If you are looking for a professional SEO specialist, be aware that they are, like any other business professional, not all the same. They can do their job well or badly. Sometimes this isn’t as big of a deal. Other times, however, this can really damage your web site. Here are some questions to ask when seeking an SEO consultant.
- Does the professional SEO consultant know his or her business?
- How long have they been doing this type of work?
- Do the SEO writers write their own SEO articles?
- Do the SEO writers know about article submission and directory submission and how to use SEO tools in order to maximize effectiveness?
- Does the professional SEO specialist make pie in the sky promises, or are they very realistic and based on experience?
- Do they know the top ways to get Google ranking?
- Is the professional SEO consultant aware of the latest trends and knows just how to get clicks to your website by using Meta tag descriptions and top ranking?
- Do they offer SEO services that are custom built to you and your needs?
- Are their prices and services reasonable? What approaches and strategies do they employ to raise your search engine position? Does the company use doorway pages (the answer should be no)
- Is the professional SEO specialist willing or not to work with your competitors? (This is a must know! This must be agreed to before you let them work for you. Have the guarantee in writing and make certain that it is legally binding for the professional SEO services that you are thinking about choosing.)
- What are the SEO service provider’s track records? (Find out what search engines they have had success with and what keywords and phrases they have had the most results with. Also, find out if they have good results over an entire site.)
When dealing with a professional SEO specialist, you need to make sure that they have done the work they say they have done. Ask your consultants if they can show you a report that shows rankings through many search engines for six months. Make sure the report that is shown to you is in a format that you can easily understand. SEO services are not cheap, so finances will have to figure into the equation. Most professional SEO consultants will also happily give you references and will answer any precise and specific questions. Finally, you will need to find out whether or not the professional SEO specialist’s work results/end in a higher rate of return.
These are just some general guidelines to go by when looking for a professional SEO specialist. If you get all of your questions answered, references checked and reports verified, then you are well on the way to hiring a true winner. By choosing the right consultants, you will not only be assured of a better return, but also you will be dealing with someone that is ethical and willing to do business just for you, not your competitors. One last thing to keep in mind is just because you have a higher page rank or are on Page #1 on Google does not mean you will get conversions… that has to do with online marketing and social networking not SEO. Choosing the right company can be a little bit of a hassle, but it is well worth it.
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It’s also important to find out if the SEO Specialist already is promoting or working with another client in your niche. I run into this alot, especially with real estate companies looking to promote in the same region or city in the US.
When they start asking why they are #2 and another company is #1 for a given phrase and then find out I am also doing SEO for the #1 company it makes for a – shall we say – awkward conversation.
The SEO Specialist should disclose this upfront IMO. Surprisingly when I am upfront the client is often fine with it – it actually gives them confidence that you can do it again. If you’re not upfront and they find out later, the client will feel there was a breach of trust, and you (the SEO specialist) were just trying to make a fast buck off of them.
Great article
DM