Part 2: What is SEO best practice? - Because professional search engine optimization is still an emerging form of marketing, there really isn't a set standard of qualifications that you should look for when hiring a professional. Even within the bounds of generally accepted best practice guidelines, there are professionals with a wide range of experience and abilities and no guarantees of results.

Part 3: Examining services and prices - It's important to take a look at exactly what services are being offered to you by a professional SEO before you give serious consideration to hiring them. Make sure that any proposals that you review carefully spell out what services are included. Take the time to learn what services are offered that go beyond standard optimization, like PPC campaign management, link building, and traffic analysis. The more services that are offered, the more difficult it can be to make a valid price comparison and to fully understand the impact that the services will have on your web site.

Part 4: Checking references - Proper search engine optimization requires a professional to become fairly intimate with the content of your web site, the demographics of your target audience and to work closely with your marketing and IT departments. They'll need access to your log files, your copywriter, your webmaster and any other individual that works on your web site. SEO is an ongoing process and the ability to work well with other members of your development team is essential.

Part 5: Deciding between a specialist and a firm - Working with a specialist firm that offers purely SEO services can be a great way to know that you are hiring someone who has the time to focus on the industry and to become a highly specialized expert. Some of the best-known SEOs are part of solo, or very small promotional companies and are quite skilled at working with the web designer, copywriters and other marketing professionals that may already be working on your web site.