There are many factors to consider when selecting a search engine optimization company. Unfortunately, many businesses that haven't previously used search engine optimization to promote themselves are unsure how to evaluate potential vendors, and many are intimidated by the entire concept. The following article, divided into five major topics of consideration, is intended to help in the selection process.
Topic 1: Approach There are many different approaches and levels of service available to anyone looking for a search engine optimization company. Some techniques, such as "cloaking" or "doorway pages" can put your site at risk of penalization, although they may give you short term gains. For some, the risks of penalization associated with such techniques may be acceptable, but most prefer to play by the rules. You probably also want to be certain that your vendor doesn't work with your competition. Here are three important questions to ask your potential search engine optimization company:
1. Do you create pages, optimized for my keyphrases, which aren't built in to the navigation of my site? -
If the answer is yes, you are probably dealing with a search engine optimization company that creates "doorway" or "bridge" pages ... This technique violates the terms of service of most major engines.
2. Does your technique involve showing a different page to the search engine than to my visitors? -
If the answer is yes, than you are probably dealing with a search engine optimization company that uses "cloaking". ... Google is particularly harsh on sites that use cloaking, and is known to remove them entirely (when they find them).
3. Do you guarantee that you won't work with my competitors while you are working with me? -
The optimization techniques used for your site could probably be used to help your competitors. Naturally, you don't want your search engine optimization company taking the lessons learned from your site and applying them to a competing site (diluting the effectiveness of your campaign)...
Rich's Web Design does NOT use cloaking or doorway pages!
Topic 2: Results Almost every search engine optimization company has a "brag book" of positions that they have achieved. However, looks can be deceiving. When evaluating the past results of a search engine optimization company, there are really five important components to consider.
1. Which engines? -
Make certain that the positions the search engine optimization company has achieved are for the most popular search engines, not smaller engines.
2. Which keyphrases? -
Wordtracker (www.wordtracker.com) is a valuable tool (free for limited use) in determining if the positions your potential search engine optimization company proudly displays actually have any real value...
3. What about an entire site? -
While it's easy to focus on one particularly impressive position on one popular engine, it's more important to focus on a broad range of positions achieved for one site.
4. How have results stood up over time? -
When you find a search engine optimization company that can provide you with the data mentioned in the previous component, ask to see a report showing how those positions have held up over time.
5. Did they really do it? -
The most obvious of the five components is to confirm that your potential search engine optimization company is really responsible for the positions they are claiming.
Topic 3: Ongoing Support and Reporting As previously mentioned, search engine optimization is an ongoing process, rather than a one time "quick fix."
1. Engines -
Reports should always be based on the most popular engines, not the engines that the search engine optimization company has had success with.
2. Overviews -
Your reports shouldn't be solely comprised of raw data that details individual positions (although this should be included)...
3. Recommendations -
You don't want to pay a search engine optimization company merely to report on positions- you want to be sure that they are looking over your ranking performance on a monthly basis and are actively making the recommendations necessary to maintain and improve your positions...
Topic 4: Cost Obviously, this is a large consideration for most companies, but focusing too much on cost and not enough on results can hinder your chances for success. Some things to remember:
Rich's Web Design "Prices"!
1. Search Engine Optimization is NOT a commodity product. -
Unlike selecting a gas or electric company (where the quality of the product is largely the same regardless of vendor), your choice of search
engine optimization vendors will have a dramatic effect on the overall results. If price is your largest consideration
and you are unable to find a vendor within your price range with whom you are confident, it may be advisable to wait
until you can afford one that meets your criteria.
2. Prices are all over the board. -
As with most businesses, the vendors with the best reputations and the proven track records command the highest fees.
However, it is possible to find a competent, lower-priced search engine optimization company without a proven track
record that will do an excellent job (every optimization firm has to start somewhere)...
Topic 5: References If a search engine optimization company you are considering is unable to provide you with references, you may want to look elsewhere. In almost every business, excellent references are a necessity when considering expenditures over a certain dollar figure. Why should choosing a search engine optimization company be any different? Some optimization firms may cite "confidentiality" reasons, but search engine optimization is no longer considered the black art that it once was. Every legitimate firm should have at least two clients (past or present) that you can call upon. Here are some important questions to ask when you do:
Rich's Web Design "References"!
