Questions to ask SEO companies

[sswats]

I'm searching around for an SEO company.

Problem is most of the ones who seem to know what they're talking about want 6 month contracts minimum. I realise that thats the minimum time frame i should expect to get decent improvement but you can tell pretty much straight away when a company is screwing around with you.

My budget is very low for organic SEO at this moment in time because I'm prioritising instant results with PPC where i am spending about £1000 a month andsecondly i don't want to contract myself into giving money to a company in a field filled with dodgy people where its difficult to find a client.

I've sent a message to some of the recommended people here on these forums, but would prefer someone local (London) to me.

So what are the questions i should ask.

Thank You

 

[Faevilangel]

1) Ask for Previous work / case studies
2) Ask for Client testimonials (and actually ring the clients to get the feedback)
3) Ask for their input on your website e.g. what changes would you make
4) Ask for their recommendations on keywords to target

Once you have the above then look at making a list of 2/3 people you want to talk too, then speak to them again and in more detail do the following:

1) Ask them what kind of work they will do on the site
2) Ask them if they will be utilising social media into your campaign (pinterest etc)
3) Ask them what their time scale is likely to be to see to see some improvements in your rankings

Using the above will cut the wheat from the chaff and make sure you get someone who will do the work, not just be able to sell you onto a contract

 

[sswats]

Thank You.

 

[fisicx]

Ask them how much on-site work they will do.

If they waffle let them go as all they will want to do is link building.

And really investigate how much keyword research they will do. Unless they get his right everything else they do could be wasted effort.

 

1) Ask for Previous work / case studies
2) Ask for Client testimonials (and actually ring the clients to get the feedback)
3) Ask for their input on your website e.g. what changes would you make
4) Ask for their recommendations on keywords to target

Once you have the above then look at making a list of 2/3 people you want to talk too, then speak to them again and in more detail do the following:

1) Ask them what kind of work they will do on the site
2) Ask them if they will be utilising social media into your campaign (pinterest etc)
3) Ask them what their time scale is likely to be to see to see some improvements in your rankings

Using the above will cut the wheat from the chaff and make sure you get someone who will do the work, not just be able to sell you onto a contract

Nice list but I am afraid people tell porkies,most of which ones average client would not be able to decipher.

 

[JonathanSEO]

You should only ask questions that you know the right answers too.

It's all well and good asking 'what work will you do on my site' but anyone can reel off something about that. And if you aren't we'll versed in optimising a website then how do you know what is good and what is bad?

Most terrible SEO agencies have great new business teams.

The best thing is to wait and see what they ask you. If they don't ask any relevant questions about your business then it's in all likelihood going to be poor quality work. It's almost impossible to build good links for a business without first understanding it. And by that I mean understanding your service offering, what your USP is, who your competitors are etc etc.

 

[Suzuki]

Problem is most of the ones who seem to know what they're talking about want 6 month contracts minimum. I realise that thats the minimum time frame i should expect to get decent improvement but you can tell pretty much straight away when a company is screwing around with you.

If anyone is confident of producing results, they won't need a minimum contract as it will easy to get you to stay as a customer.

Its only scammers, idiots and people who don't know what they are doing that need 6 or 12 month contracts. They want to lock you in then threaten small claims court when you realise you're getting nothing of value and don't want to pay any more...

 

[directmarketingadvice]

So what are the questions i should ask.

That really depends on what you think SEO is.

If you think SEO is simply tricking google into thinking you have an authority site... for as long as you can, until you get caught out, then you should ask them what rankings they've achieved for their clients. (And, of course, check to see if those rankings still exist.)

On the other hand, if you want SEO for the long term, ask them how they achieve that.

And, if they say "links", ask them how they get those links. If they don't want to tell you, they're google spammers. And, at best, you'll get rankings for a while, then you'll lose them.

Steve

 

[tomp1986]

One thing I like to see if that there own site ranks well if they carnt manage there own seo then what chance have they got of doing good seo for you

Try seo then the area they are Working in if they are on age 5 and have a poor site then I would keep clear

That's my opinion might be wrong but just my thoughts

Cheers tom

 

[wdog5555]

One thing I like to see if that there own site ranks well if they carnt manage there own seo then what chance have they got of doing good seo for you

Try seo then the area they are Working in if they are on age 5 and have a poor site then I would keep clear

A builders house is the last to be finished (as the saying goes!)......

