You shouldn’t have to outsource Search Engine Optimisation. SEO is not hard to learn. After a couple of weekends, trawling around forums like theseoforum.com, WebMasterWorld and BandofGonzos, you should be able to learn enough of the basics to get you started.
What many people don’t understand, is that SEO is an ongoing process. SEO is free if you do it yourself (discounting your time obviously ; ). If you pay someone else to do it, you can end up throwing Thousands at your site – be there for a short time, then drop out altogether.
If you do decide to use an SEO firm for outsourcing that guarantees #1 results, check the Terms and Conditions very carefully before you sign anything. Many of the firms write little clauses into their contract, which basically means that the contract is in fact never active and you do not have a leg to stand on, should you wish to get a refund. Even if they say – #1 results or your money back.
How to choose the right SEO firm for your needs.
- Speak to LOTS of companies. If you don’t feel like you can trust them, then don’t use them;
- Ask lots of questions and take notes;
- If possible, record any telephone conversations you have (at least until the initial “getting to know you” period is over);
- Ask the SEO company or outsource partner exactly what they are going to do with the site, and how they plan to get you higher listings.
- Lastly, consider doing it yourself. If you don’t have the time (as SEO can take a while), at least learn some of the basic do’s and don’ts when it comes to SEO, that way, at least you will know what you are paying for.
If a website promotion firm is doing any of the things listed below, don’t part with your money.
- Resubmitting a Web page more than once – Makes no difference. A good SEO firm won’t normally even submit your site (it will get found through links from other sites)
- Using doorway or gateway pages – This is a big no-no. Google will kick you off for sure – It would just be a matter of time.
- Using cloaking software or its techniques – Cloaking is highly frowned upon by Search engines. I would never use any Cloaking software for a client site, as the risk of what might happen if you get caught is too high.
- Using invisible text or text that is concealed – Is just bad practice. It isn’t even clever. If someone says that they are going to hide text on your pages and stuff it with keywords, they aren’t good enough to justify you giving them your business. They might use very small fonts or try to colour the text on your pages the same as the background of your site. This is a waste of time, as it is one of the easiest ways for your site to be banned from the Search engine index.
You must choose the firm which has a lot of experience and have more than 10 years of standing search engine optimization SEO outsourcing.