How to Pick the Best SEO Company

Mar 15, 2008
SEOGURU

I have hired many SEO companies that were absolute stinkers. Back then I had no idea what to look for so I lost money learning the hard way.  These days SEO companies have to fight for my dollars.  Still, every day, I have to deal with some self proclaimed SEO specialist saying he can get me to number one on Google.I’m not making a list for everyone to agree on.  I’m making a list for you to use when considering which SEO company to give the keys to your site’s future.

  • If they try to sell you…pass

Effective SEO people are good at what they do, they enjoy what they do, and so people are drawn to work with them.  SEO companies who are all about the profit hire sales people who know very little SEO to call you up and say a lot of cool web jargon and get you pumped up and ready to pay.  Good for them.  But who do you think is going to pay for all that sales person’s salary?

  • We don’t make Guarantees

That’s fine; just do not expect to be paid then.  Pay for performance is good for you, tough for SEO companies. But that’s their problem.  If a company is willing to give me a guarantee, than I am willing to pay them up front.  But you have to know what is reasonable and what is a borderline ridiculous promise.  I avoid SEO companies who guarantee #1 or Top 20.   They say top 10, I listen.  They say top 5, I lean in.

  • Just go to this website and search for “Keyword”

That is a classic line from those annoying toolbar search people.  I bought enough keywords back when that waste of a program first came out to learn first hand my time is better spent optimizing.

  • Outsourcing to other Countries

I mean no offense, really, but I would generally stay away from outsourcing to cheap companies. There are SEO companies around the world who do great work.  And there are people who do poor work dirt cheap.  You get what you pay for. So why waste the time and money?  Hire someone who will dedicate the time, energy, resources and experience it takes to get your site to the top of the search engine rankings.

I love SEO.  It makes me a little sick when people call me to sell me services that I know would just waste my hard earned money.  No wonder people are wary of SEO companies.  No wonder American Express says SEO is a waste.  They probably hired some of the same people I did.  But now I do it myself.  And the results speak for themselves.  But when I need to find someone to work on one of my sites, you bet I have the tips you just read in mind.