However, like every business, there are
good companies and there are lemons. Knowing the right questions to ask and the
criteria to look for will help you in choosing an affordable, effective Search
Engine optimization company.
When looking at different companies, begin
by considering the approach they employ to raise your Search Engine positions.
Steer clear of companies that use cloaked, doorway, or bridge pages to raise
your positions. These techniques violate most Search Engine policy, and in the
worst case scenario, will only get your website severely penalized, if not
removed entirely from a Search Engine's index.
A cloaked page is a page that is created
which is invisible to the regular visitor to your website. The cloaked page is
coded to detect a Search Engine spider and divert them to this special page,
which is set-up to artificially boost your Search Engine position. Doorway or
bridge pages utilize the same concept, but often reside on an entirely
different server. Google, the largest and
most important Search Engine on the Internet, will remove your website from
their index if they detect you have cloaked pages. So never, never employ any company that uses this technique!
Another important
element is to get a guarantee that the company you hire will not work with your
competitors while they are working for you. Obviously, this would seriously
compromise the effectiveness of the Search Engine optimization campaign. Be
aware that some companies will use the success they achieve for your website to
sell their services to your competitors. So get your guarantee in writing, and
make sure it is legally binding.
Of course, one of the most important
factors you want to check out is the company's track record of results.
However, don't take the company's word for it. They will undoubtedly be
slanting their results in order to sell their services to you. To go beyond
their simple statement of success, ask them a few pertinent questions, and
verify their answers.
Ask them which engines they have achieved
the best results on. The ones that are important are the most popular engines,
and these are the ones you want to see good results on. Since the popularity of
Search Engines can change with the landscape of the overall Internet, check out
the Nielsen Netratings page at Search Engine Watch.
You can access this at
Next, find out what keywords and phrases
they are claiming great results with. It's easy to get high rankings with
unpopular words. For instance, the keyword "cat leashes" will get
high popularity ranking because no one else would think of using it. What you
are looking for is good results using popular keywords.
Check out the software Wordtracker,
available at http://www.wordtracker.com.
You can order a free trial, or a subscription ranging from 1 day to 1 year.
This software rates the popularity of keywords and phrases based on actual
Search Engine use.
Next, look for good results over an entire
site that the company claims to have successfully worked for. You want to see a
wide range of positions over a number of different Search Engines using
different keywords or phrases for the entire site. Request a report for any
client the company claims to have done well for. This report should show good
positions on a number of the most popular Search Engines for a variety of
different, popular keywords and phrases.
When you are checking out Search Engine
optimization companies, make sure they have actually done the work they are
claiming to have done. Some companies will use other company's results in order
to get you to sign on with them. If you are in doubt, call the company they are
showing you results for, and ask for the name of their Search Engine
optimization company.
It's important to keep in mind that a
successful Search Engine optimization campaign will result in maximum exposure
across a wide range of popular Search Engines using a variety of keywords and
phrases. This is the formula for a successful campaign, and you should keep it
always in the forefront of your marketing strategy.
Ask the Search Engine optimization company
you are considering for a report that shows you rankings across a number of
popular Search Engines for a period of at least six months. Remember: Search
Engine marketing is a process that is continual, and you need a company that
not only understands this, but keeps constant tabs on your Search Engine
positions. That company must also be able to adjust its strategy in the event
that Search Engine rankings drop.
Since Search Engine marketing is an on-going
process, your positions must be constantly monitored. If you want your Search
Engine optimization company to do this for you, request a sample of a monthly
report. It is essential that this report should show rankings for the most
popular Search Engines. Don't be impressed by a report that only shows great
results for a limited number of small Search Engines. These are fairly easy
results to acquire. Also confirm that the popular Search Engine results they
are showing you are indeed the popular Search Engines currently.
Be sure the sample report the company shows
you is in a format that you can easily understand. For example, it could
be in the form of a chart that covers a period of at least six months and
presents data such as the top 50 positions broken down on a monthly basis or
the top 5 pages each month. Then, ascertain that the company you are
considering actually monitors these positions or pages every month, and that
the sample report they show you includes findings and recommendations for the
specific site. This insures that the company will actively monitor and make
adjustments to their strategy on a continual basis rather than simply gather
statistics on your positions. You need a company that is actively participant
in your Search Engine marketing campaign, not just an information gatherer.
Obviously, your finances have to figure
into your choice of company, but bear in mind that a Search Engine optimization
company is crucial the success of your marketing campaign. It is not just a
casual accessory. If you cannot afford a company that will do a thorough and
reliable job for your website, you might consider waiting until you do have the
finances in place.
If you have to find a company and can't
wait for your finances to catch up, you may be able to find an affordable
company that will also be able to supply quality, reliable work, such as a
fairly new company. Just remember that there are risks involved with using a
company without a proven track record - and that risk is your money! Don't take
that leap unless the company can supply you with a least a few references.
References are the most reliable indicator
of a good company. Don't use a company that won't show your references because
of any reason, confidentiality included. Remember - even doctors will provide
references! The firm you choose should provide you with a minimum of two
references, one that is from the past, and one that is current.
When you contact these references, be
prepared to ask precise, specific questions so that neither of your time is
wasted. Ask them what their experience was like with the company, such as their
availability to answer questions and deal with problems and their ability to
meet deadlines. Ask the reference to rate the overall performance of the
company.
Find out if the company requested that the
reference make significant changes to their web pages that affected the visitors
coming to their site. You are looking for a Search Engine optimization company
that can balance the needs of both Search Engines and site visitors without
compromising either.
The most essential question to ask is
whether the work of the Search Engine optimization company resulted in higher
profits for the reference. Without profits, it doesn't matter whether your
positions are at the top of the list or not.
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