Don’t Hire An SEO Until You’ve Read This

SEO stands for “search engine optimization” or “search engine optimizer.” Hiring an SEO can improve your site and save you time, but it can also damage your site and reputation. Before you hire an SEO, research both the advantages and the damage an irresponsible SEO can do to your site.

Hiring an SEO professional or agency can significantly enhance your website's visibility and effectiveness in search engine results, thereby potentially increasing traffic and customer engagement. However, choosing the right SEO is crucial, as inadequate or questionable practices can harm your site's ranking and reputation. An effective SEO provider will offer services such as comprehensive site audits, content and structural recommendations, keyword research, and strategic advice tailored to your business's market and geographic focus. Before deciding, it's vital to thoroughly research potential SEOs to ensure they align with your goals and operate using ethical, white-hat techniques.

Cost Ranges

The cost of hiring an SEO can vary widely depending on the scope of services, the provider's experience, and the complexity of your project. On average, small to medium-sized businesses might expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $200 per hour for SEO services. Monthly retainers can range from $500 to $5,000, depending on the level of service and support required.

Local Tips

• Understand Your Market: If you're targeting a local audience, ensure your SEO is familiar with local market trends and customer behaviors.
• Local SEO Practices: Focus on practices like optimizing your Google My Business profile, encouraging customer reviews, and using locally relevant keywords.
• Networking: Attend local business networking events to find recommended SEO professionals who understand your community.

FAQs

What are some signs of a good SEO provider?

A reputable SEO provider will have a clear strategy, transparent communication, and a track record of verifiable success. They should use ethical practices and be able to explain their methods clearly.

How long does it take to see results from SEO?

SEO is a long-term strategy, and it may take several months to start seeing significant results. Generally, noticeable improvements can be expected within 4 to 6 months, but ongoing efforts are necessary to maintain and improve rankings.

Can I do SEO myself?

While it's possible to learn and implement basic SEO strategies yourself, hiring a professional can save time and provide expert insights, especially for more complex or competitive markets.

There are many companies and consultants that offer helpful SEO services, including a review of your site’s content or structure, advice on website development, development of content, campaign management for online business development, researching keywords, training in SEO, and geographic and market expertise.

Advertising with Google does not affect the presence of your site in search results. Google does not accept payment for including or ranking sites in search results, and organic search results cost nothing. You can find a lot of information about optimizing your site for organic search by using Google Search Console, Google Search Central’s blog, and our discussion forum.

If you run a small local business, you can probably do most of the SEO work yourself. Learn how to build an online presence for your business by checking out the Essentials of Search.

If you’re considering hiring an SEO, it’s important to find someone who is interested in you and your business. Ask potential SEOs questions, such as whether they can share some successful examples of their previous work, follow Google Search Essentials, offer any online marketing services or advice, what their experience is in your field, and what their experience is in developing international websites. Your SEO should ask questions about how your business or service stands out from the competition, what kind of customers you have, what are the ways in which your business makes money, and if you are using any other advertising channels.

Be wary of SEO scams that promise to make you rank number one on Google, and avoid SEOs who talk about link popularity schemes or submit your site to thousands of search engines. You should also avoid SEOs who provide links to their other clients on their doorway pages, guarantee rankings, provide falsified WHOIS information or multiple aliases, and obtain traffic from fake search engines, spyware, or scumware.

If you have any doubts, trust your instincts, and ask for clarification. If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, such as doorway pages or “throwaway” domains, your site could be removed from Google’s search results. It is important that you understand exactly how any company you hire intends to “help” you because you are ultimately responsible for their actions.

