SEO Company

[Reef]

Hi,

As a web design company we are recieving more and more calls from SEO companies offering their services. This is now also becoming a hot topic throughout our clients as they are asking us what company they should go for. We have tried First Found but we are now looking at taking our business elsewhere.

Can anybody reccomend an SEO company that they have used, and are confident they will be able to provide the results that so many promise?

[Coding Monkey]

Mind if I ask why you went away from First Found? PM me, if you want. Client of ours has had a less-than-fun experience with them.

[FunkyBears]

'Can anybody reccomend an SEO company that they have used, and are confident they will be able to provide the results that so many promise'

I would be most interested. There seems to be a plethora of companies out there offering SEO services. Many of the forum members offer SEO services so come on guys let's have some success stories!

[JustOneUK]

I would be most interested. There seems to be a plethora of companies out there offering SEO services. Many of the forum members offer SEO services so come on guys let's have some success stories!
Hi, are you also after SEO work then?

:)
James.

[Aspect Investments]

There are many SEOs who claim to be good. Most are rubbish to be honest.

There are only 2 people on UKBF that I would reccomend. Myself of course, and Shaun from Hobo. http://www.hobo-web.co.uk/

I have been SEOing for 6 years, and I have seen it all and got the T Shirt, and Shaun is the only other SEO I rate on here.

[FunkyBears]

Yes I am very interested in having SEO work done. That's interesting EBA so are you are saying that you don't rate all the other SEO guys here?

[GreatSEO]

Tin is also very good he is on here as well

Regards

Dave

[Aspect Investments]

Yes I am very interested in having SEO work done. That's interesting EBA so are you are saying that you don't rate all the other SEO guys here?

Yep.

I go on results.

[Aspect Investments]

Brian is ok. http://www.britecorp.co.uk/

But not as good as Shaun IMO.

[JustOneUK]

Yes I am very interested in having SEO work done.
would you like the SEO to apply the changes or would you simply like a review of your site so you can apply the necessary changes yourself?

[Astaroth]

A friend that has done SEO and accessability work for some time (just finish/ing his PhD on the subjects) has recently started up his own company http://www.erigena.com/ and certainly the results I have seen obtain have been fairly impressive.

[Richie N]

Hi,

As a web design company we are recieving more and more calls from SEO companies offering their services. This is now also becoming a hot topic throughout our clients as they are asking us what company they should go for. We have tried First Found but we are now looking at taking our business elsewhere.

Can anybody reccomend an SEO company that they have used, and are confident they will be able to provide the results that so many promise?

Hi

Yes I would also be interested to know why first found didnt work out as we have been approached by them and are in two minds to join them.
Please PM me.

thanks :)

[RayB]

There are many SEOs who claim to be good. Most are rubbish to be honest.

There are only 2 people on UKBF that I would reccomend. Myself of course, and Shaun from Hobo. http://www.hobo-web.co.uk/

I have been SEOing for 6 years, and I have seen it all and got the T Shirt, and Shaun is the only other SEO I rate on here.

And the question asked was - quantify please! I do not use SEO and rank on page 1 for extremely competitive terms - we are all interested to here HOW, WHO and WHEN?

[JustOneUK]

I have great results, surely you have bumped into them on you travels :)

I once put a site on page 1 for the term "parsley packaging and mold removal in Sudbury on Thames".. well it was page 3 but it was close enough ;)

[RayB]

I have great results, surely you have bumped into them on you travels :)

I once put a site on page 1 for the term "parsley packaging and mold removal in Sudbury on Thames".. well it was page 3 but it was close enough ;)

Lets have an SEO competition for the term:

" I want to peel the crud from under my toenails without harming the environment"

I'm just off to register the domain name: www.iwanttopeelthecrudfromundermytoenailswithoutha rming theenvironment.org (http://www.iwanttopeelthecrudfromundermytoenailswithoutha rming theenvironment.org)

and link from my proposed blog:

www.mytoenailsarefreeofcrud/blog/ (http://www.mytoenailsarefreeofcrud/blog/)

Any takers?

[JustOneUK]

As much as I hate it when people claim to have spat coffee/tea over their monitors....
believe me, if I was drinking I would have!

