Now that the SMX Advanced conference has faded into memory, Rand Fishkin has posted something for those who may not be advanced enough for SMX topics. This will be a shock for those who understand 301 redirects, but not everyone knows how to use them properly.

Fortunately, Rand's 'Mystery Guest', aka Geraldine, has a gifted beginner's handle on the basics, and a deft hand on the keyboard. Her recent post at SEOmoz offers a beginner's guide, garnered through her experience gained from being asked about search optimization at her day job.

Her list of eight ideas tends to come back to one concept: clear communications. Even the brightest of people don't know everything, i.e., her boss doesn't understand how spam works. The vagaries of topics like redirects or SERPs need to be explained, not tossed off without enlightening the listener. "I have no idea why the hell Ask.com ads mention an algorithm," she wrote. "I can't imagine anyone outside of the SEO industry knowing what that means."

People don't want to risk looking dumb, and sometimes will nod in understanding rather than asking questions. Those SEOs who want to do well by their clients should make Rand's Mystery Guest happy and provide answers up front. Education given is just as valuable as education gained. Anyone competent enough to be doing effective SEO work should have no problem communicating and teaching along the way.