Have you ever been ripped off by Internet Marketing companies that claim they can “get your business onto the 1st page in Google” and then don’t deliver any results? Do you receive calls every day from companies that claim they can get you a lot more business than you already are?
Well, you are not alone. Every year, thousands of UK businesses buy into rogue services that fail to deliver results of any kind. The most popular type of service that Internet Marketing companies push is called Search Engine Optimisation, otherwise known as SEO.
What is SEO?
SEO is the process of increasing a website’s position in the search engines so that the website receives more visitors. If carried out correctly, an SEO campaign can deliver a measurable increase in targeted traffic: visitors looking for a particular service or product.
By focusing on specific keywords, a website can be optimised to appear in the search engines for relevant searches. The more exposure a website gets in the search engines and the higher up in the results the website appears, the more visitors the website will get from its target market.
How do businesses get stung?
SEO is a specialist service that requires technical knowledge of how the internet and search engines like Google operate. There are a variety of scenarios that lead to a business feeling cheated by an SEO company. Typical scenarios are rogue SEO companies;
- Pretending that guarantees can be given for what ranking position a site will attain and how long it will stay there for.
- Not analysing the individual requirements of a client’s business and then applying inappropriate or ineffective strategies that don’t deliver results.
- Charging monthly fees on a rolling contract so that business owners see the campaigns as low risk (and essentially ‘worth a gamble’) but end up paying more than the value of the work done.
- Taking on clients that operate in extremely competitive environments where there may be no room for successful optimization.
10 tips to qualify an SEO Agency
So how can you avoid the unpleasant situations that we have just discussed? Research, preparation and asking the right questions are pretty effective in our experience. Here’s our top 10 tips.
1. Ask them what guarantees they provide on indexes and rankings over time.
If they give any guarantees to do with Google (or other search engines), bin them
2. Ask them how long it will take to get your website on the first page of Google
All SEO campaigns take time, and a real SEO company will say that a minimum of 3 months work is needed to make progress (unless you already rank for the keywords). Any mention of anything less, walk away.
3. Do a Google search for their company name, paying particular attention at forum posts
Any negative experiences will come up, as will positive experiences
4. Ask them what their rates are and how they price up campaigns
If they price per keyword that’s fine, but if they offer packages for £100 or £250 per month without first finding out what your needs are be cautious; the campaigns may not be tailored to what you need.
5. Ask them what reporting they provide for clients
A genuine SEO company will provide monthly reports on what is being done each month for your money.
6. Ask them what keywords their company website ranks for in Google.
Check their rankings. If they don’t come up, be sceptical. If they are a new company it’s acceptable to ask how they intend on ranking and how long it will take them (they should be at least trying to rank and have an understanding of timeframes) and only move forward on client testimonials directly from the clients (as well as doing point 2).
7. Ask them what they think about your website
Most SEO companies will highlight how well optimised your website is for the search engines to read. Page titles internal linking, and keyword optimised copy are some points they should mention. The emphasis shouldn’t all be on Meta Tags and if anybody tells you to focus on the “keyword meta tag” in particular, then beat a hasty retreat.
8. Ask them how campaigns are planned to get you a return on Investment as soon as possible.
A good company will have a plan that will target low hanging fruit keywords to get an additional amount of traffic through to your website in the initial 1-3 months. Alongside this, they will have a long term strategy (3-12 months) to target the competitive keywords for your business. If they don’t provide a reasonable plan, question their approach and how long it will take you to see some form of ROI.
9. Ask them what policies they have to protect your campaign and service from competitors.
An ethical SEO company will only service 1 client per sector or niche. By doing so, you will be sure that they will only optimise your campaign and not your competitors after you. If they do not commit to working exclusively for you within your sector / niche, be skeptical about their approach and ethics.
10. Ask them for case studies of their clients and contact details.
A genuine SEO agency will be happy to provide case studies and contact details for client references. These references will provide you with an unbiased, real life experience of the services being provided.
Conclusion
Just a few simple checks could mean the difference between a cost-effective campaign that delivers traffic, leads and clients, and an expensive failure that could even leave you worse off in the search engine rankings than before.
Remember to keep asking those questions! We have a proven record of delivering a return on investment when it comes to our clients regarding SEO. Why not give us a call on 01694 724 899, and we will be only too happy to answer any queries that you may have!