If I could send you some green rep for that post, I would! :D

I can't wait until UKBF ranks #1 for that term in a few days :p

<edit> did you like the... "it was page 3, but close enough"? :D

<second edit> man, I just can't stop laughing!
J.

[RayB]

As much as I hate it when people claim to have spat coffee/tea over their monitors....
believe me, if I was drinking I would have!

If I could send you some green rep for that post, I would! :D

I can't wait until UKBF ranks #1 for that term in a few days :p

<edit> did you like the... "it was page 3, but close enough"? :D

<second edit> man, I just can't stop laughing!
J.

When I look at page 3 I normally notice other "things".

Just checked the SERP's - wa ain't there yet - but I'm quietly confident. Just need to be patient I guess. ;)

If anyone is in the crud removing business tell them to get all over it - brace yourselves!

[netidme]

Hi, I can recommend Shaun Anderson at Hobo-web as I've been working with them for a couple of months now, and am really pleased with what we are starting to achieve, plus they don't try to blind me with technical 'you wouldnt understand' speak - everythings really clear. I've worked with a few companies in the past who have claimed to be SEO experts but who really had no more knowledge than I did, so its been a huge relief to find a reliable, ethical company.

[GreatSEO]

well ukbf are top for I want to peel the crud from under my toenails without harming the environment well done guys lol

Regards

Dave

P.s Still recommend Tin

[RayB]

Yippee! 2 days to superstardom :cool:

But seriously, there are some great SEO pro's on the forum - don't undestimate the importance of getiing the right kind of "white hat" professional help if you need it.

I obviously I have too much time on my hands...........

well ukbf are top for I want to peel the crud from under my toenails without harming the environment well done guys lol

Regards

Dave

P.s Still recommend Tin

[JustOneUK]

well ukbf are top for I want to peel the crud from under my toenails without harming the environment well done guys lol

@ Dave... (MytchMac)
Can you believe that you actually checked that? ...when you get a moment, have a word with yourself! :D

LMAO!
We are the SEO kings!

[OGY]

I can recommend ourselves - but then I would. Search for "Grass Circle" on Google.

[Astaroth]

Surely a search for "search engine optimisation" would be a much better test of an SEO companies worth rather than their company name which will tend to be a much smaller key phrase?

[Aspect Investments]

I can recommend ourselves - but then I would. Search for "Grass Circle" on Google.

I like your site. Very nice indeed.

[OGY]

Thanks EBA Advisor (http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=9129).

This is very true Astaroth (http://www.astarothsolutions.com/). Brand terms are always the first and (usually) the easiest place to start (providing you havent called yourself "ipod" or anything silly!).

We are also well placed for many "business creating" terms such as "blog installation" (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1B3GGGL_enGB211GB211&q=blog+installation&btnG=Search&meta=)or "Google Expert Manchester" (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1B3GGGL_enGB211GB211&q=google+expert+manchester&btnG=Search&meta=)or "Search Engine Optimization Liverpool". (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&cr=countryUK%7CcountryGB&safe=off&rlz=1B3GGGL_enGB211GB211&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&q=search+engine+optimization+liverpool&spell=1&aq=t)

[Astaroth]

Page 2 certainly isnt bad - using the english spelling given you are pairing it with an english town.

May also be worth noting that your layout breaks down in both FireFox and IE if font size is set to anything larger than normal - an issue which cost me a client recently.

[OGY]

Thanks for the heads up Astaroth (http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=4507)- we have tried to be as visually pleasing and accessible as possible - Text resizing is always a pain!

Don’t get me started on the "Optimization/Optimisation" spelling thing!! - read my recent Google Groups Thread (http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Webmaster_Help-Requests/browse_thread/thread/b6f5b4cc75f62215/b927d1f78fd1a735?#b927d1f78fd1a735). Apparently us brits don’t know how to spell!

[lyonssolutions]

hmmm. I do try to keep my mouth shut, but when it comes to SEO I would say go with your own knowledge of optimisation. Why waste money with SEO companies when you can do it yourself. All you need is a good content with the right keywords and also links which the SEO's will tell you to do anyway.

