Picking an SEO provider for dummies

[Ipwn 4]

I've been receiving quite a few requests from our client to take a look at SEO proposals that i decided to write a guide on how to A) Find and SEO company and b) determine if your SEO company is worth it.

How to find a SEO company
1) Go to google.co.za
2) Type in "SEO" and hit search
3) Click on the first organic result

Congratulations, you have successfully picked a SEO company who knows what they are doing!

How to determine if your SEO company know what they are doing
1) go to google.co.za
2) type in the company and hit search
3) is the company listed on the first page? No, there is your first reason not to use them
4) are they listed on page x? that is x amount of reasons not to use them

I kid you not but more and more of these proposals are coming from companies who don't rank on google themselves yet they guarantee 1st page spots for their potential clients...

 

[RNJudas]

I've been receiving quite a few requests from our client to take a look at SEO proposals that i decided to write a guide on how to A) Find and SEO company and b) determine if your SEO company is worth it.

How to find a SEO company
1) Go to google.co.za
2) Type in "SEO" and hit search
3) Click on the first organic result

Congratulations, you have successfully picked a SEO company who knows what they are doing!

How to determine if your SEO company know what they are doing
1) go to google.co.za
2) type in the company and hit search
3) is the company listed on the first page? No, there is your first reason not to use them
4) are they listed on page x? that is x amount of reasons not to use them

I kid you not but more and more of these proposals are coming from companies who don't rank on google themselves yet they guarantee 1st page spots for their potential clients...

OMG!!!! The wisdom flowzorz

Actually what you said is spot on... lmfao xD

 

[koeksGHT]

hahahahahahahaha +111111

 

[Chevron]

I've been receiving quite a few requests from our client to take a look at SEO proposals that i decided to write a guide on how to A) Find and SEO company and b) determine if your SEO company is worth it.

How to find a SEO company
1) Go to google.co.za
2) Type in "SEO" and hit search
3) Click on the first organic result

Congratulations, you have successfully picked a SEO company who knows what they are doing!

How to determine if your SEO company know what they are doing
1) go to google.co.za
2) type in the company and hit search
3) is the company listed on the first page? No, there is your first reason not to use them
4) are they listed on page x? that is x amount of reasons not to use them

I kid you not but more and more of these proposals are coming from companies who don't rank on google themselves yet they guarantee 1st page spots for their potential clients...

You obviously have no idea how SEO works. You shouldn't be giving advice like this. So according you as Google shows 10 results per page there are only 10good SEO companies.

Ranking difficulty is directionally proportionally to the competitiveness of the industry.

Lots of those companies probably decided it's not worth the effort to rank for SEO and rather use other methods to attain clients.

As with anything business related it's all about return on investment.

 

[francoisvr]

You obviously have no idea how SEO works. You shouldn't be giving advice like this. So according you as Google shows 10 results per page there are only 10good SEO companies.

Ranking difficulty is directionally proportionally to the competitiveness of the industry.

Lots of those companies probably decided it's not worth the effort to rank for SEO and rather use other methods to attain clients.

As with anything business related it's all about return on investment.

I agree that it doesnt mean they are unable to provide a good service. But on the other hand when you want advice on lets say becoming a millionaire, do you listen to a millionaire or the guy who takes a bus to work because he cant afford a car?

Those 10 first page SEO companies are basically walking the walk and proving they are able to rank on the first page.

 

[Chevron]

I agree that it doesnt mean they are unable to provide a good service. But on the other hand when you want advice on lets say becoming a millionaire, do you listen to a millionaire or the guy who takes a bus to work because he cant afford a car?

Those 10 first page SEO companies are basically walking the walk and proving they are able to rank on the first page.

Guess you didn't understand my explanation. PLUS 5 points to you.

There are many Web development companies with crap websites for example. Doesnt mean they can't make a good one. Just means it doesn't need to be good because they have sales people and can't justify the cost of creating a good website as it takes time away from revenue generating activities.

 

[Nerfherder]

You obviously have no idea how SEO works. You shouldn't be giving advice like this. So according you as Google shows 10 results per page there are only 10good SEO companies.

Ranking difficulty is directionally proportionally to the competitiveness of the industry.

Lots of those companies probably decided it's not worth the effort to rank for SEO and rather use other methods to attain clients.

As with anything business related it's all about return on investment.

