Selecting an SEO Firm

Selecting a good SEO firm may come from recommendation but check out the firm’s own site to see how highly it ranks in the major search engines; bearing in mind that search engine optimization is a very competitive set of keywords. If possible look beyond simple testimonials and ask for case studies. Talk to existing clients and see how their sites rank on the major search engines for their target keywords. It is worth checking in search engine related forums and Google groups to see if the firm has acquired a bad reputation.

The SEO firms should be able to explain the general process they will use to optimize your site. There is a fear from some SEO consultants that they will be giving away trade secrets. It is understandable that they want to protect intellectual property and business processes. However if the firm is being engaged for a large contract, Perhaps updating the contents and structure of the whole site, it is not unreasonable to explain the plain in general terms.

Finally clients should remember that the aim of SEO is to improve visit and in the case of commercial sites, to increase profits. While specific ranking in search engines can’t be guaranteed the SEO firm should be committed to improving current rankings for relevant search results, agreed in advance with the client and to improve the number of qualified visitors to the site. Increasing traffic by bait and switch techniques such as jump pages will not result in more sales.