I was reviewing some requests for SEO services recently and couldn't help but notice that many...and I mean a LOT of the requests were from companies looking to rank for super generic terms. I mean keywords like "employment", "recruiting", "jobs" and so on.  Here's the problem...

Do Any of Those Terms Indicate Buying Behavior
or That Someone is Ready to Take Action?

Nope.

If you're like most businesses, your profits are based on making sales, not just getting traffic to your site. I suppose that if your business was purely based on advertising, then it might make sense to go after really generic terms like these, but I'm still not sold on the idea, even in those cases.

SEO is far too time consuming and far too expensive to waste time targeting terms that are unlikely to bring qualified visitors to your site that are ready, eager and willing to buy. I say "buy" but that could also be "request a quote", "call for a free consultation" or whatever action it is that you want your website visitors to take.

Keep in mind that when you go to the doc or your accountant, you're relying on them to guide you down the right path based on what you're trying to do (feel better, pay less to Uncle Sam, whatever). The same is true if you're working with a savvy SEO consultant or company. A better approach is to let them know where you're trying to get to, then let them propose a few suggestions for how to get there, based on their unique and specific experience.  Then evaluate their recommendations and adjust accordingly until you both reach a workable solution.

Any SEO that agrees to get your site ranked for something as broad and vague as "employment" clearly doesn't understand how people search online or what the real goals are for most businesses. And even worse if they say they can do it for $99 a month. :)

Needless to say, I didn't take on this project or any of the others like it that came my way.

But it does make for good blog fodder.