Choosing the right SEO can be a critical decision for the success of your website. Here are some key factors to consider before hiring an SEO:

1. Timing is key: It’s better to hire an SEO early on, especially when you’re planning a new site or redesigning an existing one. This way, you can ensure that your site is search engine-friendly from the very beginning. However, a good SEO can also help you improve an existing site.
2. Commitment is crucial: Before hiring an SEO, be sure that you’re committed to implementing the recommended changes. This process takes time and effort, and if you’re not willing to make these changes, it’s not worth hiring an SEO.
3. Ask the right questions: When interviewing a potential SEO, ask questions that will help you assess their experience and expertise. Some useful questions to ask include:

• Can you provide examples of your previous work and share success stories?
• Do you follow the Google Search Essentials?
• Do you offer any online marketing services or advice to complement your organic search business?
• What results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure success?
• What’s your experience in my industry?
• What’s your experience in my country/city?
• What’s your experience developing international sites?
• What are your most important SEO techniques?
• How long have you been in business?
• How will we communicate? Will you provide detailed information about your recommendations and the reasoning behind them?

4. Look for interest in your business: Your SEO should show an interest in your business, including what makes it unique and valuable to customers, who your customers are, how your business makes money, and how search results can help you.
5. Check references: Ask past clients about their experience with the SEO. Did they provide useful service? Were they easy to work with? Did they produce positive results?
6. Get a technical and search audit: Before hiring an SEO, get a technical and search audit of your site to learn what needs to be done, why, and what the expected outcome should be. Your prospective SEO should provide realistic estimates of improvement, and an estimate of the work involved. Beware of any guarantee that their changes will give you first place in search results.
7. Make a decision: After careful consideration, decide if you want to hire the SEO.

Remember that choosing the right SEO is critical to the success of your website. Take your time to evaluate your options and make an informed decision.

How to Know Which SEO To Hire

While SEO can provide valuable services to clients, there are some unethical SEOs who use aggressive marketing strategies and attempt to manipulate search engine results unfairly. Such practices can violate Google’s spam policies, resulting in a negative impact on your site’s ranking or even removal from the search index.

To avoid these pitfalls, when an SEO provides recommendations for your site, ask them to verify them with a trusted source like a Search Console help page, Google Search Central blog entry, or Google-approved forum response.

Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting an SEO:

• Be wary of “shadow” domains created to funnel users to a site via deceptive redirects. If the relationship sours, the SEO may redirect the domain to a different site, even a competitor’s domain.
• Avoid “doorway” pages loaded with keywords, which promise to make the page more relevant for more queries. These pages often contain hidden links to the SEO’s other clients and can result in lost link popularity for your site.
• Do not participate in link schemes that involve buying links from other sites to boost your ranking. This goes against Google’s spam policies and can result in manual action against your site, negatively affecting your ranking.
• Report any deceptive or unfair business practices by SEOs. If you’re in the United States, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftc.gov/ or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. For companies outside the United States, file a complaint at https://www.econsumer.gov/.

It’s essential to choose an SEO you can trust, so be sure to research the industry and ask the right questions. When selecting an SEO, ask for references, and follow up with past clients to determine the quality of their work. A technical and search audit for your site can also help you understand what needs to be done and what to expect from the SEO. If an SEO guarantees that their work will result in a top ranking, find someone else, as such promises are not realistic. Ultimately, the decision to hire an SEO should be based on careful consideration and a thorough understanding of their methods and practices.

SEO Hiring Guidelines

When it comes to choosing an SEO, there are some helpful guidelines you can follow to ensure that you’re working with a reputable professional. The first thing to keep in mind is that you should be wary of SEO firms or web consultants that email you out of the blue. If you receive unsolicited emails that promise to improve your search engine ranking, you should approach them with skepticism.

It’s also important to remember that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Beware of SEOs who claim to have a special relationship with Google or advertise a “priority submit” to Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through the URL Inspection Tool or by submitting a Sitemap, which you can do yourself.

When evaluating an SEO, be careful if the company is secretive or won’t explain clearly what they intend to do. If something is unclear, ask for an explanation. If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, such as doorway pages or “throwaway” domains, your site could be removed entirely from Google’s index. Remember that you are ultimately responsible for the actions of any companies you hire, so it’s essential to know exactly how they intend to help you. If an SEO has FTP access to your server, they should be willing to explain all the changes they are making to your site.

