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October 22, 2004
UK SEO trade association: SMA UK
A trade association for UK SEO's has been launched: The Search Marketing Association.
Currently it's headed by Barry Lloyd, and supported by names such as Mike Grehan and Ammon Johns. I spoke with each of them at September's SEO Roadshow in London, and the idea was already gaining momentum then, so it's great to see it become a reality, especially when there has been so much uncertainty and stinging criticism of SEMPO, an organisation created in the US apparently to support and promote SEO good practice.
I've signed up for the newsletter and will no doubt join - I have great respect for the people involved - not simply because they are very experienced in the field of search marketing, but also because there is a very real will expressed in getting a very real, active, and practical association for SEO running in the UK.
And here's a copy of the press release:
UK to have its own search engine marketing association
London - 21st October 2004 - A working group of search engine marketing professionals in the UK has come together to plan the formulation of a UK based trade association.
The proposed Search Marketing Association UK (SMA-UK) will provide a platform to inform and educate the marketplace of the benefits of search marketing in the overall marketing mix, as well is giving its members an industry voice.
Barry Lloyd of search marketing firm MakeMeTop is acting Chairman of the group, with Andy Atkins-Kruger of search marketing firm Web Certain as acting Deputy.
The Chairman and Deputy Chairman were elected by a secret ballot, single transferable voting system monitored by the Electoral Reform Society with votes being cast by the members of the working group.
"We intend all elections will be held in the same manner in the future, with early elections from the full membership to be held as a matter of urgency" said Barry Lloyd.
"Presently, we are a group of people working to create an association, but we felt it was important to sidestep the trap of being seen as self-appointed so we chose to use the Electoral Reform Society to conduct an independently verified secret ballot of the group to elect the Chairman and Deputy Chairman" added Andy Atkins-Kruger.
An existing US based association was not seen by the group to be appropriate in its operations for the UK market. Barry Lloyd, commenting on the reason for a new UK based association said: "The UK search engine market is currently the second largest in the World outside the United States. After looking at the way trade associations are being developed internationally it has became apparent that the UK should have its own association for this growing sector, set up in a manner to reflect the specific way that both businesses and trade associations operate in the UK and other parts of Europe."
Andy Atkins-Kruger sees the first priority of the working group as rapidly developing a strong membership base: "Now we have an embryonic organisation, a set of objectives and a direction - we need more professionals to come and support our already enthusiastic group to help make the association successful."
More information here:
http://www.sma-uk.org/
Posted by brian_turner at October 22, 2004 10:29 PM
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