What to Look for When Hiring an SEO Company
What to Look for When Hiring an SEO Company
But what is SEO and how do you determine what SEO company is better then another? I thought it would be useful to write this article explaining some of the aspects of SEO and what services should be offered by an SEO company.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the improvement of your websites visibility within online search engines such as Google, MSN & Yahoo. What this means to you and your business is that, in general, increased visibility = increased number of visitors = increased number of sales/leads.
It is an established fact success on the Internet requires a business to have a strong presence in the ‘results’ returned by search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.
Professional SEO companies utilize techniques to make a web site more search engine and people friendly. Accomplishing this is not easy and that's why you should carefully research any website promotion and SEO consulting company that you are considering working with... in the long run, it really pays to work with ethical SEO experts who know what they are doing.
There are two main aspects to SEO:
1. Onsite Optimization - Website Optimization
2. Offsite Optimization - Website Reputation through inbound links
Onsite Optimization
The onsite optimization aspect of SEO is the work performed in enhancing and optimizing your website.
Onsite optimization helps the search engine not only find the website page but also to know the website page is very relevant to the internet user searching.
On-site optimization should include:
- Site Analysis & Server Setup
- Tuning your pages, domain name, file names
- Keyword research
- Write Keyword Rich Content
- Navigation and menus
- CSS optimization
- Site structure
- Search Engine Friendly Site Maps
- Internal Linking
- Detecting and fixing site visibility and usability problems
- Testing and improving content or source code quality
- Minimizing graphic content on graphic heavy sites
- Minimizing flash content
- Removal of frameset pages
- Converting dynamic URLs to static
- Many other individual factors that when combined, make a difference
Most companies will perform Keyword Research and suggest they will optimize your website for those keywords. Indeed, a primary way to obtain rankings within search engines are through the development of targeted ‘keywords and keyword phrases’ that are relevant to your particular business.
However, True SEO is far more then simply keyword research and making sure those words are found in the content and tags of your webpage. Ideally, SEO will make you an authority on those keywords, which will then provide the rankings you want and deserve.
Offsite Optimization
The second aspect of SEO is offsite optimization.
Offsite optimization concentrates on increasing the number of inbound links and the description of the current links leading to your site.
Off-site optimization includes:
- submitting to search engines
- submitting to directories
- exchanging links
Most companies don’t realize the profound effect good, high quality ‘inbound links’ from other websites can have on their search engine rankings.
Link Building (aka. Link Popularity, Link Exchange, and Reciprocal Linking) is a crucial element in attaining top rankings in the ‘organic / natural’ results returned by the search engines.
In order to rank highly in the search engines both onsite optimization and offsite optimization needs to be conducted.
The Check List
I have here a checklist of some of the main services that should be offered by any SEO company.
1. Website and Server Analysis – There are many reasons as to why your webpages may not be indexed by the search engines. Before you can obtain rankings you need to ensure that there is nothing keeping the search engines away.
2. Keyword Research – What are the key words and phrases a customer uses to find the goods or services you offer? And more importantly what words searches will result in a sale or ‘conversion’.
3. Optimization & Content Writing – Whether it is rewriting the content on your current pages or adding new pages with written content, your website needs to have written text that search engine ‘spiders’ can read that shows you are an authority on the keywords you have chosen.
4. Site Maps – The internal link structure needs to be clean and efficient, a site map will allow easy access for a search engine ‘spider’ to view all the pages on your website for indexing.
5. Manual Submission – To ensure proper indexing your website should be manually submitted to the search engines. Search engines do not approve of automatic submission and doing so can result in future problems
6. Inbound Links – Some form of link building campaign should be performed, Google in particular puts a great deal of value on the amount and particularly quality of inbound links.
7. Reports – It is always important to know how your keywords are doing within the search engines.
8. Maintenance – Search engines are constantly refining the algorithms used to determine rankings and competitive businesses in your field are optimizing and adding content to their own sites. With this in mind, SEO cannot be considered a one time or short-term process.
Well that should be enough to get started with. Keep in mind that there are many different types of SEO businesses out there. Some SEO companies are trustworthy, some… not so much. Some SEO businesses have a great deal of experience and others… do not.
If you are not sure about an SEO company then ask for references. You are allowed to see what kind of work they have done for other businesses.
Finally, when it comes to price remember these two proverbial adages.
- If you pay the cheapest price, then you are going to get what you pay for.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Written by Chris Genge and Rick Stanton
What to Look for When Hiring an SEO Company - To learn more about this author, visit Chris Genge's Website.
