Truth About Search Engine Optimization – Getting your website to show up on relevant search phrases organically is really a feat all in itself. However, done well and done right, it can make your business! SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a term that can be quickly misunderstood if you are not in the business. It is very important to keep your eyes on 1 goal in this game and not get off-track. When someone talks SEO, you should be thinking, “what’s the end goal”. Because without a goal, all your neat and clever tactics may just be that, tactics that keep you out of the end zone. While SEO can be great at generating leads for your website, it is also more complicated than one might imagine. Let’s face it, there is a lot going on in the virtual world and unless you are prepared to spend a lifetime dedicated and updated to its every movement, you will need to hire a professional. Even great companies will outsource their SEO to trained professionals. So the question is, how to pick the right SEO firm! Here is our short list of what you should be looking for:

1. No-one can deliver the world to you for only $100. Promises that are Too Good to be True are just that; not true.
2. High upfront fees mean they have no confidence in their ability to retain you as a satisfied customer each month, so avoid those types of companies altogether.
3. If they focus primarily on “FIXING” your meta tags, you may be talking to the wrong guys. Let’s face it, meta tags are not even that important anymore. Sure a title and description are fine, but the rest is a waste of time that should be spent elsewhere.
4. If they are not talking Google, Yahoo and Bing then it’s time to look elsewhere. Nobody cares about the hundreds or even thousands of other search engines. Why? Because nobody uses them. Stick to the big 3.
5. If they cannot link you to industry relevant sites, then it’s time to keep looking. Your website needs links from other industry similar genres of websites.
6. Monthly reports that shows you where your money each month has been going. Without a report, don’t waste your money on another bill collector.
7. Search Phrase tracking. They need to have a way to monitor during the life of your SEO campaign, how the search phrase(s) that are under contract are doing. Set your goal and watch your website move closer to this goal with a tracking system. Otherwise, “what’s going on”?
8. On page overhaul. Your SEO company should walk through your website and see to it that your titles, descriptions and on page content match the goals of the search phrase(s) you are competing for.
9. Make sure you don’t have broken links. Get your 303 re-direct on!
10. In the world of SEO, it’s all results oriented. Agree on your goal and time frame for that goal before you sign any contracts.

Truth About Search Engine Optimization