SEO 1 Services | Internet Marketing CompanySEO 1 Services, a Dallas based internet marketing company specializing in Search Engine Marketing (SEM), web optimization and Organic SEO Serviceshttp://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com/Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:18:34 CDTseo1services.com Hiring an SEO Company: 9 Questions to Ask http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com/hiring-an-seo-company.htm  

Hiring an SEO Company:  9 Questions to Ask
 

 
You’re a business owner who understands the necessity of SEO to the success of your business.  You’ve decided to hire an SEO professional or SEO company to do it on your behalf.  Now, how do you find the lucky person who is going to take your business from good to great by getting you top search engine rankings?  This can be tricky.  There are plenty of people out there who claim to be SEO professionals, but you need someone who has gotten results in the past and who can tell you exactly how he or she plans to get results for you.  Once you’ve found one or two potential professionals, either by word of mouth or by a tried-and-true Google search, conduct an interview and ask these important questions. 
 
1.       What kind of experience do you have?  The longer a professional has been in the business, the more likely it is that she understands the evolution of SEO.  She will have more in-depth knowledge of the search engines, as well as what works and what doesn’t.  She will understand which techniques are above-board and which ones can get your website penalized by, or even banned from, the search engines.  But don’t eliminate less experienced professionals simply because they haven’t been around very long.  Go with your gut.

2.       Will you provide references?  Don’t rely solely on the portfolios that SEO professionals post on their websites. They may not post all of the clients simply out of respect for confidentiality, so ask for a list of clients and well as references. 
 
3.       How long do you typically work with a client?  Ideally, your relationship with your SEO professional will be ongoing.  After all, their job, after getting you to the top of the search engine rankings, is to keep you there.  Inquire about how long they typically work with clients and if any clients have terminated contracts in the past. 
 
4.       What kinds of SEO techniques do you use?  Black hat SEO techniques are frowned upon by the search engines and can get your site banned from the search engines. Make sure that the professional you hire is committed to ethical practices.  If he or she guarantees a top spot in the search engines, you can be sure that he or she isn’t using ethical practices. Run quickly the other way. 
 
5.       Who owns the copyright?  Ideally, you will pay the professional to become the sole owner of the work that he or she completes for you.  This gives you more control over your website. 
 
6.       What is your involvement in the SEO community?  Hire a professional who is a member of professional forums and associations, who has written extensively on the subject of SEO, and who makes presentations at SEM conferences. This helps ensure that the professional is reputable, well-respected in the field, and uses above-board techniques for getting results. 
 
7.       How long will it take to get search engine results?  Any SEO professional worth his or her salt should be able to provide visible results within 3-6 months.  Again, if the professional claims that he can get you results within a week, or even a month, run away. 
 
8.       How will you report results?  Be sure any SEO professional you hire is eager to show you reports that give you an idea of the effectiveness of the SEO campaign. 
 
9.       Do you use a template plan?  Avoid any professional who stops with researching keywords and basing SEO on those results.  You want to hire someone who is invested in the success of your unique company, and this includes someone who wants to learn as much about your industry as possible in order to get the best results possible. 
SEO is key to the success of your business, so don’t leave it to chance. Hire a professional who is ready to dedicate himself or herself to you and to your business. 
 
Feel Free to use this article on your website as long as you maintain the content intact and give credit to SEO 1 Services
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