When it boils down to the nitty gritty details of the competitive online marketing world, SEO essentials have become the notorious hotspot for the avid online business owner.
Many eager businesses prowl online recruitment websites in search of search engine optimization consultants, and are usually disheartened when they are burdened with a sub-par consultant that barely knows how to wrap their finger around the SEO system.
So how exactly do you weed out the fake search engine optimization consultants and unearth the real gem in pile of coal?
Well, here are ten quick questions you can take note of when you decide to hunt around for that perfect SEO consultant:
1. Ask them how many sites they’ve worked on.
Pick out search engine optimization consultants that have worked with easily a dozen companies before your own. The last thing you want is your company’s website to be the pothole of rookie mistakes, and experience counts more than most these days.
2. Ask them if you can call their references.
Although it is not uncommon for the standard SEO consultant to request a non-disclosure agreement, there are some consultants that have alibis that are willing to be contacted. Do a thorough background research on each potential consultant, and try to fish out as much information about their expertise as you can from their referees.
3. Ask them what they think of your website.
Disregard potential consultants that refuse to evaluate your website first. A good SEO consultant will be honest and straightforward with what they think, and will be critical about what you need to clamber up the SEO ranking ladder.
4. Ask them how much SEO you need.
Since many SEO consultants operate on fixed rates or a minimum hourly fee, it is important that you consider all aspects of your SEO needs, including your keyword competition, present link popularity, number of requested optimization pages and even website difficulties or anomalies. Take note that you might need to restructure some of your URLs, perform some extra coding or upgrades or even implement certain technical software before conducting an SEO customization process.
5. Ask them if implementation is included.
Usually a webmaster will be the one involved in tinkering with your content and metatags. An SEO professional can also do this, but try not to have too many fingers scrambling your coding. The best way is to merge both your webmaster’s info and your SEO consultation so that you don’t lose out on any coding aspects.
6. Ask them how many sites they have worked on in your field.
As far as SEO usage goes, always keep an eye on SEO consultant candidates that are well-versed with the playing nets on your field. It pays to have someone who’s already familiarized themselves with your services and products.
7. Ask them about the techniques they utilize.
Find out what sort of techniques does your potential SEO consultant utilize – is it old school or modern and efficient? SEO consultants who practice out-of-date techniques should be scraped off the list immediately, since their tinkering can damage your website’s search engine rankings.
8. Ask them how long it will take to optimize your website.
Usually, any form of SEO optimization will take months, with new sites taking up more time than older ones. Do not trust consultants that guarantee instantaneous results, since this is obviously a lie.
9. Ask them how much they charge.
Make sure that the rates are consistent, but be prepared for a jumble of charges from different consultants. It is wiser to pick a slightly pricier consultant with more experience tucked under their belt than a cheaper newbie.
10. Ask them how they gauge the results.
Good search engine optimization consultants will often measure the progress of your website using Google Analytics.
Remember to hire an SEO consultant that answers all ten of these requirements easily, lest you sustain some damage to your website’s search engine ranking in the long term.
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