1. Did you enjoy working with them? -
This doesn't bear much explanation, but you should find out how available the vendor was for questions, whether
they met their deadlines, and how the company would classify the overall experience.
2. How reasonable were their requests? -
Some companies will ask you to make changes that seriously compromise the visitor experience on your site. It is
important to find a search engine optimization company that can find a balance between the needs of search engines
and site visitors, not a company that goes for high positions at any cost.
3. What overall effect has it had on your business? -
This is the most important question, and the most important overall factor to consider when selecting a search
engine optimization company. While high search engine positions and more site traffic are an admirable goal, the
true value of search engine optimization is found in positive effects on customer acquisition costs and bottom line
revenues.
Conclusion - Search engine optimization can drive numerous, targeted prospect directly to your website,
typically at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing. However, as with most things, your results will
only be as good as the people you work with. By taking the time to carefully evaluate search engine optimization
vendors before signing a check, you will take much of the guesswork and uncertainty out of the process- and
greatly increase your long-term chances for success.
By Jill Whalen - HighRankings.com
Having a Web site that gets found in Google isn't hard to do, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here are ten tips to get you started.
1. Start out slowly. If possible, begin with a new site that has never been submitted to the search engines or directories. Choose an appropriate domain name, and start out by optimizing just the home page.
2. Learn basic HTML. Many search engine optimization techniques involve editing the behind the scenes HTML code. Your high rankings can depend on knowing which codes are necessary, and which aren't.
3. Choose keywords wisely. The keywords you think might be perfect for your site may not be what people are actually searching for. To find the optimal keywords for your site, use tools such as WordTracker. Choose two or three highly targeted phrases for each page of your site. Never shoot for general keywords such as "travel" or "vacation."
4. Write at least 200 - 250 words of visible text copy based on your chosen keywords. This is a crucial component to high rankings and a successful Web site. The search engines need to "read" keyword rich copy on your pages so they can successfully classify your site. Use each keyword phrase numerous times within your copy for best results.
5. Create a killer Title tag. HTML title tags are critical because they're given a lot of weight with all of the search engines. You must put your keywords into this tag and not waste space with extra words. Do not use the Title tag to display your company name or to say "Home Page." Think of it more as a "Title Keyword Tag" and create it accordingly. Add your company name to the end of this tag, if you must use it.
5a. Make sure your site is "link-worthy" Other sites linking to yours
is a critical component of a successful search engine optimization
campaign, as all of the major search engines place a good deal of
emphasis on your site's overall link popularity.
6. Create Meaty Meta tags. Meta tags can be valuable, but they are not a magic bullet. Create a Meta Description tag that uses your keywords and also describes your site. The information in this tag often appears under your Title in the search engine results pages.
The Meta Keyword tag isn't quite as important as the Meta Description tag. Contrary to popular belief, what you place in the keyword tag will have very little bearing on what keywords your site is actually found under, and it's not given any consideration whatsoever by Google. Use this tag, but do not obsess over.
7. Use extra "goodies" to boost rankings. Things like headlines, image alt tags, header tags H1 ... H2, etc.), links from other pages, keywords in file names, and keywords in hyperlinks can cumulatively boost search engine rankings. Use any or all of these where they make sense for your site.
8. Be careful when submitting to directories such as Yahoo and the Open Directory Project (DMOZ). Having directory listings are a key component to getting your site spidered and listed by Google. Making mistakes in the submission process could cost you dearly as directory listings are difficult to change later in the game. Therefore, it's important to read Yahoo's How to Suggest Your Site and How to add a site to the Open Directory before submitting.
9. Don't expect quick results. Getting high rankings takes time; there's no getting around that fact. Once your site is added to a search engine or directory, its ranking may start out low and then slowly work its way up the ladder. Some search engines measure "click-through popularity," i.e., the more people that click on a particular site, the higher its ranking will go. Be patient and give your site time to mature.
10. Don't constantly "tweak" your site for better results. It's best not to make changes to your optimization for at least three-to-six months after submission. It often takes the engines at least that long to add your optimized pages to their databases. Submit it, and then forget about it for a while!
If you've followed these tips and still can't find your site in the engines, the first place to "tweak" would be your page copy. If you added less than 250 words of visible text on your pages, this is probably your culprit. Also, double check your keyword density, and make sure that you only targeted two or three phrases per page. Eventually, you'll see the fruits of your labor with many top ten rankings in Google and the rest of the search engines!
