Many new webmasters (especially those driven to make money online – you know, the ones determined to find that "magic needle in a haystack" technique that actually works!) Are not only new to running a website and the marketing aspects of it, but they're also faced with the task of how to properly choose the right SEO services for proper optimization. This can be a daunting undertaking, as there are so many different services that specialize in SEO available out there – so where does one start?
Let's look at five key factors to take into consideration when picking the right SEO service for your new website or e-commerce business:
1. Are they reputable?
2. What do they do to help SEO your site?
3. What prices do they offer?
4. Do they have client testimonials available, or an SEO portfolio?
5. Do they care about your success, rather than just your credit card?
The above five qualities are ones you need to seriously think about when searching for the right SEO firm to take care of your website for you. You see, a lot of these firms are based overseas, and most of them (not all) have a terrible reputation for submitting your site to tens of thousands of poor quality directories, and assume they've properly optimized your site for the search engines . Unfortunately, many people get taken by this, as they do not know any better, and the prices are cheap enough to swallow.
A good firm will not go this route, and as much as I hate to say it, you need to look for a US or even European based SEO firm that can take you on as a client – as they're more likely to actually optimize your site the way it should be done. Again, there are many to choose from, but from personal experience, it seems that the middle sized SEO firms seem to be the best fit for the above five factors due to a couple of different reasons:
1. Large SEO companies usually offer the lowest price, but you're getting a "cookie cutter" approach that may not suit your individual website. Sure, low prices are always great, but not if it means the difference between success and failure. Also, you do not get the personal attention that you would get from a medium or smaller sized firm. Overall, avoiding large SEO services companies may be your best bet for now.
2. Small SEO firms (usually small office or even home based), have a few advantages, but are heavily outweighed by the disadvantages. First of all, you'll get great customer service, as the smaller SEO firms typically have few clients. The prices may vary, depending on reputation level – for instance, if it's some well known SEO guru, get ready to thousands upon thousands of dollars. On the other hand, it also may be some kid in his garage who does not quite have the knowledge or dedication to help rank your site better. Smaller SEO firms also usually do not have the ability to offer refunds or guarantees of any sort, so be warned. Without it's an SEO mega star and you have tons of money, I would not go the small company route.
3. Medium SEO companies seems to be the logical choice for many reasons. Not only can they afford the pay to have good quality SEO specialists on staff, but they're also able to offer more customer assurance that the job will get done. They're not too big to totally avoid you due to thousands of customers, and you'll usually get prompt customer service. Pricing is usually in the middle range, and for the quality you get, it's typically right on target.
In conclusion, when you're ready to choose an SEO service for your website or e-commerce business, make sure you take some of these factors into consideration. Everyone does it a little different, and while you do not want to "cheap out", you should not have to go broke in the process. Stick with it, and you'll have high ranking sites sooner than you know it!