SEO Blog

If you’re using the Internet for business, you’ll understand the importance of getting a good ranking in the Search Engines and how vital that is for the success of your business online. If you don’t possess the skills to produce your own great search engine results, then it’s time to hire an expert, a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Specialist. But how do you know what to look for when hiring an SEO specialist?

Keywords

An SEO specialist is an expert with keywords. A real authority on SEO will dedicate considerable time to research the precise keywords that your target customer will be typing into a search engine and ensuring that those keywords feature significantly in your website’s content.

Guarantees

An experienced and legitimate SEO specialist will not make outlandish guarantees. They know that Search Engine Optimisation isn’t an exact science and only Google and the other Search Engines are in possession of the precise details of how to achieve the number one spot in their rankings. A specialist will be able to guarantee greatly improved rankings, but not specific positions for all of your chosen keywords.

Credentials

It’s important when you’re hiring an SEO expert that you check their credentials. Are they an authority in their area? Have they written an eBook or better still published a book on the topic? Do they hold real qualifications? Do they have experience? Furthermore, do they use ethical techniques for improving the traffic to your website or do they use certain ‘black hat’ techniques as they are called. It’s vital that you check their credentials and avoid the sharks that lack the expertise to get the results you need and so resort to unethical methods that will only end up with your site getting banned by the Search Engines.

Location

Many people have been sucked in by the cheap SEO deals offered by so-called specialists located somewhere in the Third World. The trouble is that their command of the English language is often less than desirable and you can’t get them on the phone during your office hours. What’s more, if you select a specialist that is closer to home, you’ll be able to visit their offices, discuss with them in person your needs, and have a person and place to go to if you need help.

Freelance, Agency, or Employed?

Employing your own SEO staff means that you have a full time expert available to dedicate their entire working week to the promotion of your website on the Internet. If you have £30k+ in your budget to spend on this type of expert, that’s great. If you don’t have that kind of budget, the two other options are:

Freelance – Only there when you need them, so you save money but they have limited time and resources at their disposal.

Agency - A pool of employee expertise with a measurable reputation, more costly than a freelancer, but more likely to deliver sustainable results.

Think carefully about your choice of SEO specialist and look for an ethical SEO expert with excellent credentials.