If you remember, we dedicated three columns to discuss about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) its importance to business and the how tos so you can do it yourself. As I have always emphasized, SEO should not be mistaken as the turf of IT guys. Anyone can learn SEO without any IT background. Its just really a matter of reading and making your own research. There are free tools and references that you can find in the internet to get you started. But then again, many of us do not have the time to do it.The reason why we need to understand what it is, or at least get to know how it is done, is because sooner or later businesses will need the services of SEO professionals. And if you happen to be among those who plan to optimize your website soon, learning basic SEO can help you avoid getting duped by people who overcharge customers as if it to impress that SEO is reserved for the geniuses.
Believe it or not, one client of mine was quoted for like P2 million by an advertising agency in Manila for a six-month SEO campaign. That, to me, is extortion in the first degree. While campaigns have their individual nuances and considerations, but the tools, standards, methods and techniques are largely universal. Businesses should be wary when investing in an SEO campaign. There are works that are done in the backend and are often invisible to website owners which are difficult to understand without some html background. Thus, when selecting an SEO professional, trust is a crucial issue. So when you think of hiring someone to do the SEO for you, ask for their portfolio and if possible, talk to those companies he listed.
Avoid SEO professionals or companies that promise or guarantee results. No one can guarantee results. Not even Google! No kidding. If you want to make sure that your SEO guy is really doing his job, you can hire someone to do the audit for you.
Moreover, I often encounter questions whether SEO is a difficult thing to get into or if it can be accomplished in a short period of time. SEO is not rocket science to be afraid of. What makes SEO hard is the competition. Like you, your competitors are out there to outsmart you in the internet domain. They will know your websites strengths as well as its weaknesses. So you need to be just like them -- watching every move your competitor makes.
What distinguishes a good SEO guy from another is currency of knowledge. Your guy may be a good SEO now, but sucks a year later. Search algorithms change every now and then and often, companies that build them do not announce many of these changes to the public. These changes can be radical at times that your search position can change literally overnight. It is important therefore to consider that the man you entrust to do the SEO for you should be able to notice these changes.
It is also not enough to look at your competitors performance, or being updated with the changes in search engine behavior, it is much more important to look at your sites performance from the inside. From my experience, one of the important keys to achieving good search position is the ability of the SEO professional to regularly employ heuristics to determine what works and what doesnt in your site. Choose a guy who has the attitude and the patience to employ several methods and techniques that havent been tried before. Sooner or later, you will find out that there are strengths that your website has which you can leverage in your campaign.
Finally, SEO is not a perfunctory task as what a lot of people think in the SEO world.SEO is not just about compliance to web standards, or about writing articles (mostly for the sake of it) in order to meet the required keyword density. It is not even about posting back-links or putting up those social media tools in your site.SEO is an invitation to excel in content. Your SEO guy should be able churn what your customers look for in terms of information. Good information easily spreads out. And your customers are willing to do it for you.
Remember SEO is about useful information or content. Your SEO guy should be able to deliver that for you.
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