Friday, April 13, 2012

The Three R's of Vetting So-Called SEO Gurus


The Internet is full of self-proclaimed SEO experts, gurus, specialists, whizzes, etc. And while there are many great SEOs out there, for every one out there who knows their stuff, there are many more who are an SEO in name only and have no real experience, yet they may talk a great game.

But, before you fall for their lines, you should do a bit of homework and see if they know what they're talking about. However, the issue of trying to find out whether an SEO is good or not while knowing little to nothing about the practice can cause a bit of an issue. So, here are some tips as to what to look for when doing the research.

Rankings
The true indicator of any SEO is the results they generate for their clients. If they have a client portfolio, choose a couple and see how their site is optimized, then look for their search engine rankings for those keyword phrases. Where are they ranking? Top 10? Top 30? Top 50? Are you finding them without much effort, or do you have to go back a few pages before you see results?

Reviews
What are their clients – past and present – saying about them? If the SEO did a tremendous job, then there are sure to be positive reviews out there. If not, it's almost a certainty negative reviews will have been posted. Take a look and see what you can find. Reviews can tell you a lot about a company and its business practices.

ROI
The goals of every SEO campaign differ, but one common aim is to give the client a return on investment (ROI). Are clients getting this? Contact a few and get their insight. If many are, then the SEO is doing his or her job. If not, then it's time to look at other candidates.

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