I think it is unreasonable for an SEO company to require access to your server prior to providing a quote. It makes more sense to provide them with copies of your code, but even then they can see most of the end product on your website.
The only reason an SEO would have to access your site internally is if they were going to be ineracting with the code, i.e., providing coding/site design.
I use Country IP Blocks as added security for my networks and servers.
Well, I guess that's why they were asking for access to the files. Let's say you need to add relevant titles to the pages:Originally Posted by Tech Manager
- If the web pages are static html, you need to go to every page and modify the code by adding or modifying the title tags.
- If the web pages are dynamically generated, you might need to go to every page and modify the code or if the web pages are built on templates (i.e each page parses the header.php template, then you just need to modify once). If titles are different you might need to modify the database as well and enter an additional field called "title" + the values for every page.
See, there are two different quotes that you can give. If you don't know php/sql you might as well say "pass".
Re: Does SEO need access to site to give a quote??
They don't need this to do a price quote ever period!
You may just wish not ever even speak to this company again. They are lying to you or inept.
If they can't tell wheter the site is written in ASP or PHP without loggin into to your web host they suck! Do not even think about hiring them!
Everything they need to know they can get by looking at the site in a web browser and by communicating with search engines.
I've dealt with one SEO thatwas basiclly honest but the client wanted them to write content so he just gave them the password to the web host and you guessed it, they promptly "broke" the web site.
It's really much better if they just forward new content to your web developer and let him turn it into web pages.
DO NOT give them FTP access - nothing!
Yes there IS tons of damage they can do!
No they don't need to log in to your server to see title tags, alt tags, meta tags, headings etc. You can do that with any web browser by right clicking on the page and choosing "view source" even if it's dynamically generated.
It's very suspious they want this info.
I agree only partially with the opinions here. As IncredibleHelp states, it should be enough asking the right questions and getting the right answers. Unfortunately, this is not the usual scenario. Most clients don't know how their site is generated and can give very optimistic answers. The SEO company might end up with a very complicated, sometimes impossible, work to do for which the quote simply is not realistic. Back in 2005, we gained a contract to make the SEO of a big institutional site in 4 different languages and we crawled the site to make an estimation of the content. We estimated that there were 10.000 pages in each language in what seemed like a normal database driven site. We agreed on producing a unique title and metas for each page. Actually, the site was produced with an XML architecture, no database, and there were 100.000 pages in each language, most of them were hidden behind search forms. So it was a big indexability work and we had to figure out how to generate 400.000 unique, relevant titles and metas and insert them into their code. Nothing close to what we had been able to forecast from seeing the code only.
So, although there are some workarounds, the asking to see the code on the server seems to me pretty reasonable or, at least, justified.
I don't think giving them ftp is that dangerous a thing as long as you setup their own ftp account. What are they going to do? Delete your site?! What motivation have they got for that? Are they going to hide loads of OBL everywhere? STEAL your site/database, maybe? But if any wrong doing took place wouldn't they be the number one suspect? It would be like committing a robbery and leaving your passport behind!
It WOULD be the best way to give a thorough quote. Many times a salesman at my company sells a client seo only for me to find its a content managed system which needs a lot more work than the quote was for.
Why cant you upload the site to a temporary location and give them access to that?
Hi,
If your site is simply a static site ..then there is no much need to share your FTP details with other firm or any one else, but if your site is a dynamic one then for better analysis you should have to trust upon them certain level...
nyway plz check orgnization's history little bit if you have......
Hope you get.....
Thanks
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Mark Smith
Web design wales Employee Communication UK
Activity Breaks Wales Saturday Night Fever Tribute
Do you know what PHP Pear is?
What's your point?
Search engines are interested in content and properly formatted code. All of which are visible (for the most part) without giving access through ftp.
If the SEO is going to be working on improving the page rank and search results does it matter whether they even know you are using PEAR? They can just as easily make suggestions on changing the headers, contents, links, etc., without ever having to see your SSI coding. The only reason for letting them have further access is if they will need direct access to your code for the purpose of improving the code or restructuring the website for some reason.
If they are going to rebuild your website...fine. Otherwise, I still fail to see why they need access.
I use Country IP Blocks as added security for my networks and servers.
You are contradicting yourself. Isn't the point of SEOptimization to actually optimize the website? Unless the web site is already 100% optimized you will need to modify part of the code. So how come you fail to see the need to see the code?
And since you mentioned PEAR, with PEAR and tpl.htm templates you can modify 1 line and have the modification applied to all of the website's pages. If as a SEO you're charging per hour, wouldn't that make a difference in your quote?
Re: Does SEO need access to site to give a quote??
I'm not contradicting myself at all and I was not the one who initially mentioned PEAR, you were. As a professional PHP programmer of course I know what PEAR is. BUt PEAR still has nothing to do with this conversation unless the SEO company os actually going to be involved in the actual site programming (as also mentioned previously).
As for failing to see the need to see the code...I am beginning to think you are failing to read my entire comments. At the risk of sounding rude (not my intention to be rude), I will repeat myself one last time: Unless the SEO company is going to be involved in the site redesign or modification of the code itself, they do not need access to the code. PERIOD. I don't think I can make the point any simpler than that.
As a professional PHP programmer I do not need an SEO to do any coding for me whatsoever. And contrary to your comments on the "PEAR" package, I don't need to concern myself with PEAR in order to cascade content/code changes throughout a website (though I can take advantage of certain capabilities within PEAR if I choose to do so).
Here's the bottom line: If you own a website and you are a competent programmer you don't need any SEO guru to make physical changes to your code. They can make suggestions and the competent programmer can implement those changes themselves. If you are not a competent programmer or do not understand markup then by all means invest your funds in any manner you choose. Purchase a full SEO package, give them carte blanche to your code, your HTML, your ftp, your dedicated server. The choice is yours.
It's beginning to sound like you have a bit of a conflict of interest. No offense intended.
I use Country IP Blocks as added security for my networks and servers.
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