SEO Guides, Tips & More!

SEO (search engine optimization) is a complicated arena and it’s ever-changing. As Google continues to refine its algorithm and ranking factors, the corresponding tactics to obtain a number one ranking keep shifting. While picking out keywords and helping your company build a content strategy is important, SEO is about more than that. It’s far more comprehensive involving several variables including how your website is coded and administered to the title of your content and referring links. Is your head spinning yet? It does raise the question, “How do I hire a SEO expert?”. To help answer this question we have provided a few tips below.

SEO Expert Hiring Tips

• Industry Experience – It’s true that the basic concepts of SEO stay the same no matter the industry or type of site. However, what does change are the essential SEO building blocks such as keyword selection, metadata population, and other on-page tactics. It’s also important to remember that the strategy used to optimize the website of a business with a single location is different from the strategy used for an office with multiple locations. Guess what? If the business has a national presence there are other issues and variables that need to be addressed. For this reason, it’s important to find a consultant or consulting firm that not only has experience in your industry but also with your business size.
• Skill Assessment – SEO has become something of a buzz term over the past 5-10 years, to the point where just about anyone with a marketing background says they can do it. Some are the real deal, while others have done little more than write a keyword-driven blog post or two. For this reason, it’s important to determine if they have the level and type of skills that are needed to propel your company’s presence. During the initial discussion, ask the individual or provider to review your site and identify some basic improvements that will help. This is an easy task a competent provider should be able to do while speaking with you on the phone. Remember, you want an expert that can easily answer your questions and requests.
• How Will You Improve My Rankings? – This is a good question and one I gleaned from Entreprenuer.com. (Great list of questions if you want to bulk up then check out their list).  The answer to this question will tell you a lot about the professional you are evaluating. If they speak in vague generalities, refer to tricks or make things sound easy, then it’s definitely a bad sign. That’s not to say SEO professionals should tell you everything before you sign on, but they do need to demonstrate their competence and expertise in such a way that you are comfortable hiring them. For this reason, spend time asking questions and really listening to what they are saying, what tactics they will use and overall time frames.
• Check References – Another way to test a candidate’s SEO skills is to ask them to share recent links to a few sites they have helped optimize. Along with the list of URLs, have the candidate give you a list of references, including the name of the client/customer. Again, this should be an easy request and a normal part of doing business. Through a site review you will be able to see evidence of their work and by talking to others you can understand the level of skill, temperament, and demeanor. These are important considerations as you decide which provider will work best with you or your company.

In Perspective

The right SEO expert can boost your site’s Google ranking, improve online visibility, and win new followers and customers. Take note that results can take time to reveal themselves, therefore, it could be some time before you understand if you made the best decision. But by following the above tips it will go a long way to finding the right expert for your company.