There are hundreds of Search Engine Optimization (SEO, for short) companies that claim they provide “successful,” “proven”, “guaranteed” search engine placement for your Web site. How do you know whether they deliver on their promise, when you have no clue how they do it? Most firms can’t afford a staffer who specializes in online marketing. Most find it’s best to outsource to an SEO firm. So, how can you tell which one to choose? The most important six elements are described below. Take a moment to educate yourself. You’ll be saving yourself time, money and lots of headaches if you get it right the first time.
1.) SEO Focus
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Jack of all trades, Master of none?” Well, you sure don’t want to apply this to the SEO firm you select. Make sure the firm you are going to hire is focused in the SEO field. If they’re a Web site design firm masquerading as a SEO firm on the side, RUN! Are they a hosting company who claims they’re “proficient” in putting your company on the top of Internet Search Engines? RUN! Winner’s Focus. Loser’s Spray. Hire only an SEO whose business is search engine optimization. They will be your expert.
2.) Know About Outsourcing
Many designers outsource their work to someone else, which is completely acceptable. Not all firms that design Web sites or offer Web site hosting do the optimization work. They often outsource it themselves! When approaching a firm for services always ask, “Do you outsource your SEO work?” As the person responsible for the Web site, you must know who will be carrying out your SEO work. You must also be able to speak with the SEO firm directly, don’t rely on your designer to understand SEO language.
3.) Are They a Local Company?
If you have a Web site or work for a company that has a Web site, the likelihood of you receiving a phone call or SPAM trying to you sell you SEO services is inevitable. The cost of having proper work done on your Web site to obtain the high ranking you’re looking for will cost in the neighborhood of $5,000 to $15,000 per year. You must ask yourself, “Why would I give someone I never met $5,000?” You do not know who is on the other end of the phone or who sent out that SPAM. Why not invite them to come in and sit down with you and your staff so that they can better understand your business? Face to face – buy local. Always try to give your business to the local company. This allows you to meet the people who will be working for you. Would you hire an employee without meeting them? I doubt it.
4.) Guarantee and Referrals
Many SEO firms offer a guarantee. That’s standard operating procedure. If a SEO firm says that they can get you the #1 position on Google, RUN! NOONE can guarantee that, for no amount of money. A good SEO firm will know what it takes to get good rankings on the major search engines, but they cannot guarantee a #1 position. They can guarantee a certain number of Top 10’s or Top 5’s if they have a strong understanding of how search engines work. But do not hire an SEO firm just because they offer a guarantee. Check with some of their clients for their feedback. If a firm is just guaranteeing to get your site ranked, be careful. Anyone can get a site ranked, but where it ranks is the key.
5.) Ethical Practices
This seems obvious, but because SEO placement is such a new, gray area, we can’t judge their techniques, only their integrity. Make sure the SEO firm that you are going to do business with has an ethical reputation. See if they have claims with the Better Business Bureau. You want to do business with a company who will invest in your company. This is not a one way street.
Be advised of SEO firms who utilize the following less than ethical techniques:
Doorway pages
Cloaking / IP Delivery Page
Redirects
Hidden Text
Link Farms
Submission Spam
Look for these Ethical Techniques:
Search Engine Friendly Meta tags
Optimized Content
Quality Inbound Link
Hand Submissions
Paid Inclusion
While the unethical techniques can provide you with quick results, they will hurt a Web site in the long run. They are short-term fixes to a long-term challenge. By creating search engine friendly Meta tags, optimizing the content on your existing site, creating quality links into your site from within the search engines, and enhancing these techniques with proper submission procedures, your Web site will receive the most comprehensive and effective SEO services.
6.) Maintenance and Customer Service
Any good SEO firm will provide ongoing maintenance to maintain rankings on the search engines. The search engines are always looking to improve on the results they provide. When they do make changes, you want to make sure that you have an SEO firm who implements the changes needed to make sure your rankings do not slip. Most SEO firms will run ranking reports at least twice a month. These reports are a great way to track your results. The reports allow you to see exactly where your site is ranking. If you notice any major change in your rankings, call the customer service department. They should be able to help you determine what needs to be done to correct the problem.
Remember, when looking for an SEO firm, choose wisely. There are many firms to choose from, but what one is right for you? Are they focused on SEO or are their hands in many different pots? Are they the ones doing the work or do they outsource the work? Will they sit down with you and put a face with the service? What type of guarantee do they offer and do they have referrals? Do they use ethical techniques and what type of maintenance and customer service do they offer? These are all the things to take into consideration when looking to hire a SEO firm.
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Dan Buttarazzi is Vice President of Premium Rankings Corporation professional search engine marketing firmed based in Raleigh. You can reach Dan at daniel@premiumrankings.com