Unfortunately, this method doesn't really work as there have been some of the worst poor quality SEO offenders ranking highly for the term SEO in times gone by (and they have used this as their selling point)!

 

[RedEvo]

You might find the better agencies will baulk at doing work on spec in order to win your business. The desperate ones, who might not be the best ones, will be more willing. Just a thought

d

 

[Keyzo]

Finding a "good" SEO agency/individual can be a minefield, particularly because it's a business with low barriers of entry,

Although I'm slightly biased, I advise looking for an SEO company that offer other web services too such as web design and software development because they will understand more aspects of site architecture which can be beneficial with SEO, and it lets you (the client) see that they are a company with genuine experience in the industry as a whole and not just a "pop up SEO company" with little understanding or experience, offering little more then a few poorly placed links and other black-hat techniques which will have no real long term benefit to your ranking.

Try speaking to other business owners in your area to see who they recommend for SEO, generally if you look up your local BNI group you'll find someone offering SEO services who will have a local client base to give you feed back on their ability.

We're not based in London but you're welcome to get in touch if there's anything further we can help you with, or send me a personal message if you'd like any advice

Regards, Ben.

 

[Annoying Donkey]

1) Ask for Previous work / case studies
2) Ask for Client testimonials (and actually ring the clients to get the feedback)
3) Ask for their input on your website e.g. what changes would you make
4) Ask for their recommendations on keywords to target

Once you have the above then look at making a list of 2/3 people you want to talk too, then speak to them again and in more detail do the following:

1) Ask them what kind of work they will do on the site
2) Ask them if they will be utilising social media into your campaign (pinterest etc)
3) Ask them what their time scale is likely to be to see to see some improvements in your rankings

Using the above will cut the wheat from the chaff and make sure you get someone who will do the work, not just be able to sell you onto a contract

I agree with Earl and Jonathan, don't ask questions you don't know the answer to. Besides, first date is too soon to be discussing details like keywords and social media campaigns.

Customer testimonials can be faked. Unless you know the person giving the testimonial, they could be a relative or paid individual.

If anyone is confident of producing results, they won't need a minimum contract as it will easy to get you to stay as a customer.

Its only scammers, idiots and people who don't know what they are doing that need 6 or 12 month contracts. They want to lock you in then threaten small claims court when you realise you're getting nothing of value and don't want to pay any more...

This is not necessarily true. If there is a lot of up front work, then costs could be spread over a term. Personally I'd rather have an up front fee, but if your budget is tight spreading the cost can make perfect sense... I'd be wary of any long contracts filled with legalese, a clear plain English proposal should be sufficient.

One thing I like to see if that there own site ranks well if they carnt manage there own seo then what chance have they got of doing good seo for you

Very poor advice as described by wdog5555.

Try speaking to other business owners in your area to see who they recommend for SEO,

IMHO this is possibly the best way. At least if you have a testimonial from someone you know, you can evaluate the value of the testimonial. There's been a few threads on here from people who took testimonials from strangers and lived to regret it...

generally if you look up your local BNI group you'll find someone offering SEO services who will have a local client base to give you feed back on their ability.

IMHO this is possibly the worst advice. The only entry requirement to BNI is that you are the first in your particular niche to pay the fee. No skill test is involved. The member is then required to recommend other members regardless of their ability or if their the best choice. They're also not required to disclose their relationship with the member. So very masonic. I'd stay well clear.

OP, I'd suggest you forget question to ask and see what questions the prospective SEO asks you. They need to understand your business, your objectives, who your customers are, before they can start suggesting keywords or social media campaigns. If they want to talk to your salesmen - the people on the front line - then all the better.

Also I'd be flexible of the SEO/PPC split and any other suggestions the prospective SEO throws in. There are many alternative ways of getting traffic - only 30% of total internet traffic comes from search engines. You're hiring expertise, don't tie their hands...

