what 'Cre8pc' means and I tell them it's my website name. That gets a conversation started about what I do."

Search engines draw traffic in faster and in greater numbers, but they are not the end all, she said.

"If they didn't exist, we'd rely on TV, radio and print," she said. "Some computer businesses and Realtors where I live have company cars and moving vans with their URL plastered on the side.

"Sometimes I think we limit our creativity because of how easy it is to rely on search engines for traffic," Kim said.

Necessity Spawns Career

She began her SEO career, like so many during the early years, out of necessity.

"I started out needing to learn techniques while on the job as a web designer," she said, adding that she "developed such a passion for it that I freelanced at night working for other people consulting on how to submit, track and optimize."

Passion seems to be the defining term for Kim.

"In 2002 I made the complete switch over to usability and Internet software application testing work because, again, I was introduced to it on the job and developed an even greater passion for that," she said. "This is when paying for inclusion, reciprocal links and landing pages were all the rage. I found all that boring. I was spoiled by Alta Vista and playing games with rank by simply tweaking title tags."

Along with several good friend, Kim rolled the Cre8pc Website Promotion club, which got its start in 1998, into the now well-known Cre8asiteforums covering search engine marketing, web design, site planning and usability/accessibility.

"This is where we continue to promote education and trying to get accurate information out as best we can," Kim said.

Kim currently supplies usability audits for search marketing companies who understand and value the relationship between marketing and user centered, persuasive design.

"There are so many overlaps between usability, SEO and accessibility that I remain loyal to the SEO industry," she said. "SEO companies trust me because I won't wreck their work efforts. I understand what they need to do on their side."

SEO Industry Needs Excellence, Professionalism

Over the next year or two Kim would like to see the industry strive for more excellence and professionalism.

"SEO/M is a vital part of the web design and marketing food chain," she said, adding that sometimes it appears as though that is not taken seriously.

"The SEO industry is still viewed as a bunch of wild, free-spirited folks who like nothing better than competing and playing head games with data and rank," she said. "What isn't communicated well, yet, is how smart these people are and how valuable the experienced ones are to a company that wants to be found quickly in search engines."

Education will become more vital in the near future she said.

"So many skills are needed for search marketing that it may be that no one person can do it all anymore," Kim said. "Just keeping up with search engine technology involves long hours for research and testing changes to methodology and procedures."

Jake Lowrey has communications experience as a news reporter, editor and public relations professional. Current assignments include writing for Team Link Network.