What one should look for before hiring a SEO firm

[omkars]

Hi,

SEO / SEM both the words are common to people or companies looking for internet market their products or services. What if they dont really understand the tech jargons but only know they want to promote online. what should they look in a SEO and SEM firm.

Please contribute your views about the issue.

This is what google says about::

http://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html

[rlrouse]

Selecting a good SEO professional begins within yourself. I always recommend learning the basics of SEO yourself before even beginning your search.

You don't need to become an SEO expert by any means. You can learn all you need to know to help you make an informed decision in just a few hours.

At a minimum, you need to understand (in general) what SEO tactics are good (will increase your site's rankings in an ethical and Google friendly way) and which ones are bad (will actually hurt your rankings or induce a Google penalty).

For example, if you have spent more than 5 minutes reading any of the fine SEO forums online (especially this one), you know that using good link anchor text and keyword rich content helps boost rankings. You also know that hidden text and cloaking can lead to a penalty.

You can learn the basics in just a few shorts hours by reading through the Google and search engine discussion threads on WebProWorld. If you want to know more, you can do a Google search on SEO and read tons of great articles and tutorials on various SEO strategies, but unless you plan to do your own SEO this isn't really necessary.

In a nutshell, you need to know enough about SEO to know when you're being fed a line of BS just to get your business.

After you have built that foundation of basic knowledge, it's time to start your search. Do a google search for professional seo services.

Contact a few of the ones that come up and inquire about rates and ask for references. Check the references! Don't just talk to the clients, looks at their sites and verify their Google rankings yourself. Check the whois information for the domains and make sure they aren't actually registered to the SEO!

After you trim the list of candidates to 2 or 3, tell each of them something like this:

"I've heard that if I create a page with a lot of keywords on it and redirect it to another page that looks good and is user friendly, that I'll get really good rankings for that page. I really want you to do that for me."

Wait for the response. An ethical SEO will come back with the explanation of why that is a very bad idea and recommend against it.

Contact him/her again and say that you really want to give it a try.

An ethical SEO will respond by telling you that he/she simply won't use techniques like that and you'll have to go with someone else if you insist.

An unethical SEO will say "no problem", take your money, and agree to do what he knows isn't in your best interest just to make a few bucks.

These are the guidelines that I recommend when I have to turn away potential clients for one reason or another. I've had some great reports of how well it seems to work. Good luck!

[cbp]

Google offers this advice when looking for a SEO:
http://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html

CBP

[omkars]

1) What you are being promised- rankings, traffic or conversions.

2) Will there be any impact on your existing website, if Yes then what kind of.

3) Are you offered free as well paid inclusions.

4) SEO is more concerned about ROI (return on intestment) or about rankings only. Rankings dont matter end of the day, what matter is conversion.

5) What is company client portfolio. is that a reputable company.

6) Is company dealing with a specific industry only or they provide services to all industries. Or are they deal with only a single client in a specific industry.

7)Why is your critaria of choosing a firm- fee structure, guarantees or any other. make sure you understand exactly what that company can or will do for your business.

8) Are they ready to submit the complete action plan to you. and ready to explain the impact of each and every step they are going to take.

9) Will there be any account person for you, with whom you can directly interact about your requirements.