This section covers what you should look for in an SEO expert.
SEO is a long and tedious process and may get a little technical. An expert can take a look at your site and its links and quickly tell you what do differently.
SEO experts can be worth it but you have to watch out as there are many scammers out there.
Your SEO expert is someone you’ll want to work with for at least several months as SEO takes a while to see any results from it.
Finding The Right Seo Expert
There are a lot of people out there advertising themselves as SEO experts.
There are a few sites that can help connect you with an SEO expert. Check out the following:
- www.elance.com
- www.sempo.org
- www.seomoz.org
Look for an expert that you can talk to and work with in person. Communicating over the internet just doesn’t cut it sometimes.
Avoid any expert who guarantees a high ranking.
Never use an SEO expert who doesn’t reveal their secrets. Their methods should be transparent in case they use black hat methods.
If the SEO expert ever mentions placing links to unrelated websites… avoid them!
Ask for referrals from anyone you know who’s used an SEO expert.
Are They Qualified?
Unfortunately with the internet, trust can be an issue so when you check out the experts sites, take it for face value.
Do a search for the potential SEO experts and see what others have to say. Google Blog Search is a good feature to see what people are saying.
Always call them to see what they’re like on the phone. Do they sound professional? Do they know what they’re talking about?
Don’t be so concerned with if they’ve worked with your industry or not… SEO is the same for every industry.
Check to see how long they’ve been around for. Consultants who’ve been around for a while are likely to be much better.
The most important things to look out for are that they’re transparent with their techniques and that they have a good track record.
Questions To Ask Your Potential Seo Experts
To get the most out of your SEO expert you should talk with them over the phone so you get a good grasp of exactly what they do.
You should ask them:
- How long they’ve been working in SEO.
- What’s their payment process?
- What steps they would take with your site (make sure they see your site before talking).
- Do they have contracts and if so… can you end them early?
- Ask them what techniques they would be using for your site.
- Are there any extra fees?
If they can’t tell you something because it’s a “secret” avoids them.
If they come across as professional… they probably are, but make sure you have an “out” in case they mess things up.
Realistic Expectations
Good SEO takes a long time to fully implement so don’t expect quick results.
The pricing for an SEO professional can vary but they typically charge monthly. You’ll see prices ranging from $90 per month to $10,000 per month.
Some of you may just want a consultation with an expert in which case they just write a report about your site and give you recommendations. For smaller businesses this option is recommended.
You should expect regular reports from your professional. By demanding regular reports you’ll see exactly what they’re doing.
The experts you hire can only do so much. You’ll have to do some work and provide them with content and other things in order for them to do their job.
The costs all depends on your situation, if your site is already optimized they should charge you less. Always ask them why and what they’re doing, if they can’t tell you… fire them.