Posted by Anal Bhatt
October 08, 2013
For an online business, selecting an SEO company or a consultant is the most important decision. Selecting an uncompetitive business would harm business to an irrecoverable extent. Any online business which is on the top may fall down drastically. There are no guarantees when you seek services from an SEO company. However, you could look out for a few important things while considering an SEO provider for your business.
Your SEO project could cost you anywhere from a few dollars to thousands of them. It is vital to select the right company, which has the right expertise for your business type. It is very important to do some research before zeroing on the SEO company that best suits your needs. Don’t hesitate while asking questions and remember that there are many firms that boast of achievements. So, it will be like finding a needle in a haystack.
8 Important Points While Choosing an SEO Company
1. Don’t select the very first company that you see. Search the web and find as many credible companies as possible. Check out if they have client testimonials on their site, what are their policies. Do some research yourself on the basic SEO process and see if they are implementing the same in all their strategies. E-mail them to know their strategies and see if they could understand your business well. If they don’t get back to you, just get them out of your list.
2. If an SEO company commits to fetch you a particular search engine ranking, just stay away from them. There is no way a reputable SEO company could make such a promise. SEO is every online marketer’s favorite method to increase the rankings and the traffic if done legitimately, however, it is absolutely out of question to fetch a given number of rankings. Search engine rankings are not only based on the SEO techniques that are implemented but other essential components of website development and online marketing as well. There are some factors over which an online marketer has no control at all.
3. While searching on the web, you may come across a number of SEO companies in the search results. You could search on how the company scores with its customers through online forums and boards. Put the company’s name along with the relevant keywords on these sites. The only people who post on such sites are either those who are very satisfied by the company’s services or very angry. See what people have to say about the company that you have shortlisted in your search. You could also check the Better Business Bureau and other online complaint forums.
4. Though I have mentioned checking the testimonials on the company’s website, you shouldn’t only go by them. There could be no guarantee that they could be real customers who were satisfied with the company’s services. Get in touch with the company and request them to provide a couple of previous clients’ contact information. You could also do searches on the web to find real live customers of the SEO company.
5. Make a list of all the questions related to your business and see how all the SEO companies answer them. See if they have insights into your business and whether their SEO efforts would be targeted towards your industry niche.
6. Compare their answers with those of their competitors. Also compare their plans and prices and ask questions regarding the same such as, “You provide this service for this price, while your competitors are providing the same service for a much lower price. Why can they do this?”
7. Don’t go for any SEO company just because they offer you a lower price. Also, remember to get what you pay.
8. The cost of the project given to you should be based on the SEO strategy to be implemented for your business type. Different businesses have different SEO expertise and needs.
Though you are a business enterprise, you will be the SEO company’s next customer. They have to win your trust and deliver what they promise. You have to trust the services of the SEO company just like any customer does. You should be assured that you will get your money’s worth.
Make sure that you follow the given points as SEO is often used unethically to boost the visibility of the website making the online business environment quite unhealthy. Such practices give your online image a poor reputation, affecting all aspects of your business. It has been only a decade since the consumer’s confidence has grown in the online business place.
Ethical usage of SEO is a vital element in maintaining an environment for the benefit of the consumers. Consumers need to put faith in online businesses and businesses need to ensure that the business is promoted in a positive light.