9 Questions to ask your SEO company BEFORE you hire them!
Did you know... everyday people just
like you and me spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on
SEO companies that promise to get our website to the top of Google, Yahoo,
MSN, and a
host of other search engines?
A guaranteed Number 1 spot in the major search engines, for your top
keywords, is a tempting
offer for any website owner. It means more people will find your
website, and you'll likely get more visitors... and more sales. So we spend our money and wait for the
results.
Unfortunately, many of these SEO companies are just selling us a bunch
of expensive hype.
First... no one can guarantee you a number 1 spot in the search
engines overnight, unless they're either using "black hat"
techniques, which will move you up in the search engines very
quickly, but will also get your website banned from the search engines
altogether (as soon as they discover what you're doing, and sooner
or later, the search engines will figure it out)
or...
They're talking about low competition search phrases, that don't
represent what your company is about. And search words your
potential customers will never look for...
What good is being number 1 on the search engines for "computer
hardware made in the Midwest" when your
website is only selling "business software programs"?
Sure, they sound related (sort of) but it's not what your visitors
are expecting to find when they visit your site, and they're going
to click away as fast as they arrive.
or...
The SEO company plans on having a bunch of high ranking sites, from their own
network, linking to your website. These "back links" can
increase your page rank and move your site up
reasonably quickly, but as soon as you stop paying them the $1500.00
to $3000.00 a month, they remove the links and your website
plummets.
It can be difficult for the novice to understand the process it
takes to get your website to the top of the search engines.
So, here's a short list of questions you should ask your SEO company
before you give them any money...
1) What kinds of tactics do you use?
It's important to avoid companies using questionable or – black-hat
– techniques. Search engines can actually penalize or even ban your
website if they discover you using "unethical" ways of manipulating
their algorithms. And sooner or later... they WILL find out.
Also there are no secrets when it comes to search engine
optimization. There is however, a steep learning curve, and it takes
a determined effort to keep up with the ever changing algorithms. If
a company won't tell you what kind of tactics they plan to use
(because they say it's "proprietary" information) then
you may want to look elsewhere.
2) What
keywords (or search phrases) will you optimize my website for?
Getting your
website to the top of the search engines is easy, if you want to
optimize for low competition keywords, that no one will ever search
for to find your company. As stated above, what good is having your
website optimized for keywords that have nothing to do with your
website?
By contrast, if
you want to be #1 for a very competitive group of keywords, then you
may have a huge (and expensive) task ahead of you. For example...
type the word "software" into Google and it will return over ONE
BILLION results. That's a lot of competition!
Also, it's a very
vague search term. What kind of software are you selling? If you're
selling small business software, then why waste your time (and
money) competing with companies selling everything from "video game
software" to "photo shop software" and everything in between.
This is where
quality "keyword research" comes in. First you need to determine the
best keywords for your type of website, and then we need to cross
reference them with the keywords that people are actually searching
for.
3) Will you edit my website’s content?
The answer to this should be yes. A decent SEO firm will work on
your copy to ensure it's optimized for the search engines as well as
optimized for your visitors readability. Just make sure they show
you the changes they make, BEFORE the new content is added to your
live website (so you can be sure it still reflects what you want
your website to represent)
4) Do you have long-term strategies for my website?
There is no magic bullet when it comes to SEO. Search engines are
constantly evolving, and changing their algorithms. The real
benefits come from long term, sustained work. Any company which claims it can
keep your website at the top of the search engines for a
one-time-fee is almost certainly trying to sell you something they
can't provide.
5) Can I have your phone number?
SEO companies are usually highly web-based, and the majority of
dealings you have with them may be via email. However, if you have
any questions, concerns or just want to chat about the future of
your pages, they should provide you with a phone number. Sometimes
it’s good to talk.
6) If you supply new content to my website, will I own it?
Often, an SEO company will provide new copy for your pages in order
to boost the sites popularity with the search engines. Make sure
that this content is yours, to keep even if you stop using the
companies services.
Some companies
may want to copyright the content as their own. But if you paid for
it, it should belong to you.
7) Do you have a special relationship with the search
engines?
If your would-be SEO company says ‘yes’, don't walk away form them...
RUN AWAY, they are lying to you. Search engines will often seek the help of
SEO agencies for testing purposes, but any “special relationships” with
optimization companies would damage the search engine’s results and
reputation.
8) When can I expect results?
A good SEO company will explain the timeframe you are likely to see
for your returns. Some tactics will take longer than others. For
example a well-planned paid ad campaign, or a "Pay Per Click"
campaign, could see almost instant results. But when you stop paying
for the exposure, your websites traffic could suffer. While a quality
organic optimization will take longer to produce results (possibly
30...60...or even 90 days), but they usually stand the test of time,
once your website has been established.
Sometimes it's a good idea to start with a paid campaign while
building your organic optimizing strategy. That way your website
will start seeing traffic quickly while you're waiting for it to
show up at the top of the search engines. Good SEO companies
will not be afraid to explain this and give you some idea of what to
expect.
9) How much do you cost?
This one sounds obvious, but it had to be said.
SEO can take time and it can take a budget. There will be returns on
that investment, but it's still a big commitment for some companies.
You will want to be sure you can afford it – so check prices. Many
agencies will offer budget deals or tailor their efforts to fit your
budget.
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So there you have it... Our top 9 questions to ask before you hire
any SEO company. There may be other questions worth asking also, but
if you can have these questions answered to your satisfaction,
then you've probably found a worthy search engine optimization
company.
If you'd like us to take a look at your website,
and offer some suggestions on how we can improve your search
listings, just fill out our contact form. We'll visit your website,
and get back to you with some suggestions for improvements. Then we
can talk about designing an SEO campaign that will fit your budget.
