Dummies Guide To Choosing A Seattle SEO Consultant

SEO, or search engine optimization, can substantially improve the organic rankings of your Seattle website in the search engines, but it's tricky to handle on your own, especially when you're also building your business.

 

That's why hiring a Seattle SEO consultant is so valuable. After all, every SEO company should have the knowledge needed to improve the organic rankings of your website fast and affordably, right? Not really. While hiring the right SEO consultant can dramatically improve the organic rankings and profitability of your website, hiring the wrong SEO company can actually hurt your rankings and possibly even your reputation.

 

So, you may be wondering how to separate the right Seattle SEO consultant from the wrong SEO company. This Dummies Guide to Choosing a Seattle SEO Consultant will give you the information you need to make the right choice.


Take The Time To Research
Never hire the first SEO company you come across. Always take the time to do some research first, even if you end up back at that first consultant. Education can mean the different between hiring the right or wrong SEO company for your business.

 

Perform a Google search using the name of your prospective SEO company. If you don't see their website in the organic search engine listings, quickly move on to another Seattle SEO company. In addition, perform a search for the owner's name as many businesses change their business name because of bad press, but the owner's name will usually stay the same. Read all of the comments you see, positive and negative, so you can develop your own opinion about their business methods, successes, and tactics.

 

The following free resources from Google can help get you started on the right track to finding the best Seattle SEO consultant for your business.
Google 101
Google Webmaster Guidelines

 

When To Hire A Seattle SEO Consultant
If you have decided to opt for hiring a Seattle SEO consultant instead of performing your own search engine optimization, getting started during the initial development of your website is best. This will ensure effective SEO measures are a part of your website from the beginning. If you have an existing website, hiring an SEO consultant is really the best option overall because it can get very complicated making changes to your website and implementing good SEO techniques.

 

Questions To Ask A Potential SEO Consultant
Never hire an SEO company without taking the time to ask a few questions first. Make sure you get the right answers to your questions before proceeding. Consider the following questions and include any other questions you can think of that are specific to your website.

 

  • How long have you been in business?
  • Do you follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines?
  • Can I see some of your past work and the results you've achieved?
  • Can I contact some of your past clients?
  • Do you have any experience with websites in my topic?
  • What results do you think you can accomplish for my website?
  • Are these general results or results specific to my website?
  • Have you looked at my competition's website to analyze what they're doing?
  • What is your strategy for building links?
  • How do you figure success?
  • What are your rates and packages?
  • Are there any hidden fees?
  • Do you have any experience with local Seattle SEO?
  • Do you offer PPC and internet marketing services in addition to SEO?
  • What is your most productive SEO technique?
  • Will you seek my approval before implementing SEO techniques?
  • Will you always seek my approval or only for certain things?
  • Will you change my website?
  • How often will you contact me with updates and results?

 

Who To Avoid
While good SEO consultants offer a valuable service that can help any business achieve higher rankings, unethical companies can actually cause more harm than benefit, especially those who use manipulative or aggressive techniques. Violating guidelines set by the search engines can even result in the removal of your website from search engines.

 

  • Stay away from SEO companies sending spammy emails. Spam is a big red flag because it's frowned upon. Any SEO company sending unsolicited emails is probably prone to using dangerous SEO tactics.
  • Stay away from SEO companies that promise a #1 ranking, regardless of website topic or keyword targeted. While it is possible to rank #1 for long tail or obscure keywords, no SEO company can guarantee a #1 spot because they don't control the search engines.
  • Stay away from SEO companies who don't really answer your questions. If they dodge questions without full answering them, they're probably misleading you.
  • Stay away from SEO companies claiming 'special relationships' or 'priority submits' with the search engines. Neither of these exists. Everyone is equal when it comes to submitting a website to the search engines.
  • Stay away from SEO companies suggesting doorway pages or throwaway pages. These are another quick way to get your website banned from the search engines. Remember that your website will receive the punishment for negative tactics, not the SEO company.
  • Stay away from SEO companies who suggest placing a link on your website that points to their website. In addition, avoid SEO companies who discuss free for all links, submitting to thousands of search engines, or link popularity schemes. These won't do anything for the ranking of your website.

 

Know Exactly What You'll Receive
Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and the other search engines do not sell rankings. You will never receive a higher search engine ranking by paying off a search engine. Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing does entail paying the search engines for placing an ad in the paid search engine results, but you can never buy a high organic search engine ranking. Any SEO company suggesting this is fraudulent.

 

A good Seattle SEO consultant will offer you an itemized list of their fees for each specific aspect of the SEO services they provide. Never blindly hand over money. If your prospective SEO company won't give you a customized price quote, move on.

 

Be On The Lookout For

 

  • Doorway Pages - Avoid SEO companies who propose doorway pages. These pages are nothing more than useless keyword loaded pages. The search engines hate them and using them is a sure way to find yourself on the last page of organic search engine results. Many fraudulent SEO companies load doorway pages with invisible links to the websites of their other clients. This will also damage your ranking as the search engines frown upon invisible text and irrelevant links.
  • Shadow Domains - In addition to avoiding doorway pages, avoid SEO companies suggesting shadow domains. These simply funnel visitors to a website using misleading automatic redirects. Another reason to avoid shadow domains is that your SEO company will own them. This can result in you paying for a shadow domain you don't own. If you cancel your SEO services with a company using shadow domains, they can switch the shadow domain to point anywhere they want, including to your competitor, which can have a devastating effect on your business.

 

Other Techniques To Avoid
Ask if your prospective Seattle SEO company uses the following techniques. If the answer is yes, move on fast. Although this is not an in depth list of techniques to avoid, it will give you an idea of the legitimacy of your prospective SEO company.Above all, listen to your instincts. If you have a negative feeling about an SEO company, even if everything seems good, walk away. The internet is full of great Seattle SEO consultants.

 

  • Has hidden WHOIS information (or it's false)
  • Uses aliases instead of real names
  • Isn't listed in the organic search results for their name or company name
  • Wants your FTP information and root access to your server
  • Deals in unknown search engines, spyware, or scumware
  • Offers address bar keywords for a hefty price
  • Only offers techniques you could accomplish on your own
  • Places links to other websites on your website
  • Lumps the paid search results and organic search engine results together
  • Guarantees a #1 Google ranking for any and every keyword

 

    If You Unfortunately Chose The Wrong SEO Company
    First, realize it can (and does) happen to anyone. When you're excited about starting your SEO campaign, it's easy to overlook things to end up making a bad choice. One of the best things you can do is to help others by speaking up about your negative experience. After all, wouldn't you have chosen a different SEO company if you read a warning about their fraudulent practices?

     

    To report fraudulent practices by an SEO company in the United States, contact The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at http://www.ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP. You can file a complaint online, provide your complaint over the phone, or mail your complaint to:
    The Federal Trade Commission
    CRC-240
    Washington, DC 20580

     

    To file a complaint against an SEO company in another counter, visit http://www.econsumer.gov.

     

    By considering these tips, you are sure to choose the SEO company who can take your online business from obscurity to astounding success. If you have any questions on your journey to finding the right SEO consultant for your business, please contact Seattle SEO Consultant. We are happy to help you make the best choice to improve the ranking of your website, even if you don't choose us.


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