Snake Oil Salesmen will likely try and get you to sign on the dotted line as quickly as possible. A proper marketeer will ask a lot of questions, then go away and come up with one or more proposals. If there's any pressure to sign at any point, I'd be very wary.

 

[MikeAppleton]

I disagree with a couple of the comments here, specifically that them tying you into a contract of six months is a red-flag. Frankly, if the company is legitimate and not just spamming links you are very unlikely so see any quantifiable results in the first month, and those that you do see will change on a daily basis, up and down the search engine.

Over a six-month period, results are much more stable. Seeing immediate results is actually more of a red-flag than anything else. Of course, I'm only going off what my own SEO guy tells me, but he's credible (used to work for Google) and getting results at a fraction of the cost most places charge so I believe him.

 

[JonathanSEO]

I disagree with a couple of the comments here, specifically that them tying you into a contract of six months is a red-flag. Frankly, if the company is legitimate and not just spamming links you are very unlikely so see any quantifiable results in the first month, and those that you do see will change on a daily basis, up and down the search engine.

Over a six-month period, results are much more stable. Seeing immediate results is actually more of a red-flag than anything else. Of course, I'm only going off what my own SEO guy tells me, but he's credible (used to work for Google) and getting results at a fraction of the cost most places charge so I believe him.

If an SEO agency is confident of seeing results and educate the client that things don't happen over night then there's no need for contracts.

I agree with Suzuki, it's just a ploy to tie you in and threaten small claims court when you want out. Plenty of SEO agencies use this approach and will go after their money tooth and nail as they know their contracts are pretty water tight and have documented everything via email.

If the SEO agency know they can do the business, keep the customer happy And they've done their due diligence on the customer i.e. do they have enough cash to pay then there's no need for a contracts.

 

[Keyzo]

IMHO this is possibly the worst advice. The only entry requirement to BNI is that you are the first in your particular niche to pay the fee. No skill test is involved. The member is then required to recommend other members regardless of their ability or if their the best choice. They're also not required to disclose their relationship with the member. So very masonic. I'd stay well clear.

I was in no way suggesting that you indiscriminately go to such a networking event and choose the first person who offers such services, but often most networking groups will have someone in the field of SEO/Webdesign, therefore if they have an estabilished client base also in the group it's an easy way to find out how crediable they are. Getting a good SEO is like getting a good used car, you have to be a bit of a tyre kicker to filter out the lemons, and then if you're lucky you'll find the one that will be problem free for the next 100k

 

Over a six-month period, results are much more stable. Seeing immediate results is actually more of a red-flag than anything else. Of course, I'm only going off what my own SEO guy tells me, but he's credible (used to work for Google) and getting results at a fraction of the cost most places charge so I believe him.

For most virgin sites and many established sites one would hope to see improvements in results very quickly.

If not then I suggest finding another SEO.:|

 

[MikeAppleton]

For most virgin sites and many established sites one would hope to see improvements in results very quickly.

If not then I suggest finding another SEO.:|

I understand what you're saying, but as a business owner, I'm looking for first page ranking and anything else is seen as work-in-progress. I might get in the top 100 and by any measurable standard that would be considered a success given how many companies operate in my sector. But we both know that won't get me any traffic.

To the OP - One question I've been told always find trips up the spammers is "What changes did Panda and Penguin instigate in your methodology?"

 

[youronlinestuffcom]

learn how to do SEO yourself. Seriously.

you won't get good SEO from a 'professional SEO company' for £x.xx per month.

SEO is not not a product you can just buy.

it requires some very 'outside the box thinking' x 100

if you could rank sites in google and drive targeted profitable traffic

would you work 9-5 for other people on a regular joe wage?

or would you rather make as much money as you want working as and when you like for yourself.

if you want the best internet marketers in the world driving traffic to your site set up a VERY generous affilate scheme and put it up on the major affilate networks.

 

[Annoying Donkey]

To the OP - One question I've been told always find trips up the spammers is "What changes did Panda and Penguin instigate in your methodology?"

My answer would be 'none'. How does that help the OP...?

