Search Engine Optimization Companies

For site owners that are too busy or simply have no desire to handle their own SEO, there are numerous different seo firms out there that can optimize your site for you. However, not all of these SEO companies are created equal. It is very important to weed out the ones that are fly-by-night organizations as well as the ones that simply don’t mesh with your unique vision for your site.

If you are in the market for a search engine optimization company, here are some warning signs you should be aware of, as well as some questions that you can ask these companies to make sure that they are a good fit for your SEO needs.

Warning Sign – Guaranteed number one ranking on any search engine.

There is virtually no way that any SEO company can guarantee this. Search engines, especially the top ones like Google and Yahoo, do not charge for their number one slot. You get it by hard work, the right keywords and the right mix of SEO. Never work with a search engine optimization firm that makes these kinds of claims. You’ll only be disappointed.

Question to Ask – What are the average rankings for clients that have worked with you in the past?

This is a reasonable question and one that you should ask every company you are interviewing. Ideally, they need to tell you what the ranking was before and after they optimized the site. There should be a large difference. If a company doesn’t have many top 30 rankings, it’s probably a good idea to give them a pass since they may not be very effective.

Warning Sign – You get an email telling you that your site is not listed in search engines.

This is pretty much a spam technique that is used by companies that are not legitimate. Chances are, your site is likely already ranked, it may not be very high, but it’s ranked. Never respond to these ads since they are usually sent by companies that specialize in taking advantage of their customers.

Question to Ask – How do you plan to get my site listed higher in search engine rankings?

You need to know what an SEO company has planned for you. Most will offer a free consultation that will map out the various techniques that you could be using to improve your ranking and your traffic. See if you agree with what they have planned and be sure to ask more qualifying questions if you don’t understand something.

Warning Sign – Pay for placement ads, solicitations and emails.

These ads will typically promise that they will get you listed on X search engine for X amount of dollars. Most consumers interpret this as a high ranking in exchange for money, not as a simple addition to a search engine directory. The fact is, you can add your site right now to any search engine out there and it won’t cost you a dime.

Question to Ask – How many search engines does the company focus on when they are optimizing your site?

While it is great to focus on SEO techniques for a higher ranking on Google, the most popular search engine, millions of people still use MSN or Yahoo. Even the smaller search engines still have users. If you don’t include these engines in a campaign, you could be losing out on thousands of potential visitors.

Warning Sign – Gibberish responses and a “mysterious” air to their communications.

Some companies like to claim that SEO is a mystical experience that only the truly initiated can understand. The common man has no business handling their optimization according to these shady SEO companies. Search engine optimization is really not that complicated. It may be time consuming, but it’s not figuring out a foreign language.

Question to Ask – Will they explain in plain English what they intend to do?

Search engine optimization companies tend to deal with jargon on a daily basis and some may forget that the average person may not know what meta tags are or what ROI is. Ask them to explain the terms they are using. If they don’t, walk away.

Warning Sign – Promises of thousands of sites linking in to yours.

This is a common practice that is usually considered “black hat” or illegal. Link baiting is a practice that is thoroughly discouraged by search engines. In fact, they may even remove your site from their directory entirely if they find out that you are using this technique (and yes, they really can find out quite easily thanks to their programmed spiders.) Link bait directories are a waste of your money and exist only to bilk people out of their hard earned cash. They serve virtually no purpose and most consumers will never actually see them.

Question to Ask – How do they plan to build organic link ins for your site?

Linking in is a very important part of SEO, if it is done properly. There are ways that you can legitimately increase the amount of sites that link to you. Find out what your search engine optimization company plans to do to accomplish this the right way.

Warning Sign – The company recommends “keyword stuffing” or they provide you with a sample of content that is literally jam packed with keywords.

This is another black hat technique that is very looked down upon. If a company is offering to create special content for you that is jam packed with keywords, turn them down. It will only hurt your ranking. If in the event a real person happens to find this content, it won’t do them any good anyway, so you will have wasted your money.

Question to Ask – How much keyword density do they recommend?

The appropriate answer is 3 to 4% for most sites. Any more and you’ve got a mess of keyword stuffing. Any less and it won’t do any good. In some cases, 2% may be optimal, but the generally accepted amount is 3 to 4%.