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Having a website that cannot be found is similar to constructing an elaborate billboard on a deserted island. It may look great, but you’re certainly not going to get seen let alone business from it.
But what is SEO and how do you determine what SEO company is better then another? I thought it would be useful to write this article explaining some of the aspects of SEO and what services should be offered by an SEO company.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the improvement of your websites visibility within online search engines such as Google, MSN & Yahoo. What this means to you and your business is that, in general, increased visibility = increased number of visitors = increased number of sales/leads.
It is an established fact success on the Internet requires a business to have a strong presence in the ‘results’ returned by search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.
Professional SEO companies utilize techniques to make a web site more search engine and people friendly. Accomplishing this is not easy and that's why you should carefully research any website promotion and SEO consulting company that you are considering working with... in the long run, it really pays to work with ethical SEO experts who know what they are doing.
There are two main aspects to SEO:
1. Onsite Optimization - Website Optimization
2. Offsite Optimization - Website Reputation through inbound links
Onsite Optimization
The onsite optimization aspect of SEO is the work performed in enhancing and optimizing your website.
Onsite optimization helps the search engine not only find the website page but also to know the website page is very relevant to the internet user searching.
On-site optimization should include:
- Site Analysis & Server Setup
- Tuning your pages, domain name, file names
- Keyword research
- Write Keyword Rich Content
- Navigation and menus
- CSS optimization
- Site structure
- Search Engine Friendly Site Maps
- Internal Linking
- Detecting and fixing site visibility and usability problems
- Testing and improving content or source code quality
- Minimizing graphic content on graphic heavy sites
- Minimizing flash content
- Removal of frameset pages
- Converting dynamic URLs to static
- Many other individual factors that when combined, make a difference
Most companies will perform Keyword Research and suggest they will optimize your website for those keywords. Indeed, a primary way to obtain rankings within search engines are through the development of targeted ‘keywords and keyword phrases’ that are relevant to your particular business.
However, True SEO is far more then simply keyword research and making sure those words are found in the content and tags of your webpage. Ideally, SEO will make you an authority on those keywords, which will then provide the rankings you want and deserve.
Offsite Optimization
The second aspect of SEO is offsite optimization.
Offsite optimization concentrates on increasing the number of inbound links and the description of the current links leading to your site.
Off-site optimization includes:
- submitting to search engines
- submitting to directories
- exchanging links
Most companies don’t realize the profound effect good, high quality ‘inbound links’ from other websites can have on their search engine rankings.
Link Building (aka. Link Popularity, Link Exchange, and Reciprocal Linking) is a crucial element in attaining top rankings in the ‘organic / natural’ results returned by the search engines.
In order to rank highly in the search engines both onsite optimization and offsite optimization needs to be conducted.
The Check List
I have here a checklist of some of the main services that should be offered by any SEO company.
1. Website and Server Analysis – There are many reasons as to why your webpages may not be indexed by the search engines. Before you can obtain rankings you need to ensure that there is nothing keeping the search engines away.
2. Keyword Research – What are the key words and phrases a customer uses to find the goods or services you offer? And more importantly what words searches will result in a sale or ‘conversion’.
3. Optimization & Content Writing – Whether it is rewriting the content on your current pages or adding new pages with written content, your website needs to have written text that search engine ‘spiders’ can read that shows you are an authority on the keywords you have chosen.
4. Site Maps – The internal link structure needs to be clean and efficient, a site map will allow easy access for a search engine ‘spider’ to view all the pages on your website for indexing.
5. Manual Submission – To ensure proper indexing your website should be manually submitted to the search engines. Search engines do not approve of automatic submission and doing so can result in future problems
6. Inbound Links – Some form of link building campaign should be performed, Google in particular puts a great deal of value on the amount and particularly quality of inbound links.
7. Reports – It is always important to know how your keywords are doing within the search engines.
8. Maintenance – Search engines are constantly refining the algorithms used to determine rankings and competitive businesses in your field are optimizing and adding content to their own sites. With this in mind, SEO cannot be considered a one time or short-term process.
Well that should be enough to get started with. Keep in mind that there are many different types of SEO businesses out there. Some SEO companies are trustworthy, some… not so much. Some SEO businesses have a great deal of experience and others… do not.
If you are not sure about an SEO company then ask for references. You are allowed to see what kind of work they have done for other businesses.
Finally, when it comes to price remember these two proverbial adages.
- If you pay the cheapest price, then you are going to get what you pay for.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Written by Chris Genge and Rick Stanton
What to Look for When Hiring an SEO Company - To learn more about this author, visit Chris Genge's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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