 

[NextPoint]

Good SEO is all about having a good content strategy. Google is looking to match good quality content to people who are searching, so anything ask an SEO company about what they would do should be based around this - i.e. not to ask what position or how many links they will generate.

Link building is also an important to ask about, but good content enables better quality links that themselves will also generate traffic.

Finally, getting your website onto Google is one thing, but you also need to make sure that your website is optimised to convert traffic. Whether it be converting to enquiries, registrations or sales, there's no point in investing into SEO if the layout and design of the website has issues in converting people. A good Internet marketing consultant/agency will be able to advise on this.

 

To the OP - One question I've been told always find trips up the spammers is "What changes did Panda and Penguin instigate in your methodology?"

Panda's are having HP sauce on their bamboo and Penguins are eating more kippers.

Apart from that not much change.

A good SEO will know whats possible for almost any given site by the research they do.IMHO

 

[Annoying Donkey]

I was in no way suggesting that you indiscriminately go to such a networking event and choose the first person who offers such services, but often most networking groups will have someone in the field of SEO/Webdesign, therefore if they have an estabilished client base also in the group it's an easy way to find out how crediable they are. Getting a good SEO is like getting a good used car, you have to be a bit of a tyre kicker to filter out the lemons, and then if you're lucky you'll find the one that will be problem free for the next 100k

I agree with networking, however I don't agree with BNI and such like. As stated, they only allow one of any type of business niche, i.e. one SEO, and members are obliged to recommend that member, regardless of his/her ability.

There are plenty of other networking groups where there is no obligation to recommend a particular member.

 

[RedEvo]

I agree with networking, however I don't agree with BNI and such like. As stated, they only allow one of any type of business niche, i.e. one SEO, and members are obliged to recommend that member, regardless of his/her ability.

There are plenty of other networking groups where there is no obligation to recommend a particular member.

Good BNI'ers only recommend businesses once they are comfortable doing so. Your reputation is more important than any notional obligation to a fellow BNI member. BNI gives businesses the opportunity to find new business, it's not handed on a plate in any BNI chapters worth their salt.

d

 

[sswats]

A lot of great advice there thanks.
I've done some digging and found 2 SEO providers who although aren't local do seem reputable.

Because I don't want to waste time finding a good SEO company can I task 2 companies to do SEO at the same time and see which one is doing a more suitable job.
Obviously assign them different keywords and tell them what I am doing.

Or can/will they get in each others way?

 

[JonathanSEO]

A lot of great advice there thanks.
I've done some digging and found 2 SEO providers who although aren't local do seem reputable.

Because I don't want to waste time finding a good SEO company can I task 2 companies to do SEO at the same time and see which one is doing a more suitable job.
Obviously assign them different keywords and tell them what I am doing.

Or can/will they get in each others way?

Bad idea, something like that will never work. No way could you effectively measure that. Only way it would work is if you had 2 separate sites.

SEO isn't solely about picking different keywords to rank for anyway. It's about increasing the search visbility of the entire domain which obviously correlates to increased rankings.

I'd guess if the SEO companies haven't told you that then they no longer seem reputable.

 

[sswats]

I haven't mentioned this to them yet, just an idea that popped in my head.

I know I can't measure, but I thought I could see quality and professionalism in their work very quickly.

 

[cheathcote]

I would definitely recommend all of the above plus a company that seems realistic about what it is offering for your budget. Depending on how competitive your keywords are you may not see much traffic for a while if your budget is small.

Also I would want to know how the SEO company is planning to build links. With the new Google updates not only could a bad SEO company have a bad return on investment but could also have a negative impact on the existing traffic on your site. A good SEO company should have a strategy that is based on high quality engaging content.

 

[JonathanSEO]

I haven't mentioned this to them yet, just an idea that popped in my head.

I know I can't measure, but I thought I could see quality and professionalism in their work very quickly.

You just have to pick one and roll with them.

Using 2 SEO firms on the same website is going to be littered with problems.

Say for example you commission SEO company A to target keyword "XYX"

And company B to target keyword "ABC"

A month down the line your site has moved into prominent positions for them both but it also ranks for "DEF" which is infinitely more profitable for you than either XYZ or ABC. So who was accountable for that?

