Every business big or small needs SEO. Search Engine Optimization is part of the basic preparation every website needs to rank properly in Google.
When recruiting an SEO firm, do you know what to ask them? Do you know what to ask yourself?
This article will prepare you for the lion's den.
Picking a company to handle your SEO, or search engine optimization, is not a task you should take lightly. It's a big decision, selecting the right firm could bring your company increased business and great success, while picking the wrong one will be a very expensive mistake- it will cost you money, time, and business.
So to help make it a little easier, here is a list of 10 questions you should ask and also things to look for when seeking out an SEO firm.
1. How well does their site rank? The very first thing you should find out about an SEO firm you are looking into is how well their own site is optimized and ranking with search engines. It seems fairly obvious, but it can be easily over-looked while you're busy hearing their sales pitch. Don't waist time and money on a company that doesn't even optimize their own website. Not being able to find them on google for their own keywords and phrases is a deal breaker.
2. What will the SEO firm do for YOU? Another thing you want to look into right away is what they plan to do for you specifically, should you sign up with them. Did they evaluate your website? Do they plan to before you sign up? If they don't offer up what steps they plan to take to optimize your website, based on its current standings, don't give them a second thought. You need a company that is serious about SEO and going to increase your web traffic. If they can't explain some of the steps they plan to take and what they have in mind for you then they can't give you success and you should not trust them. Anything short of a detailed proposal shouldn't be considered acceptable.
3. What services are included? Make sure you get a clear and straight forward answer when you ask exactly what you'll be getting for you money. If this isn't something you're very familiar with and you don't understand something they are telling you, then don't be afraid to ask! It's your company and your money, and you need to feel good about the hands you are placing it in. Find out exactly what your money is buying you, what methods they will employ, and how they will spend their time on your site.
4. Do they have testimonials and successful case studies? What better way to find out what a company is really about than right from their current paying clients. Seek out customer testimonials- if they aren't posted on their website, ask if they have some available or if you can contact one of their clients for a reference. Find out how much success the client has seen since signing up with the firm. How many clients do they have currently? Have they lost any clients? If so why?
5. Who are their clients? If you can, see if you can find out some of their current clients and what kind of businesses they are. Chances are a reputable SEO company will have reputable clients, and visa versa. It's as simple as that.
6. How will progress be measured? Definitely find out what methods the SEO firm plans to use to measure the results of the changes they make on your site. There are a number of different web analytics methods a firm can use to watch web traffic- find out what methods and software the company employs. Web Trends is used by many professionals- this software carefully and closely monitors web traffic so you know what keywords are ranking well and what ones need more optimization. This helps determine what steps need to be taken and what your next course of action will be.
7. How is progress documented? Once you do sign up and they start to work on optimizing your site, you'll want to know what progress is being made and you'll want to see the results. Find out how they plan to show you their success. For example, a company can send its clients clear and detailed reports comparing two time frames to show the increase in web traffic. You should be expecting something similar.
8. Do they do link building? Link building is actually a very important part of SEO and you should look for a firm that plans to incorporate it into the time they spend on your site. It's not hard to rank well for a keyword that no one is competing for, but what good is that? To rank well for highly competitive phrases and keywords that are most likely to bring you in the best traffic, you'll need some kind of link building campaign. (Note: find out if this is included or if it is an extra fee!)
9. Can they write quality content? High quality copy, (written content) is crucial to your website's optimization and success. Having a good copywriter to rewrite or add content to your pages is a big plus and an asset to have in your corner. The overall goal is to have text that is rich in relevant keywords and phrases and that is also informative and useful to your target audience. Poor copy will hurt your page rank and cut short the time visitors spend on your page. An SEO firm that can supply valuable written content on your pages is really something to look for.
10. Unethical Practices? Over the past few years, SEO has gotten a bit of a bad name from firms using unethical methods to try and 'trick' search engines and achieve high rankings in a very short period of time. Some of these methods include 'cloaking' which is a technique used to show one page to a search engine spider and an entirely different page to a visitor. Another method is the use of 'hidden text' where text is hidden in the code of the page which a visitor won't see, but the search engine will still index it. Another method is the creation of 'doorway pages' which are pages with no purpose other than to rank well with search engines. If you hear any SEO firm talk about any of these methods, do not use them for your company! These are unethical methods and eventually your website will suffer the price for their under-the-table schemes.
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