Whilst there are a lot of SEO providers in the marketplace, not all keep up with the ever-changing landscape of search engine optimisation. Since SEO takes time, it can be months before you realize that you chose the wrong provider.
The result of bad SEO practices can be very damaging to your website & your business. It can drag your website’s ranking down. Even worse, it could also remove your site from the search engines altogether.
Hiring the right SEO provider will improve your websites’ visibility in search engines and ultimately provide a return on investment.
If you are thinking of hiring an SEO, here are some questions to ensure you onboard the right team.
1. Do they adhere to search engines webmaster guidelines?
The answer to this should be yes. Google webmaster guidelines provide some of the best SEO practices which when implemented can make incremental improvements to your website that show a noticeable impact. It can be used to find and fix technical SEO errors, submit sitemaps and see backlinks among many more.
On the flip side, not adhering to the guidelines can result in your site being penalised and removed from search engines.
2. Can they guarantee #1 rank on Google?
The answer to this should be no. Nobody can guarantee #1 rank on Google. Beware of such SEOs; Google does not have or allow a special relationship or priority submissions. Any company that claims as such, should not be taken seriously.
3. Who will have ownership of the web properties they create?
What is a web property? According to Wikipedia, “A web property is a point of presence (e.g. a website, social media account, blog, etc.) on the web that is an asset of an entity (e.g. an individual or corporation) used for the purpose of representing a brand, person or other identity.”
All companies where such web properties exist will verify ownership of the property before allowing to create or make changes and the ownership of such web properties should always rest with the business owners.
4. What if your site gets penalised because of their actions?
Search engines are very strict about the quality of content on their website. To ensure that quality is maintained, they have a set of guidelines that needs to be followed. In case of non-compliance, the risk of penalty is very real. Recovering from a penalty is possible, but can take months if not weeks, which can have a direct impact to your business. To ensure compliance, SEO providers should document any change recommended or implemented and must be responsible for penalties and subsequent recovery. You might also want to consider the financial implications of loss of potential business in case of such penalties.
5. Will they work with your direct competitors?
The SEO provider you choose to work with should never work with your direct competitor whilst your campaign is assigned to them. How can an SEO company deliver the best results for direct competitors vying for the same results for the same keywords? If your SEO provider does not agree to this, then they are not the right fit for your business.
The Bottom Line
Your brand’s online presence is only relevant if it draws quality contact. Hence, it is essential to invest in SEO providers that improve your websites’ online presence and visibility. However, you also need to be careful and consider some very essential points before choosing the right provider, such as the ones discussed. Remember, making the right choice is based on asking smart questions
