Search engine optimization has evolved into a competitive, growing industry. There are plenty of hoaxes and scams on the web. It seems that as the Internet grows more complex, so do the scams. Choosing an effective company can be quite a challenge. There are many factors to consider when hiring an SEO service. This article gives advice on how to select a credible website optimization service. Assess the services and credibility of the SEO company. Customer service is always the key factor that one should look at. There are many ways of assessing an SEO service. One can try to inquire by placing a call or by sending an email to the company. Depending on the courtesy and time of response, you can initially assess its customer service. Does the company provide an "about us" page on their website? A reputable online business will provide an informative look at the personal side of their company and who they are. Look for other company details such as, the company address and location. Avoid a guarantee of instant results or the #1 position. There are many factors to consider when optimizing a webpage. Search engines use different algorithms and their spiders can vary. Any SEO company that guarantees the #1 position in the search results should be avoided. A legitimate company will be straight forward and honest and will tell its clients that no single company can give a guarantee of the top positions in the search results. A desireable SEO service should also provide reports and details regarding the standing of a client's website. They will be able to track the developments of their clients website in terms of keywords, links and their rankings in the major search engines. A customer testimonial can provide a valuable insight when assessing a company’ s credibility. A satisfied customer is always a good indication of the effectiveness of a company’s operations and will always be the most valuable piece of information about its integrity. If possible try to locate and contact people who have received benefits from hiring an optimization service or at least try to validate the testimonials. It's important to consider the cost of website optimization. Keep in mind a higher price does not necessarily mean the expensive services are more effective than the less expensive ones. The optimization rates companies charge may vary greatly. Search engine optimization is a trial and error process which requires research, hard work and dedication. Make sure the SEO service is primarily involved in search engine optimization and does not treat it as a sideline.
Search engine optimization – or SEO – has been around for pretty much as long as search engines have. Over the years, it has gained both proponents and opponents – many for good reason. The prevalence of sneaky, underhanded tactics, increasing spam in the search engine indexes, and publicized cases of websites being banned from the listings have given SEO a bad rap. "SEO is just about tricking the search engines," some claim. In an effort to de-bunk this and other wayward SEO beliefs, we have developed a list of 'top 5 myths about SEO'. #1 – SEO is all about tricking the search engines In actuality, good, honest SEO is not about tricking, but analyzing search engine algorithms in an effort to develop websites in a way that consciously supports search engines in doing their job – that is providing the most relevant content to their users. "White hat" SEOers understand that what's good for users is also typically good for search engines, and they strive to not 'trick' search engines, but be forthright in giving them exactly what they want. #2 – SEO is all about the meta-tags In a previous life, webmasters would stuff the meta-keyword tag with their desired terms, and voila!, a top spot in the rankings. SEO was about the meta-tags and not much else. Whether this approach worked then or not, it most certainly does not today. In addition to the multitude of other 'on page' ranking factors that now seem to matter (such as keyword-rich copy, anchor text, and file names), sites now more than ever have to look 'off site' – most importantly, at the volume and quality of their inbound links. #3 – You only have to do SEO once A recipe for SEO failure: optimize your pages once, obtain great rankings, and let simmer forever. On the contrary, successful SEO requires on-going evaluation and tweaking of strategies in order maintain and enhance positioning. With search engine algorithms changing by the hour, searcher behaviour maturing, and the competitive environment constantly shifting, does it stand to reason that your rankings today will remain the same 6 months – or weeks – from now? Without an on-going commitment to SEO, probably not. #4 – Anyone can do SEO right You read an e-book on SEO. You attended an SES conference. You're now a seasoned SEO expert, right? Wrong. Although SEO is definitely NOT rocket science, it does take a level of knowledge, and most importantly, experience, to really succeed. The knowledge that comes from testing out various techniques and working with a wide variety of websites over time is invaluable. Knowing how and why to select the right keywords is crucial, and understanding the impact of the site's design and coding on SEO is just as important. The bottom line: Yes, anyone can 'do' SEO, but it's much more difficult to really do it right. #5 – SEO is purely the webmaster's job Your webmaster is responsible to make sure that the front and back end of the site performs as it should. They are typically a technical person; a programmer. They are definitely not marketers. They might implement the SEO changes to the site, but actually determining what should be changed should be in the hands of the content authors and marketing/comm people in your organization. Hoisting the full responsibility for SEO on the webmaster's shoulders can produce less than desirable results as these 'techies' struggle to imagine what a customer would type into a search engine, and then attempt to massage these words into your agency-perfected copy. Instead, make optimization a collective initiative – ideally with the guidance of an SEO expert - and give your webmaster a break. |
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