What should a SEO program include? – part 1
Expectations of a SEO Service Provider
Our advanced Search Engine Optimization programs are all-encompassing and take into account the way SEO in Kitchener and area is meant to be done, according to Google, today. That may seem obvious to the casual, uninitiated observer, but this is far from what happens in reality today.
Most companies receive unsolicited phone calls or emails from two-bit SEO operators. They may or may not speak proper English and promise the world. The one problem is that SEO is changing almost every day. What worked last month may not give you proper results today. At one point, Search Engine Optimization was fairly simple. Due to abuse in the system, the SEs (Search Engines) tighten up their algorithms (Google does at least 250 changes/yr.) making SEO far more complicated than it used to be. Most so called SEO companies are either using techniques that are outdated (sometimes by years) or they are only picking a small slice of the entire SEO puzzle. They may get “results”, but they definitely aren’t maximizing what they could be doing OR they are actually doing harm to your rankings in a lot of cases.
What Should You Expect From a SEO Provider?
No matter what your business spends money on, you expect to know where the money goes and to get something of value for spending it. It seems that only the government doesn’t really care about that aspect – but I digress!
A Search Engine Optimization service provider should present to you exactly what they are going to do AND what they are doing as the program progresses. Full SEO visibility into what they are doing for your SEO program each month is an absolute must.
I worked for a company who did SEO. They had some knowledgeable people who knew what they were doing more or less, but, the product they were selling didn’t actually require them to work consistently on a customer’s SEO. So long as traffic was increasing, they simply showed the customer this and went on their way till next month. That isn’t proper, or professional SEO. That is simply taking money. Was the customer getting something for the money there were spending? Yes. Could they have been getting much, much more? Definitely.
I work in the Kitchener SEO marketplace and have seen some pretty crappy SEO work. A lot of it was done on the cheap. It may have been cheap but was it truly worth it? Well, if the business was sold on the fact that they would increase traffic, and they did, then may be. Did their rankings go up on the keywords that will drive business? If yes, then may be. I would like to know if they put in a position to dominate the competition from a SEO standpoint? Did they really ‘secure’ a top search engine ranking properly or could it easily be taken back by your competitors? Is there a long-term plan in place? Were today’s ‘white hat’ SEO standards used or are they severely outdated such as 2006, 2010 or even 2011 (a lot has changed since then believe it or not)? Was your Local Business Listing optimized? Was content taken into account? Were the goals laid out in partnership with you or simply stated to you?
One final point I’d like to make is, if a SEO service provider will GUARANTEE top Google rankings, be VERY leery. It can be done in certain cases for certain keyword phrases, in certain industries and certain geographic markets, but all in all, this guarantee isn’t something to bank on. If they do guarantee rankings, check out the specifics very carefully and the recourse if they don’t hit their claimed targets.
Over the next number of weeks I will be writing a SEO blog touching on the elements of a properly laid out, all-inclusive Search Engine Optimization program and what you should expect from those who claim to be SEO specialists. It won’t only be targeted at SEO in Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph or Cambridge Ontario (our local area where Advanced Web Solutions is located) but will be for all no matter where you are from. I hope you enjoy. As the series progresses, I will include quick links below so that you can quickly access each SEO blog topic as they are posted.
What should be involved in a SEO program/project? – part 1
SEO Program: Set Your Online Goals – part 2
SEO Program: Technical Website Analysis – part 3
SEO Program: Proper Keyword Research – part 4
SEO Program: Content Development – part 5
SEO Program: Website Links/Backlinks – part 6
SEO Program: Analysis – part 7
SEO Program: Website Design – part 8
Would you care to share your poor experiences with a SEO service provider? Please feel free to tell me your story.
If you ever have any website design, search engine optimization, PPC/Adwords questions or any other internet marketing questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Advanced Web Solutions.
