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01.27.09 Selecting An SEO Provider  By
Stoney deGeyter Show of hands, how many of you have read through Google's Webmaster Guidelines. Mmmm, ok. go ahead and put your hands down. Every now and then I find it useful to look and see what Google has to say to webmasters about their websites. It's been years since I was last in here and I'm amazed by the amount of new content Google has added to their webmaster helps. One thing to keep in mind whenever reviewing information put out by the search engines is that the engines have a vested interest in being selfish. Sure, they want to be helpful, but at the same time the information they provide comes with a very distinct bias as to what will ultimately help them. That doesn't make the advice bad, it just means we need to learn to sift what is really important from what Google wants us to think is important. Today I want to revisit Google's Guidelines for selecting an SEO provider. Let's take them point by point and I'll provide my own analysis. You can click the link above if you want to read Google's expanded explanations. Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue. Not all unsolicited emails are bad. I think it's a shame that email marketing has gotten such a bad rap, however I will admit it is mostly deserved. The danger with this kind of solicitation is that they are usually sent from SEOs that have done little or no research and are just pounding out slightly customized mass emails. Typically these emails claim that your site "isn't ranking" or "could not be found" on the search engines. Of course, it begs the question how they found you order to send you that email. Often the claims will be legitimate in a very narrow context, stating they could not find you when searching for a particular keyword that may or may not be relevant or valuable to you. Keep a healthy dose of skepticism when reading these emails. Most of the time you're better off just deleting them any way. But the same time, these emails are not all from spammers. Google's advice here to be wary is sound.
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. I've blogged enough over the years debunking the myth of guaranteed rankings, so there is no need to go into it all here. There are things that SEOs can guarantee, but rankings are not one of them, outside of pay-per-click campaigns. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't expect results either. Avoid any SEO that offers ranking guarantees. There is usually enough small print that allows them out of any type of refund or continued service. On the other hand satisfaction guarantees our something that SEOs can provide, if they are willing. Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do. SEOs that won't share their processes with you need to be avoided at all cost. There really are no SEO secrets, just different strategies that can be employed. Any SEO you are dealing with should freely share their strategies with you and they should be able to give you comfort that they won't engage in activities that are likely to get your site penalized by the engines. The better informed you are as a client, the healthier relationship you'll have with your SEO. And knowing what strategies they'll be implementing will help you keep your expectations in line with the results as well. You should never have to link to an SEO. You should never have to link to anybody, period. This includes directories that exchange a listing for a link, suppliers, agents, etc. Don't get yourself in a deal where a link is required to be maintained at all times. Continue reading this article. About the Author: Stoney deGeyter is president of Pole Position Marketing (www.PolePositionMarketing.com), a search engine optimization / marketing firm providing SEO and website marketing services since 1998. Stoney is also a part-time instructor at Truckee Meadows Community College, as well as a moderator in the Small Business Ideas Forum. He is the author of his E-Marketing Performance eBook and contributes daily to the E-Marketing Performance (www.eMarketingPerformance.com) marketing blog. |
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