First, let me state that we are NOT an SEO company and we do not provide SEO services. We are a PPC only company. But, is so disheartening when we are working with clients to learn that they have been scammed or are currently being represented by a shoddy SEO company. Please do your due diligence when you are hiring. Here are some do's and don'ts.
Don't – Monthly Fees
I talked to many of my colleagues this week to verify a few of my thoughts on SEO providers. There are many that charge high monthly fees at an ongoing basis, indefinitely. This is a red flag.
Do – On Page Optimization
With SEO, there definitely is a "start up" cost of optimizing all of your existing pages for SEO. This might be a cost that is deferred or spread out over a series of months. It can vary based on the size of your site.
Don't – Buy Links
If your SEO provider is reporting to you that they are "providing" you new links each month, that could be the same as buying links! Be sure to ask where these links are coming from and actually go look and see your link.
Do – Reporting
Remember your goals and why you started SEO in the first place! You want more leads, sales, business. So, is your organic traffic increasing? Are your organic leads increasing? These are key metrics that need to be reported. If your traffic increases, with no increase in leads, are you just getting irrelevant, junk traffic?
Do – Content Creation
New, fresh content is still important! Be sure to actively engage in a content strategy. This is a good place to spend your dollars. Be sure to optimize all of your new pages.
Do – Directory Listings
Add listings on all of the "good" networks. LinkedIN, Facebook, Yelp, etc. These listings will help with good links as well as adding more listings for your name or company name.
Do – Reputation Management
Be sure to have Google Alerts (or similar) set up to alert you of new articles or pages posted on your company name or actual name. This will allow you to watch those ranks carefully, and be sure to have more useful content than anything potentially damaging or negative.
Any other tips?