And do not fall into the trap of "I will post your website to hundreds of search engine" crap. You only need a few good search engine that people actually use.

If someone tells you that I will post your articles on hundreds of article sites, let me tell you something the good one's are all manually read before posting. So, no chance of submitting to thousands. and if the sites where you have your links don't have high page ranks then your site will not receive anything from it.

As a web designer I am sure you have the knowledge of what is more important. Advise your customer's of the contents they give you and advise them on how it works. This will be good for your business as well. Customer's will know you have this knowledge and will bring more business.

Why not earn some money yourself rather than using someone else? Most of which are waste anyway.

No Offence to the SEO's here.

[I, Brian]

Hi,
As a web design company we are recieving more and more calls from SEO companies offering their services. This is now also becoming a hot topic throughout our clients as they are asking us what company they should go for. We have tried First Found but we are now looking at taking our business elsewhere.

Can anybody reccomend an SEO company that they have used, and are confident they will be able to provide the results that so many promise?

EVERYONE! Be very careful about such cold call sales - often the emphasis is on aggressive expansion, but poor service delivery. Sharks.

You'll get salespeople who promise you the earth, then put the work onto "SEO's" who are able to do very little to help the site.

If you want a *recommended* list of SEO companies, away from all the sharks, try this:
http://www.seomoz.org/article/recommended

As for those who want to do SEO yourself - certainly you can do a limited amount yourself - a number of my big clients are very SEO savvy - but simply put, as a commercial SEO, I can provide much more leverage.

A pointer on SEO companies ranking for SEO terms - they don't convert very well at all. SEO companies worth their salt do not optimise for non-converting keywords. :)

[3rigena]

Surely a search for "search engine optimisation" would be a much better test of an SEO companies worth rather than their company name which will tend to be a much smaller key phrase?


Disagree with that a bit Asta, I think it would be futile to target the generic term if you are in the seo business - the serp results for those keywords are beyond oversaturation.. (and you know I have tried to talk you out of targeting the oh-so-generice keywords "bespoke web-design" for this very reason)--

I tend to target the long-tail for "seo" rankings in the serps... and find it works a treat.

however I agree with you somewhat, and (to me) the best measure of a SEO'er is positive measurable results, in a competitive field.. for any keywords..

[AndyBlack]

I have spent a shed load on companies promising the earth with SEO... and had zero results. They were great at getting me to the no.1 position..... with a phrase that NOBODY searches for!

I gave up paying for this service and started to delve in and learn it myself over a period of the last year or two and had superb results within a few months.

I have reached no.1 on Yahoo and MSN and got listed on page 1 of Google for a few decent phrases... although these have slipped due to me focusing on other things :rolleyes:

I would never pay anyone ever again to do my SEO. There are only a few major factors which need to be taken into consideration here...

1) Targeted keywords/phrases with little or no competition. Research them.

2) Integrate these keyword phrases (only 2 or 3, dont stuff your site silly with 40 words) into your websites content including making good use of image alt tags and the likes.

3) Good content which is keyword rich using your keywords.

4) Then link build!!! only a few per day (otherwise you may get penalized from the likes of Google) using your few chosen keywords within your anchor text. Every 30 - 40 link exchanges, slightly change your anchor text.

5) See vast improvement with your organic traffic.

Now, I can't speak for all SEO companies, so I am not slating any here... but I know for a fact that some of these companies are charging rediculous figures per annum/month for about 5 - 10 minutes of their time. Fact! If there are any SEO companies who use this forum, it is nothing personal. I'm sure you may be very good and honest, but i'm just speaking from my own experience. :redface:

Good luck! :)

Andy

[I, Brian]

It's okay, Andy, you're absolutely right - a lot of SEO companies aren't offering any real value. Like a lot of unregulated industries, there's a lot of opportunism from people looking to make a quick buck, rather than deliver an actual service.

My best clients are actually very clued up on SEO - they know exactly what they need (links and more links!) and I provide custom solutions for them for very competitive keywords (ie, single keyword finance/business/technology). If I didn't deliver, I wouldn't get paid.

