Building a website is the first step towards making an online presence. To be successful, it has to be ensured that the website is located easily. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the way by which you can raise your site's position on popular search engines. An SEO consultant would be the person who can help you achieve this. So how can you zero in on the best SEO Consultant?
Learn some SEO techniques yourself
It's impossible to hire a good SEO consultant if you do not understand the SEO concepts yourself. There are some SEO consultancy firms that engage in risky techniques like black-hat tactics to forge results for a client. As an owner of a website, you have to remain aware of these. Most of these tactics typically backfire and result in your website being not shown in the search engines at all. So, it's always advisable to learn some SEO techniques ahead of hiring a consultant.
Determine your needs
Determine what you exactly need from your SEO consultant. Remember, search engine optimization involves multifaceted tasks and a consultant must have a diverse set of skills. These include pay-per-click campaigns, correct keyword utilization, SEO back-linking efforts etc. The consultant who is finally hired but posses all these skills. A thorough knowledge of all the search engine optimization concepts would have been added bonus.
Ask for recommendations
Visit social networking sites and forums to get trustworthy names of SEO consultants. You can also visit websites, online blogs that are broadly respected in the search engine optimization industry and seek their advice. Ensure that your needs and goals are met by the consultant.
Interview prospective candidates
Ask SEO-related questions to the prospective candidate. You can show them your website and ask them what they think about it and how it can be made better. Suggest some linking strategies and seek their opinion wherever they think these strategies would work for the website. In this way you can gauge their knowledge.
Check references, claims and rankings
Do not hire any SEO consultancy professional until you have checked and verified his credentials. Speak to his previous clients and do not merely rely on his claims. Try to search related websites for consultants and verify his testimonials. In case such websites are buried in a search engine, question the consultant about his performance on his own website before you go on to hire him. SEO consultancy is a serious thing.