They a SEO company that decided SEO not worth it ?

I'd choose them... what ?

 

[francoisvr]

Guess you didn't understand my explanation. PLUS 5 points to you.

There are many Web development companies with crap websites for example. Doesnt mean they can't make a good one. Just means it doesn't need to be good because they have sales people and can't justify the cost of creating a good website as it takes time away from revenue generating activities.

Thanks for the five points. I wasnt even expecting it. And all I needed to do was disagree with what you said. And because I didnt agree I obviously didnt understand.

I never said the companies on page 2 or later isn't good companies. I am just saying that the companies on page one is obviously the best. I would never hire a web design company that had a ****ty web page. If they cant bother doing a well designed site for themselves, why would I ever trust them to make one for me? The same with a SEO company. I am not saying I wouldnt hire a company on page 5, but a company that doesnt even bother to do a proper job with SEO on their own site does not inspire confidence at all.

It is exactly the same as a panel beater driving around with a car full of dents. He might be the best panel beater in the world, but if I see his beat up car I am not going to trust him with my car.

 

[Arthur]

I'm not particularly interested in an SEO consultant's ranking or website. Can't really see how it's relevant.

I'm much more interested in their customers, and what they (their customers) say about the work done and results achieved.

Same goes for website designers, ad and PR agencies, and the like.

 

[NeonNinja]

Oh my. Hahaha!

 

[cpu.]

I'm not particularly interested in an SEO consultant's ranking or website. Can't really see how it's relevant.

I'm much more interested in their customers, and what they (their customers) say about the work done and results achieved.

Same goes for website designers, ad and PR agencies, and the like.

Ssshhh! Don't tell them all your secrets to reaching page 10 in Google.

 

[d0b33]

Or Just pay for a top SEO adword placement spot, no site optimisation needed.

/lame thread.

 

[Chevron]

I would never hire a web design company that had a ****ty web page. If they cant bother doing a well designed site for themselves, why would I ever trust them to make one for me?

Well you don'y understand how corporates work.

Designers will make the best design ever, then marketing will poo poo all over it.

 

[FuLL_MeT4L]

I've been receiving quite a few requests from our client to take a look at SEO proposals that i decided to write a guide on how to A) Find and SEO company and b) determine if your SEO company is worth it.

How to find a SEO company
1) Go to google.co.za
2) Type in "SEO" and hit search
3) Click on the first organic result

Congratulations, you have successfully picked a SEO company who knows what they are doing!

How to determine if your SEO company know what they are doing
1) go to google.co.za
2) type in the company and hit search
3) is the company listed on the first page? No, there is your first reason not to use them
4) are they listed on page x? that is x amount of reasons not to use them

I kid you not but more and more of these proposals are coming from companies who don't rank on google themselves yet they guarantee 1st page spots for their potential clients...

This is pretty terrible advice, and you definitely shouldn't be dispensing it.

Let's run with it though, and actually Google for "SEO". For me, skipping past the wiki results and localized 'places', the first commercially oriented organic result is "seonumber1.co.za".

Not only does this website look like ass (and the nav is broken), but they are selling link-building packages look like pure spam blasts that one could buy from fiverr for a handful of dollars. A quick look at the backlinks and domain info reveal that 'seonumber1' rests on a flimsy dose of cheap links, and a full site-redirect from the far stronger "seomania.co.za" - which is also supported purely by spam links. The only reason you'd want to redirect your more powerful site to a new domain, just by the way, is to circumvent a Google SEO penalty for a short period of time. This will catch up and his new domain will tank just like the last.

As much as SEO is about ranking first, it's also about risk management. If you have no qualms about making a quick buck and then changing your domain, starting over, and even rebranding - then fire away with this gung-ho approach.

Let's assume though, that you do actually find a good guy in the top 10 (there are a few). They will tell you, as I am now, that ranking for an ego keyword such as SEO is pretty much your least important concern! What is central to good SEO, and indeed good marketing in general, is making a good return on investment. Considering the costs and effort that are involved in competing for ego keywords and fighting the domain-burning black-hatters for top spot, weighed against the amount of business you'll generate from this particular keyword - it often simply isn't worth it at all. There are typically plenty of better opportunities in organic search.

The below 2 blog-posts outline the right way to find a decent SEO company.

http://moz.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-seo-vendor
http://moz.com/ugc/selecting-an-seo-agency