How to select the right seo company for your business

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WHITE PAPER Nov 07, 2012

How to Select the Right SEO Company for Your Business Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of structuring websites, landing pages and other online content so that people can find it and search engines can index it and list it in search results. Why do you need SEO? Because billions of consumers use search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo, to find local businesses, research products and services and make purchases. If you want people to find your business and if you want to rank above the competition, you need SEO. If you don’t have the in-house talent, resources and expertise to dedicate to SEO, you need to find an experienced, reputable and successful SEO company. Search engines are the top source that people to use today – well above online and printed Yellow Pages, newspapers and other resources. A June 2011 study by comScore puts Google’s worldwide reach at 1 billion unique visitors per month. According to a New York Times article, 34% of Google users click on the #1 link in search results. So, being at the top of the list can mean big business. There are many complexities to effective SEO. To be successful, it is important to remain savvy, strategic and ethical at all times. It all starts with knowing which keywords to use and developing website pages that use keywords that are related to the product, service or topic of the page and, most importantly, match the search terms that internet users type into search engines. Effective SEO can place your site at the top of the list in search results. Sites that practice ethical or “white-hat” SEO are ranked favorably by search engines. If your website uses “black-hat” or unethical SEO tactics, however, search engines will punish you by burying your site at the bottom of the list – or delisting you altogether. That’s why enlisting an experienced and successful SEO company may be your best approach. White-hat practices focus on doing what is best for the visitors to your website such as relevant content, valuable resources, sought-after information and easy navigation. When visitors come to your website via a search engine query, they see what they want and expect to see and it is a positive experience. Black-hat practices include keyword stuffing, “cloaking” or hiding keywords, hidden pages and other unethical, “spammy” tactics. Recently, Google rolled out updated algorithms that have the power to destroy the rankings for a huge number of businesses. In fact, many businesses large and small took a hefty hit from Google’s Penguin and Panda because their SEO practices were deemed unethical. When one major retailer’s SEO tactics were deemed unethical by Google, they went from the #1 spot to #71 in a matter of two hours. If your SEO reputation is damaged and your site loses ranking, it will take a great deal of time and resources to recover. So how do you select a white-hat SEO company that will help you get it right from the start? First, know what to avoid. Avoid any SEO company that practices these black-hat tactics: 1. Keyword stuffing: This is the practice of putting too many keywords on your website. 2. Hiding keywords: A common example of this is placing white keywords on a white background or placing tiny keyword-dense text at the bottom of a webpage. 3. Duplicating content: Disreputable SEO companies create multiple web pages with identical content

General Enquiries: 1-888-760-8991 | Email: info@kirkcommunications.com | www.kirkcommunications.com


WHITE PAPER Nov 07, 2012

then insert keywords into the content 4. Doorway pages: These web pages are created solely to rank in search engine results these pages redirect a visitor to your website. 5. Automatically generated content: The process of creating web pages with content that makes no sense but is littered with keywords. 6. Too many links: Like keywords, links must be relevant and well placed. Stuffing a website with too many links is a huge red flag to search engines. 7. Hidden links: Similar to hiding text, this is the unethical practice of hiding links in images, in code, or in the footer of a website. 8. Unrelated links: Placing links to your website on sites known as “link farms” or sites that are not relevant to your content can be very damaging and nearly impossible to correct once the damage is done. 9. Illegal content: Avoid using content from other websites and passing it off as your own and never use copyrighted and trademarked content. 10. Malicious pages: Of course, always avoid web pages that are misleading, practice phishing or contain malware.

How to find the right SEO company Clearly, a search engine query would be a good place to start, but don’t trust your SEO to the first company you find. Selecting an ethical and reputable company with deep SEO knowledge and experience is paramount. Remember, an inexperienced or black-hat SEO company can seriously damage your ranking and reputation. Do your homework before making a selection. Think globally. If you can’t find the level of talent and expertise that you deserve in your neighborhood, it’s easy to work with an SEO company remotely. Much of the work – development, keyword research, analysis, reporting – is achieved electronically. Check their credentials. An established and successful firm will have a wealth of information and resources available on their website. Look for case studies, customer testimonials and certifications. Good SEO companies are certified by Google. SEO companies with vast experience offer a full-range of services to help you get it done right from the start. From website design and development to keyword research and analytics, the right SEO company offers a multi-faceted approach to success. Contact potential candidates. Ask the SEO company what types of analytics tools they offer. Ask to see examples of their tools and reporting. Ask them to outline their process for SEO strategy. Ask them what separates

General Enquiries: 1-888-760-8991 | Email: info@kirkcommunications.com | www.kirkcommunications.com


WHITE PAPER Nov 07, 2012

their SEO company from the competition. Do you feel that you will have a positive rapport with your potential SEO team? Are they easy to communicate with and quick to respond to inquiries? Here is a checklist of things to consider during the selection process. What to consider when selecting an SEO Company: 1.

Only choose an SEO company with a proven track record. Make sure that proper and ethical SEO practices are in place before you start. Do not sign up for shady schemes and black hat SEO.

2.

Any reputable SEO company will have references, case studies and customer testimonials at the ready. Ask to see them and ask for permission to contact one or more of their customers.

3.

The SEO company that you select should be able to recommend best SEO practices for your product, service or industry and provide some market research as part of their services.

4.

Discuss strategy and tactics ahead of time. How can you improve the SEO on your website? How do you choose the best keywords for your business? Will you use social media? Will you need to use geo-targeted keyword phrases? Will you run any pay-per-click (PPC) ads?

5.

What is the SEO company’s back linking strategy and how can it help your ranking with search engines?

6.

Find out if the SEO company can provide relevant keyword content in the form of web page content, articles or press releases that will attract natural links.

7.

Talk about goal setting. How many keywords should you focus on? How much new content will you add to your site each quarter? What are your goals for increasing website traffic? How many new inbound and outbound links can you expect to add and in what timeframe?

8.

Which reporting and analytics tools does the SEO company use? How will they measure your keyword ranking, the SEO health of your site and the effectiveness of your efforts? What tools does the SEO company use for analytics?

9.

Talk about pricing and budget. Once you determine your strategy, what is the monthly cost and what kind of ROI can you expect?

10.

Last but not least – you should like your SEO team. After all, SEO is an ongoing and necessary element of success and so is the relationship that you have with your SEO team.

What types of services does an SEO company offer? Ideally, you should look for an ethical SEO company that has deep knowledge and experience in a multitude of online disciplines. If you can’t find an SEO company that does it all, your account manager should at least have knowledge and understanding of the following disciplines.

General Enquiries: 1-888-760-8991 | Email: info@kirkcommunications.com | www.kirkcommunications.com


WHITE PAPER Nov 07, 2012

• SEO consultancy services • SEO keyword analysis • SEO strategy • SEO meta tags, descriptions and titles • SEO reporting and analytics • SEO content writing services • PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaign management • Social media strategy and integration • Facebook marketing and integration • Email campaign management • Online public relations • Business branding and advertising Video SEO services • Website design and development • Mobile website development • Graphic design

The right SEO company has the talent, resources and deep experience to position your website for long-term success.

General Enquiries: 1-888-760-8991 | Email: info@kirkcommunications.com | www.kirkcommunications.com


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