How To Find A Good SEO Company

Cited by marketers as one of the most effective tactics for generating sales or leads from websites, SEO has single handedly taken over the online world. However, even though the majority of marketers comprehend the importance of SEO, a significant percentage tends to perceive this online marketing strategy as highly technical, almost mysterious principle that is best left in the hands of experts. It is no wonder then, that a big number of time strapped, medium and small sized businesses opt to outsource their site optimization to trained professionals. This coupled by the fact that a simple Google search for SEO companies will turn up countless of services offering ‘incredible’ or ‘fast’ results for irresistibly low monthly rates or even a fixed one-time payment makes it even easier for them. Still, it is not all rainbows and smiles in the SEO industry as some of the ‘professionals’ prey on unsuspecting clients to get quick cash without delivering their end of their bargain. So how do you ensure you get the best value for your money?

How to find a Good SEO Company

1. Know what you want

The process of finding the best SEO Company begins when you actually know what your business wants. Do you want more visitors? A better conversion rate? More opt-ins? … Carrying out a SEO audit may help you identify areas that need attention. In the case that you are new in the SEO world, then having an SEO consultant explain the various factors involved should be on your to-do list. Keep in mind that the more you know, the higher your chances of getting what you want. On a different line however, note that outsourcing your SEO is a leap of faith; you will spend valuable marketing dollars on the project and will therefore have to show returns. It is therefore easy to get lured in by firms that guarantee specific traffic increases or top rankings. Desist from falling into such temptations, the fact is reputable SEO firms DO NOT offer fast results or guaranteed rankings. Any good SEO project will take 2-3 months to starts showing results.

2. Get Recommendations

Much like shopping for a good plumber, word of mouth also works when searching for a good SEO company. Get recommendations from friends and business associates, and if neither of them provide helpful information, then feel free to try any of these sources;

• SEO Consultants directory
• Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization
• Marketing Prof. Com’s Vendor Selectors
• Digital point
• SearchEngineWatch

Still, just because a particular SEO company is recommended doesn’t mean that you should give them a free pass. Carry out a background check to see what they are all about. Ask for references and search for the company’s reviews; when it comes to online deals, you should never give anyone the benefit of doubt. One particular area that should be a focus of your scrutiny is the strategy employed by the company in question. SEO experts have a host of techniques to achieve higher ranking for your site; however, not all are considered above board. The unaccepted techniques are called ‘black hat’ SEO techniques and although are not illegal per se, they are highly discouraged by the SEO community and are also detrimental to the health of your site. Common black hat techniques include;

• Doorway passages- This is the creation of stand-alone and keyword heavy pages specifically for ranking on search engines but which automatically redirect visitors to another page
• Keyword stuffing- Involves cramming too many keywords on the text of a webpage with no intent to create useful or relevant information for the searcher. Also known as spamming
• Linking schemes- Placing hundreds of inbound links on unrelated web pages just to boost a specific web page’s rank
• Search engines will penalize any site found to be using black hat techniques so make sure your company isn’t.

3. Are your goals in tune?

Good SEO takes time, this means that you will be working with the SEO Company for some time; the last thing you want is to be stuck with a company that has no synchronization with the operation and activities of your company. As much as you want a SEO company that will increase visitors to your site by improving your site’s rank, there is need to mention that other services are also involved; for instance, link building, social media consultation and web design just to mention a few. Therefore, the best SEO company will outline their goals and explain how they will help you achieve your goals. Just a heads up though, even though attracting lots of high-quality links to your site is essential for improving your site’s authority, there are several practices which are frowned upon in the SEO industry. Keep your eyes peeled out for bad link building practices such as ;

• Link trading- Agreeing to offer reciprocal links to any site that agrees to place a link to your website on their site.
• Email link prospecting- this is quite like cold calling, that is, dashing off dozens of generic emails to webmasters requesting them to include a link back to your site
• Rapid link building- Adding thousands or more links to a site that initially had a low number of inbound links most probably as a result of using automated link building programs.

A good SEO company is partner who is willing to get you where you want without taking any short cuts.

4. Progressive views

On your search for a good SEO company, make sure you inquire on their views concerning emerging SEO trends. The best company will have a progressive attitude incorporating new ideas and concepts in order to deliver services more efficiently and conveniently. For example, it has become quite clear that social media holds a strong position in SEO, therefore, it is only logical that the company you choose to work with should have techniques that mash up SEO and social media in to one big successful site optimization.

Bottom line, SEO is not a one-time process but rather one that keeps on going. Therefore, you are better off taking some time to find a good SEO company than rushing in to it all then end up having to suffer massive losses at the end.