Failing to carry out adequate research into your potential SEO service provider has cost many a business huge chunks off their marketing budgets. Given that there are still businesses that haven’t learnt the tricks of hiring real SEO expert agencies or individuals, it’s important to highlight the questions to ask in order to establish whether a potential SEO is the right fit for your business.
- How do you achieve your results?
Local SEO is not about voodoo; there are proven techniques that have been known to work. While every website is somewhat unique, a qualified SEO should be able to carry out a preliminary analysis of your site and tell you how they will go about improving your rankings. You’re interested in knowing that they will not apply spammy techniques that could be detrimental to your business. If they are not completely forthright about their techniques or seem edgy, move along.
- What will you require from me?
SEO website analysis takes some time, but there are techniques that can be implemented right from the get-go, some of which will require client inputs. You should know upfront what the SEO will need from you, and how much time and resources you will have to put in to see results.
- Who controls access to the accounts?
Local SEO engagements usually require setting up or updating a number of different profiles. It’s not unheard of for a company to not be able to access their Google Places profile because they were created by a previous SEO who didn’t give them the passcodes. You need to have administrator access to all business profiles created on your behalf.
- How would a spammer do it?
There are many SEOs who don’t use spammy techniques per se; rather, the methods they employ leave a little to be desired. These methods have huge payoffs within the first few months, drawing traffic by the hordes. However, they are also the kind of methods that Google has become wary of, and could get you penalized.
If the SEO promises you stellar results in just a few weeks, you need to run away, fast. In addition, your SEO should know about these techniques and how to beat them so that you have a fighting chance against competitors who are applying such techniques.
