SEO Expert Cowboy Newsletter Article

SEO Expert Or Just A Cowboy?

 

As a website owner it is perfectly natural to expect your website to rank near the top of the search results. After all, with all that fantastic content that you’ve just spent days and weeks fine-tuning, how could it not be immensely popular?

And as sure as night follows day, when your site fails to make the first page it’s tempting to blame Google, because, how could your beautiful new website be the problem?

So, take a deep breath and read the next line.

It’s not Google’s fault, it’s not your website’s fault: it’s your fault.

Sorry, but you haven’t finished the job. Your next task is going to be challenging, but in this new world, competition is fierce, and to finish the job you’ll need to pay careful attention to the various ways you can claw your site up the rankings.

But don’t despair. You can get help, it even has a name Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and there are plenty of consultants and companies offering SEO services, the only problem is sorting the wheat from the chaff. Luckily for you, you are just about to read The Six Golden Rules for Choosing an SEO consultant.


Golden Rule Number 1: Contacted by an SEO firm? Keep your wits about you!

Although it does not automatically follow that all SEO firms that contact you are just out for a quick buck you should keep your wits about you and be wary of any that do. The majority of good SEO consultants will rather react to an inquiry than spend time trawling the Internet looking for poorly optimized websites.


Golden Rule Number 2: Guarantees are lies – spurn them and the companies that offer them

Okay, as Golden Rules go it is not fair to say that all guarantees are lies, there are a few genuine guarantees that are offered in good faith and as a sign of confidence, nevertheless err on the side of caution and treat them all as you would a suspect standing over a dead body with a smoking gun.

SEO consultants have no control over how the search engines search; they have no influence over the competition and so no matter how much you want it they are not in any position to offer you meaningful guarantees with regards to the results that can be achieved.

There are no 'special relationships' or 'tricks', if you are offered a guarantee, or think yourself covered for insisting on one, it is quite possible that the guarantee offered will be worthless.

Guarantees that are freely offered are generally not what they seem. Anyone with a basic knowledge of SEO will be able to rank you high for an uncompetitive search phrase; being ranked number one for a search phrase that no one is using is as useful and expensive as erecting a billboard in the middle of the Sahara Dessert.

Golden Rule Number 3: Secretive SEO's should be shown the door

Your relationship with an SEO consultant should be similar to that you would expect from your accountant as you are ultimately responsible for your website and the actions of the people that you employ to build and maintain your website.

There is no reason for an SEO consultant not to explain why and what they are doing and they should be prepared to document all that they have done. They should not insert undocumented code and you should be careful of those that want to install their own software; give consideration as to what will happen if you decide at a later date to end you relationship with them.


Golden Rule Number 4: Treat references with a pinch of salt

References are useful but will not always tell the whole story. Ten years is a lifetime in SEO, and it is a subject that is more to do with understanding the 'now' than the 'then'.

Search engines in their current form first started to appear in the mid 90's and a lot has changed in search engine technology which gave birth to the SEO consultant. As the search engines have become more adept at spotting and penalizing websites that achieve prominence by stealth rather than merit, so SEO techniques have had to evolve.

Despite the SEO basics being the same for any website how they are applied and to what degree is very dependent on each specific website; its design, maturity, market, purpose, objectives, the type and size of the organization as well as how competitive the market. Some SEO techniques that are relevant and effective for some websites will be irrelevant and ineffective for others.

Golden Rule Number 5: Prepared to be disappointed

Limit your expectations. No matter how good the SEO consultant they will not be able to take you from 'nowhere' to a number one listing overnight. There is no magic bullet that will allow a one page website to permanently out rank a large multi-national, if you believe those that say there are, expect to be disappointed.

SEO takes hard work, time and patience.


Golden Rule Number 6: Are they worthy of your trust?

SEO Expert or Just a Cowboy, Newsletter Article

Author Bio: Martin Day is a freelance Internet Marketing Consultant and a Director of Survey Galaxy Ltd, to contact the author please email martin.c.day[at-symbol]btconnect.com

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Placement Hints to Gold

Gaining ranking back may require and Seo pro if you can't seem to figure it out. If you can find expert seo and seo consultant should explain to you why search engine optimization is getting increasingly difficult. You should not feel bad if you cannot get good rankings without the aid of a specialist. A search engine optimization specialist spends ridiculous hours polishing seo expertise and what makes them an seo specialist is the fact they work on strategy which is optimization. Old school search engine optimization experts can be their own worst enemy. Talking in a search engine language that gets favored today is not optimization...trust me, it's careful planning with market research.

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