Search Engine Optimisation - Choosing the right consultant

Friday, 16 April 2010
By Carly Madigan
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Search engine optimisation is a very complex subject and entails many types of activities to deliver a successful project. In a competitive and sometimes misunderstood market it is often hard to distinguish a well qualified partner rather than a backyard consultant claiming they know SEO.

As search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, it is important to maintain an ongoing SEO strategy and be aware of the elements that should be part of a typical SEO project.

I have listed below some factors to help you better evaluate your current SEO vendor and make you aware of the requirements to ensure a successful SEO program:

1. ‘Rank #1 on Google’

No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google and any person that claims they can guarantee #1 rankings is something to be wary of. Be skeptical of unsolicited emails stating they can get your website top rankings. These are often spam emails, similar to ‘electronic funds transfers’ or ‘online pharmacy / fat burning pills’ emails.

Been found on Google is important but the real focus should be increased website visitors and visitor conversions / sales.

2. ‘Professional Link Building Service’

Avoid any form of paid linking building services as this can get your website banned and affects your long term rankings on the search engines. This is risky business and may violate Google’s Webmaster guidelines. The key is to distribute your content to a range of quality blogs, forums and industry sites.

3. Successful keyword research

To rank well for a single phrase keyword can be tricky and may not deliver the same quality of traffic and conversions than optimising for 2-3 word key phrases or groups of niche keywords. You may want to focus on one to two keywords but ultimately target that keyword as a 2-3 word phrase (long tailed keyword).

4. Top Rankings after one month

Any consultant that guarantees results after one month is kidding themselves and misleading you. SEO is a slow and steady process that requires long term tactics. A holistic approach to optimising your website by distributing quality content and maintaining relevant and useful information will lead to smaller but more consistent and on going increases.

5. Be educated

It is important to do your research on SEO and be reasonably educated on the basics of how search engines work and the type of activities that are carried out. This basic understanding will help you better evaluate your current search marketing campaign and will give you insight for what to expect from your SEO partner.

I hope the above information helps you identify some of the warning signs and issues that are affecting this sector of the online marketing industry. Fortunately, extensive information is readily available to help you identify those who actually intend on improving your website performance or if they are out to mislead you by performing illicit practices.