Selecting an SEO Provider

What should you look for when selecting an SEO provider? That was the topic of discussion in the Selecting an SEO Provider session at Augusts conference. It was interesting to note that though the session was certainly attended by those looking for an SEO provider, SEO providers themselves also attended in order to see what types of packages and services are being offered by others in the industry.

Panelists included:

* Scott Kluth, Project Manager of Sears.com
* George Semeczko, Chief Technical Officer of Inceptor, Inc.
* Robin Nobles, Director of Training with the Academy of Web Specialists
* Mike Adams, President and CEO of WebSeed
* Brad Byrd, Director of Business Development with NewGate

George Semeczko, Mike Adams, and Brad Byrd discussed the services provided by their individual search engine optimization companies.

Dr. Semeczko with Inceptor (http://www.inceptor.com/) discussed their Excedia conversion marketing software that can either be run on a clients site or as a managed service by Inceptor. The software generates targeted pages constructed around a key phrase. Then, Excedia determines which search engine is visiting the site and serves up the most appropriate page for that search engine.

When choosing an SEO provider, Dr. Semeczko recommended asking questions like:

* What am I being promised - rankings, traffic, or conversions?
* Is there any impact on my existing Web site?
* Who "owns" the traffic (who owns the domains used and any pages created)?
* Am I offered free as well as paid inclusion?

Dr. Semeczko believes that SEOs should be more concerned with ROI, the return on investment, rather than strictly with rankings. Inceptor likes to take a long look at the objectives and set up of a particular site, and then take action. He said, "Rankings dont matter at the end of the day - the conversion is whats important."

Then, Mike Adams with WebSeed (http://www.webseed.com) discussed how his service works to improve pages within a clients site. To position a site in the rankings, WebSeed relies on the creation of highly relevant, quality content, rather than on tricks or spam to try to beat the search engines. His companys goal is to make the Web more relevant for both the search engines and users. Building link popularity is another very important facet of WebSeeds array of services.

Adams recommended making sure that the SEO you choose has the technical knowledge to help you. Remember that each client is separate, and his or her SEO needs should be approached separately. He also recommended researching any SEO firm that youre considering using.

Brad Byrd with NewGate (http://www.newgate.com/) talked about his companys per click optimization services, as well as paid placement listings. NewGate not only optimizes clients sites from the ground up, but they also manage paid listings, handle directory submissions, and outline effective strategies for working with the pay engines.

Byrd suggested finding an SEO who will work intimately with you to approach the pay-per-click services. "Finding terms that you can work with is critical," he said.

Scott Kluths focus on the panel was to outline points to consider when looking for an SEO provider from the perspective of someone who has had to use them. Kluth, who works for Sears.com (http://www.sears.com), discussed some of the advantages of hiring an outsourced firm versus doing SEO work in house.

Finally, Robin Nobles of the Academy of Web Specialists gave an overview of SEO services from several different focuses: fee structures, guarantees, ownership of pages, and more. Highlights of a portion of her presentation follow.

Fee Structures

Basically, there are no typical fee structures. Most SEO companies offer a variety of packages, but the packages themselves can contain any number of services, such as:

* Keyword research;
* Optimization of a certain number of existing pages and/or the creation of new information or doorway pages;
* Submission to the major engines;
* Submission to the major directories;
* Link popularity building;
* Tweaking the pages a certain number of times to achieve desired results;
* Tracking of the sites traffic;
* Monthly reports.

Other services can often be added on to these packages, such as:

* Creation of theme sites;
* Keyword purchases through one of the pay engines like GoTo;
* Optimization of additional pages outside of the regular package;
* Cloaking software and strategies;
* More intense link building;
* Maintenance of the site on a monthly basis.

Some SEO firms are now beginning to charge more for time consuming services, such as working with competitive keyword phrases and sites using difficult technology.

Other fee structures mentioned include:

* Pay-for-placement plans;
* Pay-for-click-through plans;
* Payment based on sales; and,
* Pay-per-click engines and the directories.

Guarantees

Most SEO firms wont guarantee top 10 results. However, they may guarantee to increase traffic to your site or to increase your rankings.

If they do guarantee top 10 rankings, read the fine print of your contract carefully and find out what stipulations are in place.

Also, most SEO firms wont guarantee an increase in sales unless theyre given access to the site to make it "sales friendly."

Competing Clients

Some SEO firms will only work for one client in a given industry. Other SEO companies set themselves up to be experts in a particular industry, such as online casinos or legal Web sites. Still other firms will take on more than one client in a given industry but only if the clients choose a different set of targeted keywords.

In Conclusion

When considering which SEO firm to hire, do your homework carefully. Make sure youre dealing with a reputable company, and be sure that you understand exactly what that company can and will do for your business.

Notes by Robin Nobles

About the Author

This article was written by Robin Nobles, a professional freelance writer and the Director of Training at the Academy of Web Specialists academywebspecialists.com Over the past few years, she has trained several thousand people in her online and onsite courses in search engine positioning strategies and has written three books that can be ordered through Amazon. Visit the Academys training Web site to learn more about their online courses: http://www.onlinewebtraining.com.

:To contact online see details.


RobinN@acws.com
http://www.academywebspecialists.com