It’s also important to avoid SEOs who talk about link popularity schemes or submitting your site to thousands of search engines. These practices are typically useless exercises that don’t affect your ranking in the results of major search engines, at least not in a positive way.

When choosing an SEO, it’s crucial to do your research. While Google doesn’t comment on specific companies, some firms calling themselves SEOs follow practices that are clearly beyond the pale of accepted business behavior. Be careful and investigate before working with an SEO.

Finally, it’s essential to understand where your money goes when working with an SEO. Google never sells better ranking in its search results. However, several other search engines combine pay-per-click or pay-for-inclusion results with their regular web search results. Some SEOs promise to rank you highly in search engines but place you in the advertising section rather than in the search results. A few SEOs even change their bid prices in real-time to create the illusion that they “control” other search engines and can place themselves in the slot of their choice. Be sure to ask any SEO you’re considering which fees go toward permanent inclusion and which apply toward temporary advertising.

Warning Signs Of A Bad SEO

It’s important to be aware of these warning signs to avoid working with a rogue SEO. However, there are also other things to look out for when selecting an SEO. Here are some additional warning signs to consider:

1. Overemphasis on link building: Some SEOs will focus almost entirely on building links to your site, without considering other important factors like content quality and user experience. While link building can be an important part of SEO, it should not be the sole focus. A good SEO will take a holistic approach to improving your site’s search visibility.
2. Lack of transparency: If an SEO is not willing to share their strategies and tactics with you, or if they make promises that seem too good to be true, it’s a red flag. A reputable SEO will be transparent about what they are doing to improve your site’s visibility, and they will not make guarantees that they cannot keep.
3. Poor communication: If your SEO is difficult to reach or takes a long time to respond to your questions, it could be a sign that they are not prioritizing your needs. Good communication is essential for a successful SEO campaign, so make sure your SEO is easy to get in touch with and responsive to your needs.
4. Lack of experience: SEO is a complex field that requires a lot of expertise and experience to be successful. If your SEO is new to the field or has a limited track record of success, it could be a risk to work with them. Look for an SEO with a proven track record of success and a deep understanding of the latest SEO best practices.
5. Black hat tactics: Some SEOs use black hat tactics to try to manipulate search rankings, such as keyword stuffing, cloaking, and buying links. These tactics can result in penalties from search engines, and can do more harm than good in the long run. Make sure your SEO is using ethical and effective strategies to improve your site’s visibility.

As you’re looking for an SEO, it’s essential to be aware of some warning signs that indicate you might be dealing with a rogue SEO. Although this list isn’t exhaustive, you should trust your instincts if you feel uneasy about the provider you’re considering. Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Shadow domains owned by the SEO: These are deceptive domains that funnel users to your website, usually via deceptive redirects. If your SEO owns shadow domains, they may point them to a different site or even to your competitors’ domains if the relationship sours. That means you’ll have paid to develop a competing site owned entirely by the SEO.
• Links to the SEO’s other clients on doorway pages: Doorway pages are loaded with keywords to make them more relevant for many queries. However, they often contain hidden links to the SEO’s other clients. Such pages drain away the link popularity of your site and route it to the SEO and its other clients, some of which may have unsavory or illegal content.
• Selling keywords in the address bar: No legitimate SEO will ever offer to sell keywords in the address bar.
• Failure to distinguish between ads and actual search results: Be careful if your SEO doesn’t distinguish between actual search results and ads that appear on search results pages. This could mislead your users and compromise your credibility.
• Guaranteeing rankings: No SEO can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Be wary of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submit” to Google.
• Multiple aliases or falsified WHOIS info: If an SEO operates with multiple aliases or falsified WHOIS information, it may be a sign of an untrustworthy provider.
• Getting traffic from fake search engines, spyware, or scumware: If your SEO gets traffic from “fake” search engines, spyware, or scumware, this could damage your website’s reputation and harm your search engine rankings.
• Domains removed from Google’s index or not listed in Google: If an SEO has had domains removed from Google’s index or isn’t listed in Google, this is a red flag that they may use spammy tactics or engage in other unethical behavior.