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There are multiple
factors to look at when choosing a search marketing company.
Not every project will
work with every search marketing company. It depends on your goals,
budget and business style, and may take a few meetings to find the right
company that fits.
When you work with a
search marketing company, not all companies are created equal. Like
hiring a lawyer, accountant, contractor, or carpenter, each person or
company has certain strengths, abilities, experiences and knowledge. As
well, the cheapest solution may not provide the best value, or provide
the results you are looking for. On the other hand, the most expensive
may be beyond project budgets.
As a
potential client, begin by
- Looking at who the
company has worked with. Past clients can tell you what kind of
projects the company has experience in and give you a sense of the
company's goals and values.
- Ask for past
examples of projects, case studies and testimonials.
Are they certified by search engines?
- Ask whether the
company participates in "black hat" SEO tactics.
- Consider purchasing
Marketing Sherpa' guide to SEO firms - they have a good list of
questions to cover during this process.
Google also offers some
great tips when researching firms. We highly recommends reading this
page if you are looking for a SEM company -
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35291
Be wary of SEO firms that send you email out of the
blue.
"Dear website owner,
I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most
of the major search engines and directories..."
Reserve the same skepticism for
unsolicited email about search engines as you do for "burn fat at
night" diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed
dictators.
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
Beware of SEOs that claim to
guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or
advertise a "priority submit" to Google. There is no priority submit
for Google.
Be careful if a
company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do.
Ask for explanations if something is
unclear. If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your
behalf using other pages or "throwaway" domains, your site could be
removed entirely from Google's index. Ultimately, you are
responsible for the actions of any companies you hire, so it's best
to be sure you know exactly how they intend to "help" you.
Be careful of mass
submission & linking schemes
Avoid SEOs that talk about the power
of "free-for-all" links, link popularity schemes, or submitting your
site to thousands of search engines. These are typically useless
exercises that don't affect your ranking in the results of the major
search engines -- at least, not in a way you would likely consider
to be positive.
Some SEOs may try to sell you the ability to type
keywords directly into the browser address bar.
Most such proposals require users to
install extra software, and very few users do so. Evaluate such
proposals with extreme care and be skeptical about the self-reported
number of users who have downloaded the required applications.
Choose wisely.
Because the SEO relationship typically is ongoing, it is important to
find a firm and a main contact at that firm with whom you are
comfortable dealing on a regular basis. Ask if the person who pitches
you the business is the person you’ll be working with.
While the pros and cons of optimizing yourself or hiring an outside firm
can vary significantly depending on your company’s internal
capabilities, budget, and goals, the decision to hire an SEO company
should come down to the amount of time you have available to learn the
process yourself and your budget. When done well, either by you or a
professional, search engine optimization is an effective way to promote
your business and possibly generate sales.
Top
Secret SEO Checklist
To learn more about an
Internet Solution that really works for your
business, use the form on "Contact Us" page to
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session- to help your business gain full
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