 

[ronnie7272]

So what are the questions i should ask.

It's all about trust and gut feeling. Ask whatever questions you want to gain an insight into whether you can trust and work with this person/organisation short, medium and long term. You don't need to ask specific SEO questions to gain this insight.

 

[sswats]

I just spoke to a guy who conveniently is a regular poster here. It was the least BS, buzz word filled sales pitch I've had. Plus looking at his posts he is very helpful.

Just waiting on their offer. But it looks like a company i can trust.

 

[Tim Mayo]

Sounds like you may have solved this one.

Still for future reference, you might find this list of questions handy:

searchenginejournal.com/20-questions-to-ask-before-you-hire-an-seo-agency-in-post-pandapenguin-era/62504/

 

[webgeek]

Start general:
- What are the goals you would have for our campaigns?
- What timescale is 'average' to achieve those goals?

Move to specifics...
- What techniques will you use to promote our site?
- How much content will be used on-site and off-site?
- How many social network posts per month will be created to support this?
- If building links, what is your criteria in selecting sites?

Companies most often differ based on whether they create/manage content on-page, off-page, or both, plus whether they use social media (brand-owned or 3rd party accounts). Also, what types of links (and quantity), will vary widely.

Companies frequently differ based on the pricing model. Is it monthly retainer, hourly/day rate where you buy a slice of time, or do they charge on delivery of results....

Finally, contract terms are insanely different. Some are 18 month with 3 month notice, others 12/6/3 month lock-ins, and others have no minimum term.

Keep an eye out for mass link building techniques, where someone claims X blog comments, Y directory submits, Z forum profiles, or any minimum number of links from a 'variety of sources'. Many techniques are currently working well, ranging from guest blogging to infographics to white-papers/case studies (plus more).

Before you 'interview' them on the phone, ask them to spend 10 minutes and get a feel for how your website has been doing and summarise the current status / recent past. Look for a summary of how many top 10 or top 20 terms you've had ranking, what some of your top ranking terms are currently (in terms of rank or traffic).

See if they notice any trends, major drops, or obvious issues you may be facing, from dupe content to server performance or home page optimisation. Most SEO practitioners can do a 10 minute survey and give you some great insights...

Are they selling you a package and you have to bend until you fit their mould? Or do they listen to your needs (budget, requirements, priorities) and craft a solution to perfectly suit?

Lots more possibilities, but the answers to these will help you understand what's on offer so that you're not surprised down the road.

 

[JonathanSEO]

Start general:
- What are the goals you would have for our campaigns?
- What timescale is 'average' to achieve those goals?

Move to specifics...
- What techniques will you use to promote our site?
- How much content will be used on-site and off-site?
- How many social network posts per month will be created to support this?
- If building links, what is your criteria in selecting sites?

Companies most often differ based on whether they create/manage content on-page, off-page, or both, plus whether they use social media (brand-owned or 3rd party accounts). Also, what types of links (and quantity), will vary widely.

Companies frequently differ based on the pricing model. Is it monthly retainer, hourly/day rate where you buy a slice of time, or do they charge on delivery of results....

Finally, contract terms are insanely different. Some are 18 month with 3 month notice, others 12/6/3 month lock-ins, and others have no minimum term.

Keep an eye out for mass link building techniques, where someone claims X blog comments, Y directory submits, Z forum profiles, or any minimum number of links from a 'variety of sources'. Many techniques are currently working well, ranging from guest blogging to infographics to white-papers/case studies (plus more).

Before you 'interview' them on the phone, ask them to spend 10 minutes and get a feel for how your website has been doing and summarise the current status / recent past. Look for a summary of how many top 10 or top 20 terms you've had ranking, what some of your top ranking terms are currently (in terms of rank or traffic).

See if they notice any trends, major drops, or obvious issues you may be facing, from dupe content to server performance or home page optimisation. Most SEO practitioners can do a 10 minute survey and give you some great insights...

Are they selling you a package and you have to bend until you fit their mould? Or do they listen to your needs (budget, requirements, priorities) and craft a solution to perfectly suit?

