As SEO professionals, one thing we are used to hearing about is the hundreds of SEO companies out there claiming to be experts who can miraculously help businesses reach the top of the search engine results. If only it were that simple! Recent changes to the Google search algorithms have also been described in a number of SEO blogs as ‘anti-SEO’.
A recent article mentions Matt Cutts, the head of the spam fighting team at Google,and quotes him as saying, “We don’t consider SEO to be spam. SEOis a valid way to help people find what they’re looking for via search engines.” Well, that’s good to know. The same article also pointed out that Mr Cutts acknowledges there are bad SEO companies out there, operating black-hat tactics in an attempt to boost their clients’ rankings, when all they do is create more spam. He is right of course, there are many companies out there who still use in-genuine SEO tactics as standard rather than helping their clients build their content and employ solid white hat techniques to get ahead.
Like all business conducted online, competition is fierce and can be cut-throat. We decided it was time to do a little article to guide you on finding yourself a good SEO professional, and what the best SEO companies should be able do for you.
Here are some tips so you can tell the professionals from the cowboys, the movers and shakers from the out-right fakers.
Our first tip is true when you are looking for any supplier, regardless of the service or product you wish to purchase; look at how the company presents itself. You are looking for a company who presents itself professionally, has a well-designed, functional website which is obviously built by a team who know what they are doing, and demonstrate it in their own promotional tools.
Look in detail at the information of the website. Is the information genuinely helpful to you or is it just page after page of sales pitch – ‘we are the best and can get you to the top’ – rhetoric. Your first impression counts, especially when you are looking for a reputable SEO company, the look, feel and content of a website is essential to effective SEO, so if the company claiming to be experts have let themselves down with a less than professional effort, simply move along, there are many more SEO companies you could choose from.
Recommendations and reviews from previous clients are the best way to identify a good SEO service that you can trust.
The majority of our business comes via client recommendations. Our reputation has been built up by delivering the right results for clients over a number of years. Just like all the other good SEO companies out there, it is a fight to compete with the new, less experienced kids on the block. However, what we have found is that as the search engines change, our tactics need to change, and as a result of this continuing change, many of our clients have come back to us for help implementing a fresh SEO strategy for their business.
We can’t stress enough, the importance of professional portfolios of successful work, delivered to a wide variety of business clients. A portfolio is a true indication of the professionalism of a company. It is the single most important tool we have to promote our own services, and acquire new clients and projects.
If you are looking for an SEO company, there is no doubt you will be hoping to find the best professionals, who know how to deliver results. We all know that business owners are not stupid, far from it. They all look at past performance and work with previous clients to see whether the services offered are real, authentic and value for money. If you want to separate the diamonds in the rough, simply look at past their performance, reviews and customer feedback.
Ask fellow business owners for recommendations too. This will be one way you can easily find a good, professional SEO team who can deliver the results you are looking for. The cowboys will load their websites with flashy promises and numerous awards and prizes. The real SEO professionals will tell you the truth, professionally, show you their achievements clearly, and make their portfolio available, with recommendations.
Another big clue is to do some Google searches on the company you are considering. It may sound simple, but you would be shocked by how many SEO companies there are out there who do not employ the SEO tactics they claim to be experts in!
Find and choose an SEO company who clearly demonstrate its abilities through its own search engine rankings, its own content creation, and its reputation among clients. If they don’t deem their own rankings as important, then how will they ever succeed in improving yours?
Check out the relevant video resource at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhAshKx-Roo.
