Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of implementing strategies, techniques and tactics to a website, with the goal of organically obtaining a high-ranking placement within online search results. SEO can be a powerful tool to help your business’ website move up the search engine results, increasing the number of visitors to your website. There are, however, a lot of self-proclaimed “SEO Experts” out there claiming that they can guarantee top search engine rankings when they really can not. When you are looking to hire a company to increase your search engine optimization, there are some things that you can educate yourself about to ensure that you are not being taken advantage of and that the company you have hired actually knows how to effectively build the visibility of your website or web page.
Before understanding how to determine whether a company is an SEO expert or just claiming to be one, you will first need to understand the difference between organic SEO and paying for top placement with an advertisement. SEO and Google AdWords are two different marketing tools that work towards moving your website towards the first page of the search engine results. AdWords, or pay-per-click advertisements, are text ads that you pay for that run at the top or right side of the first page of search engine results. Anyone can pay for top search engine placement with an advertisement. When you stop paying for the advertisement, the ad comes down. With Search Engine Optimization, you are building organic ranking, so a real SEO Expert is using certain techniques and information to naturally build up your website so that it meets certain criteria that moves it up the rankings on the search results.
When you are looking to hire a company to build Search Engine Optimization for your website watch out for the following “Claims”:
If you are speaking to an SEO company that is guaranteeing that they can get you placement on the 1st page of search results or #1 ranking…then something is wrong. Think about it…Not everyone can be first so if it was that easy to put everyone on the first page in the first ranking, then who would be first?
Google does not pass out golden tickets to companies to grant SEO top rankings. If a company is promising that they have a VIP relationship with Google and therefore can guarantee that your business is listed at the top of the search results, then that company is lying. Google has very specific algorithms and strategies to run their search engine optimization and VIP status is not one of those strategies.
SEO is a tedious process that takes detailed effort. It is also something that is built up over time. When a reputable company is building SEO for your website, they should be spending time researching important information relevant to your site, and hand writing it into your site. This type of work takes man hours that have to be paid for. If someone offers you a free trial, something is not adding up. People don’t work for free so if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The only way to guarantee top ranking is with a paid advertisement and even that could take over 48 hours. SEO is a process that is built over time. When a credible SEO company is working on increasing your search engine optimization, they are layering your website with building blocks. Building blocks need to be built layer upon layer and are built over time. Good SEO could take a few months to build the proper SEO foundation and structure for your website. Be patient. Anyone promising you that your website will be in the top ranking within 48 hours is up to no good.
Any legitimate SEO company should be forthcoming with the tactics and strategies that they use to build your organic search engine optimization. If the company you are speaking to will not disclose what types of work they will be doing to your website, then this is a red flag. A good SEO company will be able to tell you exactly what they will be doing and you should be able to see the work that they are claiming to do for you.
Because of these dishonest practices above, SEO has received a poor reputation, but in actuality, Search Engine Optimization is an important business marketing service to invest in. Whether you are launching a new website or working with your existing website, a credible SEO company can help you build your ranking and visibility within search engines. Educate yourself on what to look for when hiring a company to provide your SEO services. The following article from Google confirms what to look for in an SEO company.