Lots more possibilities, but the answers to these will help you understand what's on offer so that you're not surprised down the road.

Unfortunately those questions won't put you in a better position or any closer knowing who to choose. Even the most incompetent SEO's will be able to put together coherent answers for all those questions.

'How many social network posts will you do?' One says 30 the other says 49. Which is better?

They tell you your site has a duplicate content issue. How do you verify that if you don't know a lot about SEO?

People who do SEO are the wrong type of people for someone to ask what questions they should ask an SEO company.

 

[webgeek]

How many social network posts?
- one says, "None using your account"
- the other says, "30 or 40"
- the last says, "we have thousands of accounts to use"

The way to verify if any of what they are saying is BS? Pay a reputable SEO for an hour of their time to review the questions/answers/companies, giving an honest assessment, knowing that they will not be awarded any additional work beyond that hour assessment.

This approach is used in medical where you get a 2nd opinion, in accounting where you get an auditor review, etc.

Use the hour to get an understanding of why one answer was preferred, why one solution was found lacking, so that you as a site owner get more savvy with every Pound spent.

I don't believe that asking an attorney, doctor, accountant, or other highly trained and educated professional is going to help you make a good decision about which company should handle your online marketing. A legal review of the contract, any contract, is an entirely different matter.

I know of several refugees who have been burned by some of the largest digital agencies in the country, not because they failed to deliver on the terms of the agreement, but because they only delivered on the terms of the agreement. The attorneys say there's no chance of recovery/remuneration, despite the insanity of the situation.

Someone claims dupe content? It takes 5 minutes to explain what kind of dupe content and how to verify, starting with the site: command and counting indexed vs omitted links, and moving on to downloading Xenu, and sorting by Title or Meta Description and visually seeing duplicate tags (as simple examples).

Specifics are what turn a pitch into an agreement. Generalities sound great, but push push and push some more for specifics. Those are where people get exposed.

Suddenly those "1000 links we publish for you each month" become clear as garbage spam.

Transparency is what separates most of the contenders from the pretenders. Keep asking for more details until what's under the kilt is revealed....

 

[JonathanSEO]

The way to verify if any of what they are saying is BS? Pay a reputable SEO for an hour of their time to review the questions/answers/companies, giving an honest assessment, knowing that they will not be awarded any additional work beyond that hour assessment.

This approach is used in medical where you get a 2nd opinion, in accounting where you get an auditor review, etc.

So the best way for somebody to find a reputable SEO is to pay a reputable SEO to review them and see if they are reputable? Not sure how that can possibly work. Unless you just meant pay you.

SEO and the medical profession aren't a good comparison.

This line of questioning wont really get you anywhere other than more confused.

The only questions you should ask an SEO company are the ones you know the answers to (without them having to explain it to you).

IMO, it's mainly going to be down to instinct and price as to which one you choose. Not whether they can explain the Panda update.

 

[webgeek]

Yes, lets abandon peer review and educating the site owners and instead let them rely on instinct and price.... riiiiight.

It works for medical, legal, accounting, higher education (phd reviews of papers and dissertations), and virtually any other profession where we have a lot at stake, where the bills are high and the risks are higher.

"Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards of quality, improve performance, and provide credibility..."

Peer review also exists in software development, engineering, aviation, forest fire management, architectural design, just about any type of manufacturing of new products, prototype design, and nearly every single case that goes to trial which requires expert testimony in every field of study.

No need to make accusations - I'm not asking for anyone to pay me. There's plenty of good choices out there. The important point is for site owners who are risking their business to make the decision armed with something more than a hunch.

Bottom Line: The process should help site owners get educated, get detailed and get scrutinised by their peers.

Companies that don't want the buyers educated, that prefer to speak in vague generalities and who won't expose the inner workings for close examination are risky, at best.

 

Yes, lets abandon peer review and educating the site owners and instead let them rely on instinct and price.... riiiiight.

It works for medical, legal, accounting, higher education (phd reviews of papers and dissertations), and virtually any other profession where we have a lot at stake, where the bills are high and the risks are higher.

Not comparable search engines keep their algo's top secret.