I think word of mouth is really the best place to get recommendations - that way, not only can someone get any idea of who can achieve, but exactly for what. SEO isn't a single service, but a diverse range of services, from tweaking sites, to building links, to rewriting dynamic pages, and so on.

All the more reason to have as clear a possible idea of what you need - and who actually works in these areas.

2c.

[kathdawson]

I totally agree with Brian and I think SEO is a touchy subject with a lot of people being burned through being sold a service that is not what they expected. There is opportunism and that isn't going to go away any time soon and it does mean that people who are good need to be able to produce results, demonstrate their expertise and reassure a client about what they are buying.

I don't think there is any harm in that and of course you should be able to demonstrate that you are good at what you do. Working out what clients want, managing their expectations and ensuring they understand the service on offer is where I start with clients. I love it when they know about SEO - to be fair, the more they know about it then the better they can evaluate the value for money.

I feel that SEO is like so many other consultancies - you pay for time, advice and service - the decision to buy is for the large part based on your initial experiences with the person you are looking to work with. Talking the time to talk to prospects to explain the service is essential in SEO as it is for marketing, PR, business strategy, business planning and countless other consultancy based industries.

Referrals are by far the best and using forums such as this to request referrals and check people out is a good thing to do.

I don't know the people who have been recommended here as I haven't been very active here but I hope to get to know people and that they get to know me :)

Cheers,
Kath

[I, Brian]

Does g-antssoft.com ring any bells, Kath? I've just had an Indian forum spamming company just drop a link to Strategy Consulting Limited on one of my forums. Not sure if it's something you're aware of.

[kathdawson]

Yikes, that's not what I want to hear!
First of all, my sincere apologies - Strategy Consulting Limited is my company but I assure you that I was not aware of this.

I do trial link builders from time to time and I do this using our own site and they do span the globe (Manchester to Malaysia) as I am always in search of good link builders! I always provide clear instructions on what I want and I would certainly never condone this kind of activity. I would appreciate it if I could PM you for more details?

I am at a loss to think who it could be to be honest as I have never heard of them and I haven't commissioned link building for Strategy for probably 10 months or more. I can't think why anyone would do this - my brief to link builders is very clear, I check every link and only pay for what I ordered. Very strange!

If they were working for me I certainly would fire them!
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Kath

[I, Brian]

It's okay, I'll send you the info so you can look into it. It could be that someone's simply targeting your site for association - ie, drop links for SEO India, and dropping links to other company's which are more established, to validate the spam drop.

[PeteYoung]

Completely agree with kath and Brian. The trick for us (include Brian and Kath in on this), is that the 'legit' SEO's are also having to fight through the dross, and some of the reluctance caused by previous bad service.

There is no doubting SEO done well is a valuable tool, and can result in sustained long term traffic, however there are a lot of companies selling the services as an add on with little or no appreciation for what SEO entails (as brian said it is more than one service) - and thats from working a long time ago for a company that now offers that service - with little or no in house expertise.

[kathdawson]

I had a scary experience recently.... I was being spammed by sn SEO company offering free ranking reports, their unsubscribe produced a 404 and reply emails were not successful. So, I filled out their form and asked them to call me and they did!

I couldn't resist a 'chat' about their services and after a few minutes I was speechless! Probably the wildest thing he told me was that I would need to pay an annual fee to Google to stay in the organic listings - several hundred pounds per year - and if I didn't pay then my listing would be removed by Google!!!!!!!!!! Was he sure I asked, oh yes he says, surely you are talking about PPC I say, no definitely not its the organic listings on the left hand side and he had been doing it for years!!

Their small print on their website also said that everything they did on the client site belonged to them and would be removed at the end of the contract and that if any of their work was not remeoved then a charge of £75 per page would be made!!!!!!

Its no wonder people have bad experiences.

[PeteYoung]

Kath, out of interest, you didnt recently do a Podcast. Know its a generalised question, but your name seems familiar somehow....

[kathdawson]

I did an 'Introduction to Search Engine Optimisation' podcast for expertsonline.tv a copy of which is on our own site. It wouldn't have told you anything you didn't already know Pete but hopefully it has helped reassure a few people new to SEO ;)