Identifying a Reliable SEO Company

We constantly get asked by clients about emails that 'search engine marketers' have sent them. Some try to tell them that they can get them on the #1 spot on Google. Others tell them there is something wrong with their websites because they aren't achieving results on Google. In this era of "fake news", these are "fake promises" and "fake reports".

But these emails might have got you thinking "Maybe I do need some SEO on my website to make it perform better?".

Website optimisation is a very important aspect of your website. It should begin with your website build, and then if you are interested, carry on to have professionals optimised it to it's best advantage. But it's not something to be entered into lightly. These spammy emails that promise to optimise your website for £499, aren't worth the paper they are printed on. 

So what should you do if you are interested in working your website?

To get the desired outcome for your business in the online world, you need a technical but well-planned approach. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a calculated strategy & in order to get the desired results that wont be affected by regular algorithm updates of leading search engines like Google, you need to think about your choices.

When hiring a professional to deal with your SEO requirements, there are certain criteria which you should test their credibility against:

What to look for when hiring:

•   "We can make you #1 on Google" - Run don't walk! It is impossible to make this claim. The Web is too dynamic to predict that. You may get to #1 for 5 minutes, but then you could be down to #10 or lower. What you want is a consistently good ranking, not a flash in a pan.
•   "We have reviewed your website and have found that you have many fatal errors stopping you from...." - Again run, don't walk! Top ranking Web & SEO professionals recieve these emails as many times as you do. They know their website is performing good, so why would the people sending this email find errors on their website? The answer is.... they never reviewed your website, even if it has your website name on it. It's a generic automated spam email.
•   Promise of great results - Search Engine Optimisers will promise you superior results in a short span of time. You need to check if they are applying some forbidden methods, also termed as ‘Black Hat SEO’ which can have highly adverse effects on your brand, at a later stage. Make a list of procedures they have said they will take in their process & research if those methods can be detrimental to your website.
•   Search for their website on Google - See where they rank. Ask for a list of their clients, and do a search for them in various search engines & see how any of them rank in the search results.
•   Ensure they share their SEO strategy with you - The approach for every business differs in the SEO methodology. One size does not fit all. You could have low-quality content, or the problem could be in your link building process.
•   Analize & Report - A proper analysis of the website should be carried out & discussed with you. This gives a clearer picture of the barriers that could be doing the online reputation of your business no favours.
•   PPC & Social Media - How effective are they at Pay Per Click & Social Media strategies? PPC and Social media strategy play a critical role in Internet marketing. PPC requires an effective service which can be guaged by the initiative conducted during campaigns. Social Media is also very dynamic, so you need them to have all the appropriate moves in this field, otherwise they are a waste of money.
•   Local Audience - If you are dealing mainly local, it's usually good to hire someone at least reasonably local. They are aware of the demographics of the area. They are aware of trends in the area. They are aware of the economics of the area.

Most of all you just need to apply some common sense. It's going to take work. If you don't have the time to work your website, then you will need to hire a professional. But getting out of the work doesn't come cheap. So if it's cheap they are offering, you can pretty much garantee that they aren't doing the work.

Good Luck!