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Secrets of SEO: Lessons from the Industry

Written by: George Zlatin

Article Overview: This article covers some basic questions that any entrepreneur should ask before signing up with an SEO agency. Unfortunately, the space is plagued with all sorts of shady characters who are interested in a quick buck and are not particularly interested in developing valuable, long-term relationships with clients. The post is written to help entrepreneurs from other fields can help use these questions to determine if they are dealing with a legitimate firm or a spammer/scammer.

Secrets of SEO: Lessons from the Industry

Secrets of SEO; Lessons from the Inside

Search Engine Optimization is an exciting field to work in. An extremely new, and constantly-changing industry, SEO is not for the traditionally-minded, the laid-back, or anyone who can't cope with the idea that what works today might not work tomorrow, and what worked last year almost certainly won't work this year.

It requires, in short, a whole lot of entrepreneurial spirit.

While that's great for (some of) us in the industry, it means that potential clients face a whole host of reasons to be skeptical of SEO firms. Because there is so much rapid change in how search engines understand and rank the internet, professionals in other fields may, understandably, have a difficult time assessing the potential value of an SEO.

And then there's a dirty, unfortunate truth: there are individuals and firms in this industry that are, quite simply, not reputable. Between making impossible promises and engaging in highly unethical practices that run the risk of getting clients banned from search engines altogether, businesses and individuals need to be wary of unscrupulous characters in the space.

With all of that in mind, we should look at some very basic questions that you should ask before signing on with an SEO company:

Are they promising too-specific results?

One of the easiest 'red flags' to spot from an SEO is any specific guarantee for improvements in traffic, conversions, or search engine rankings in a short time frame. In reality, some aspects of SEO are as much an art as a science, and every client and keyword responds differently to a marketing push. So if a firm promises to get you to the Number Three ranking for a keyword within three months and demands a flat fee for the service, you've got a pretty good indication that they either don't know what they're doing or are unconcerned about their relationship with you in the long run.

None of this is to say that SEOs shouldn't be held accountable, of course. Setting a specific range of goals or particular outcomes is as important here as in any other business relationship you'll encounter. Additionally, this does not apply to Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, where it is much more possible to predict traffic and conversion rates.

Are they transparent?

As part of the information economy, SEO operates behind passwords and usernames. If an SEO agency isn't willing to share login information for analytics, advertising, and other important software, you will be left in the dark if you ever want to see what they are doing. This can be especially problematic if you ever want to change agencies (or even consider going with another firm). Make sure that your agency is totally transparent in everything they do to prevent getting burned in the future.

Are they interested in educating you?

You likely hired an SEO firm for two reasons: you wanted to leverage your online assets and you weren't sure how to do it. While the actual SEO process should always be the responsibility of the SEO, they should be able and willing to answer any questions that you might have about the process. Remember that they are acting on behalf of their company, and at the end of the day users and search engines will hold you accountable for their actions.

Beyond responsibility, education can help you collaborate with your SEO to produce the best results. The more you understand about what they are doing (and vice-versa), the more likely you both will be to create a positive, valuable partnership.

Are they going to be accountable?

Although I warned against specific 'too good to be true' promises, it's important to remember that one of the greatest advantages of online marketing is the accuracy of reporting. Because free, accurate, and timely reporting solutions are ubiquitous in the industry, your SEO firm should be able to demonstrate positive results over the long-term.

Open and honest client reporting is one of the things that sets legitimate SEO companies apart from the scammers, spammers and other shady figures that are out there. If the firm can't provide this kind of reporting, or can't explain why you aren't getting the long-term results you were expecting.

Moving beyond these questions, most of the other lessons about business apply to the SEO industry. Experience and a proven track record with companies similar to your own are as important as they would be in any other facet of your business. Do not be afraid to ask for references, and ask colleagues about what you can expect and whom to trust in this space.

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Article Tags: avoiding spam, deciding on SEO, SEO



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