When considering hiring a search engine optimization consulting firm, you need to consider the "sleaze" factor.
Unfortunately, some SEO consultants (and I use that word loosely) are just like some used car salesmen. They will tell you exactly what you want to hear and then you get burned.
Watch out for these red flags when interviewing a potential SEO consulting firm:
- They make any kind of promise such as guaranteed rankings; guaranteed results or guaranteed links. Google warns of such guarantees on its Webmaster Help Center.
- They introduce themselves in an e-mail SPAM blast.
- They offer a "pay for performance" or "pay for links" offer. I would be very cautious. While some would say "pay for performance" is good because the firm won't get paid unless they deliver, I would add that it might tempt an unethical firm to apply some Black Hat techniques in order to push rankings up and, therefore, get paid. Black Hat techniques can cause your website to get banned from the Google server.
- They won't tell you their policies or how the work is going to be completed. Everything they do is "top secret."
- They don't produce references or case studies.
- They talk up their SEO "certification". I've got news for you...an SEO certification is worthless. Anyone can take a $29 class online and get "certified". Unlike Microsoft, who certifies technicians and programmers, there isn't a governing body that oversees "certification" with search engine optimization. Instead, there are a lot of consultants and training centers who offer SEO classes and give you a certificate. Who says these training centers are authorized to hand out certifications?
- Part of their plan is to have a link on your website back to their website.
- They talk a lot about other search engines besides Google.
If you are looking for some great interview questions to ask a potential search engine optimization firm, Google offers these:
- Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories?
- Do you follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines?
- Do you offer any online marketing services or advice to complement your organic search business?
- What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success?
- What's your experience in my industry?
- What's your experience in my country/city?
- What's your experience developing international sites?
- What are your most important SEO techniques?
- How long have you been in business?
- How can I expect to communicate with you? Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site, and provide detailed information about your recommendations and the reasoning behind them?
I would add that you should always interview more than one SEO firm. It's your business; your website and your decision on which firm is going to help you the most.
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