How to find SEO Companies
in the Business of Ranking Websites!
Are you looking for an SEO company?
To find a competent website optimizer, visit a few Internet SEO
forums where the experts “hang out” and read the comments posted
there – you’ll soon figure out who knows what they’re talking
about and who is there just to ask the experts so they can “attempt”
to optimize a website (maybe yours) leaving you with an incomplete job
and little “ranking,” along with a bad opinion of SEO companies.
If your website needs Search Engine
Optimization (SEO), the following guidelines will assist you in
determining what to look for in an SEO Companies or an SEO expert:
1)
Every day business owners like you hire web design companies that
“include some SEO” in their proposals as an “add-on,” rather
than an important feature, of their web design services.
If the web design company you hire fails to consult with you
about “optimization” of your site, don’t have high expectations
for your website’s ability to generate “leads.”
That’s not to say that it won’t generate ANY qualified leads
– it’s just that your site won’t be getting the best results
overall.
2)
You can also purchase SEO software, which may be helpful, but
only in rare cases. For the
most part, what works for one website won’t necessarily work for
another and each site needs to be optimized for its particular history
and/or goals. There are
simply too many factors to consider and the criteria used for
optimization is frequently changed by the search engines, so software
becomes obsolete quickly.
3)
Don’t expect immediate results -- many website owners expect to
see instant SEO results. Unfortunately,
however, search engine optimization takes time; generally it will take
three to six months to make any significant “jump” in search engine
results. If you are
launching your website for the first time, it could take up to a year,
especially in highly competitive markets.
There is a common misconception among website business owners
that all you have to do is “add some SEO” to your site and you’ll
instantly generate countless sales.
It simply does not work that way – it is true that being at the
top of the page on search results gives you the potential to
significantly increase leads and sales, but instant results are
impossible. So, don’t be
fooled by any promise of immediate results.
4)
As stated above, don’t be misled by the promise of instant
results. Improper
SEO techniques can have the exact opposite effect you’re looking for
(in other words NOT being found in searches, not producing leads, not
generating sales or not being able to adequately service existing
customers) if you use unacceptable methods.
5)
In my experience with initial consultations, many website owners
are surprised to learn that “submission of a website to search
engines” ended in the 1990s. Today
SEO services include not just the basics of on-site work, but also link
building, press releases, social media networking, viral content for
link baiting, etc.
6)
Don’t confuse Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with Pay-Per
Click (PPC). Although they
are both used as methods of generating target market traffic to
websites, it is generally believed that SEO yields better returns on
your investment, although it is more difficult to measure.
On the other hand, PPC is easily measured but has become so
expensive in some highly competitive markets that many website owners
have been “priced out” and simply cannot afford to continue
utilizing PPCs.
7)
Although anyone can learn the basics of SEO (which is probably
why so many business owners and/or webmasters believe that SEO is
“easy”), the truth is there are many factors to consider in website
optimization and hiring a company with experience is your best bet for
achieving satisfactory results. As
an analogy, consider your thought process when you take your car in for
service. You may understand
that the engine or transmission or valve is “broken,” but you leave
the details of the repair to the experts!
Since there is no standardized “certification” program for
SEO, it’s up to you to find the most reputable company and, in that
regard, I again would refer you to SEO forums on the Internet, where the
“experts” meet to discuss the latest trends in the industry.
8)
You should also be wary of seo companies that guarantee placement in
the top 10 positions on Internet searches.
Even the search engine companies admit that it is unfeasible and,
in fact, impossible to achieve such results.
Any honest SEO consultant will tell you this “up-front” and
offer no guarantees.
9)
Also, don’t insist that your SEO efforts focus only on one
keyword (for example, “cars”).
In the car industry, you want your website to rank high in the
search results for not just “cars,” but also for whatever particular
“niche” in the car industry your website involves.
You may also want to optimize for your particular geographical
area, targeting your local “niche” market and not necessarily people
outside your “selling area.”
10) Finally, don’t ignore the bigger picture:
web surfers who land on your site will immediately move on to
your competitor’s site if they don’t feel your business is credible.
You have a matter of seconds to show them what they are looking
for before they move away and onto the website of one of your
competitors. Therefore, a
website with a time-consuming “flash intro” or that looks like your
teenage nephew put it together last weekend is probably going to lack
factual, up-to-date information and other relevant content.
Hire a professional at the beginning and save yourself problems
down the road
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