| SEO Companies - the Good, the Bad and the Downright Dirty |
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This article was borne from an experience I had recently within an on-line SEO Forum. The poster asked a question on how to help his client get Page One listings in Google and also what to put in his monthly SEO report. When I replied that he should never have taken this client on in the first place when he had no knowledge about SEO - the poster retorted abusively and chastised myself for not giving him the advice that he required. This got me thinking: "How many charlatan SEO or Web Design companies are out there ripping clients off with promises of Page One listings or exuberant prices for no return".
I did some research before I decided to write this article and I was
surprised and saddened by the number of companies that I came across on the
Internet (in a very short time frame) that either offer dubious SEO practices
or promises of high rankings so cheap that professional optimization companies
may as well gather their hat and coat and call it a night.
The intense marketing spiel that underhand firms adopt informs you to only
pay them a few hundred bucks and hey presto the view from the top of the Search
Engines is yours for the taking. Now, I have been in the business long enough
to know when something doesn't smell right. But what about the ordinary client
who is only interested in getting their product sold or their service found on
the Internet? How are they supposed to tell which SEO firm is transparent and
which are as dirty as a mucky puddle?
Thus, I have mustered up some key thought indicators that I feel you should
be aware of before any relationship with an SEO Company is worthy of
consideration. They are as follows:
Cost! There is a saying that rings true here "You only get what you pay
for!". If a firm is offering something so sought after as 'Page One in
Google' for an unbelievable price then that is normally what it is:
unbelievable! I'm not saying they won't get you on Page One but it will be for
such an obscure keyword phrase that generates no traffic whatsoever to your
site - your time and money will be wasted.
Blinding you with Science! Please, forget about companies who claim they
have analyzed Google's or any other Search Engine's algorithm and have cracked
the technology and are willing to let you in on the benefits - for a small fee
- virtually gaining your site those prized possessions overnight. The words
"Scam" spring to my mind among a few others which I shall regress in
saying.
Reputation! Ask around amongst friends, business associates, on-line help
forums like Yahoo! Answers or Google Answers for advice before you settle upon
contacting an SEO Company.
Professional SEO companies that are worth their salt mainly get a high
percentage of their business from referrals. Look at the SEO company's site; do
they have a testimonial page (again though, be thorough as testimonials can be
duped) are there contact numbers or a web address? Go one further and call that
company, ask them about the service they received. Were they satisfied? Was it
worth the money? Dig a little then dig some more.
Future Provisions! Just what are you getting for your money? Does the
company have a pro-active approach by embracing new marketing techniques and
technologies or are they just concerned about your meta keyword tag and
advising that you need an extra gazillion pages on your site to be able to rank
better. Will they report back to you at the end of each month with details
about what they have undertaken to help rank your site better?
Trust your Instinct! A professional SEO Company will always ask you
questions to help understand more about your business and the market your in -
not just to help build an on-line profile about your company but to assess what
service suits your requirements. SEO or Web Design companies that offer
one-price-fits-all models have no conceptions (or experience) of the varying
techniques required to help successfully promote a company on-line, drive its
targeted traffic to their site and help boost their positions within the Search
Engines.
Complacency has no room when you are trying to source a company who will
deliver an increased return of investment for your site. Hopefully, I'll never
have the experience again of having to reply to an on-line post about what a
company needs to do in order to rank their clients site. About the Author
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