So hacks are not solid marketing? I think SEOs understand how people and the Internet work, and so we're well positioned to be the ones driving this forward. I've personally helped clients with growth strategies based off of new sections of their site to drive traffic using some very cool technical "hacks" that have worked terrificly well and are search engine friendly.
I should have said "hacking" not "hacks". Hacking implies coding (at least to me), and a growth hacker uses programming skills to drive growth. I just don't see many SEOs doing that. I love SEOs, I think most are fantastic people, but when I think Growth Hacker I don't see the SEOs I talk with all the time.
I'm pretty sure even the YC application asks you to a describe a time you hacked a non-computer system. Seems reasonable to extrapolate that not all hacking involves "coding", but bending/manipulating/breaking(?) systems to accomplish your goal (in this case, growth) and maximize your return. No reason to disqualify SEO.
Fair enough, and I like your term "Growth Marketer". But, isn't all marketing focused towards growth (of something?) I guess if we're going to define it narrowly as user growth, then I could get on board with it.
