In Today's Issue
Search Engine Marketing
---> 5 Factors When Choosing an SEO Company
High Rankings Happenings
---> Personal Site Review from Jill Whalen
---> SEO Training Class – Sept. 18th
Twitter Question of the Week
---> Do you do keyword research for...?
Advanced SEO Forum Thread of the Week
---> Determining a Site's Competitive Index
Advisor Wrap-up
---> California Winery Suggestions? Introduction
Hey everyone!
Did you read my "Is Most of SEO Just a Boondoggle?" article at Search Engine Land last week? If not, please check it out.
Whether you agree or disagree, I'm interested in what you think about it.
That article and the resulting comments got me thinking about an older article I wrote in 2006 about whom to trust as your SEO vendor. It holds up today just as well as it did nearly 3 years ago, so I decided to make a few slight changes and re-run it here for you today.
Enjoy! – Jill
Search Engine Marketing Issues
++5 Factors When Choosing an SEO Company++
A lot of companies get so confused when attempting to hire an SEO firm that they simply give up altogether and don't hire anyone. Part of the problem is that they simply don't know whom to trust for this service.
Trust is always a tricky issue, and one that is emotionally charged based on our individual experiences with others as we navigate through the maze we call life. In SEO, trust issues are further magnified by the fact that there's no one-size-fits-all solution, nor one method that all SEOs use to bring targeted traffic to their client's websites.
Where does this leave the person or company who wants to hire an SEO firm, but doesn't know whom to trust? SEO A tells them one thing, SEO B another, and SEOs C, D, E, and F completely different things altogether! Who is right? Who is wrong? Whom should they hire? Whom should they beware of?
Here are 5 factors that all businesses should weigh when choosing their SEO firm:
- Does the SEO firm set realistic expectations about what they can and can't do, or do they simply promise the moon? Smart SEOs under-promise and over-deliver, so watch out for those that do the opposite (and there are many).
- Does the SEO company have a proven record of success and not just for long-tail keywords? Be sure to check references to learn whether the SEO firm actually improved their clients' bottom line in some way.
- Does the SEO agency provide recommendations for making your site better than it currently is, or are they trying to do things to it that will actually make it worse for your users? This one sounds crazy, but a good portion of SEOs think that it's all about the search engines and not the users, and make bad decisions accordingly. Never, ever, ever let an SEO company do something that you feel worsens your site's overall usability or readability.
- Does the SEO consultant tell you what they're doing and why they're doing it, or do they just want you to blindly trust them? This one should set off a major red flag if you ever encounter it. Sure, you don't need to know every last detail or to micromanage your SEO campaign, but your SEO should be able to explain their reasoning for why they want to do the things they recommend. If they can't, or if their answers don't make sense, then run (don't walk) to the nearest door!
- Does the SEO company use only automated methods to achieve their goals? This isn't necessarily bad; however, you need to be aware if this is what they're doing. SEO is very much an art as well as a science, and because of this, creativity should always play a big part. It's very difficult to be creative when everything you do is based on a numbers game. Just keep that in mind!
Like trusting a friend, a dentist, or anyone else, determining whom to trust as your SEO partner should not be taken lightly or rushed into. Educate yourself on SEO as much as you can before you decide.
Get to know the SEO vendors you're thinking of hiring, ask them lots and lots of questions, and most of all use your gut and your own common sense to determine if you'll be a good fit. If you are unsure, then keep on looking. There are plenty of SEO fish in the sea, and there should be a few who use the methods you believe in, who are within your budget, and who will work hard to help you accomplish your website goals!
Share your comments and thoughts here.
P.S. If anyone would like to republish the above article, please email me your request and where it will reside, and I'll send you a short bio you can use with it for your site.
Twitter Question of the Week ++Do you do keyword research for...?++
The Twitter question for this week was:
Do you research keywords before writing a blog post or article?
@erichollebone: "We pull from an ever updating internal list of KW and ask the blogger to use 5–10 per post."
@RyanJones: "Sometimes...if it's a post I'm writing and trying to rank for something."
@ulstrup: "Absolutely (exceptions are requests from stubborn customers)." 
@nickihicks: "It's ironic you asked that – I'm doing it as we speak. But typically I don't do it for every single post."
@nickusborne: "Sometimes."
@craiglparker: "Depends on the importance and industry of the post. I would say I do research 60% of the time."
@johnnyt: "Yes; keyword research at least for what anchor text I use when including targeted links within a post as well."
@footinmouth: "That's a great idea, and obviously from my surprise, I don't at this time...but I think I'll try that next time!"
@JakePM: "No, do not use research tools. HOWEVER, keywords in title of post are extremely important for long term search results."
@aaranged: "Even if it's just a quick look on G. Insights for search, I always do KW research for blogs, articles."
My answer is typically no. I have rarely researched keywords for any newsletter article or column I've written as it seems like that would somehow make it contrived. That said, maybe I'll start doing it a bit for a few months and let you know how it goes!
Want to participate in the Twitter Question of the Week?
Follow @jillwhalen on Twitter
Share your comments and thoughts here.
Advanced Forum Thread of the Week ++Determining a Site's Competitive Index++
The other day I was putting together a training presentation and was having a bit of trouble trying to describe the steps I take in deciding on some sort of competitive index for any given website.
You see, every website is different in terms of how competitive they can realistically shoot for with their SEO efforts. I typically use a combination of factors to decide on this, but much of it relies on my gut instinct based on how well known (or not) the business is.
So I asked the search marketers at the High Rankings Forum what steps they take. There were some great responses that helped to solidify my own strategy. I still haven't finished up that presentation yet, but it should be easier now!
Read the responses and share your own here:
Determining a Site's Competitive Index
Advisor Wrap-up
That's all for today!
By the time you read this, I'll have been to SEMNE's Rhode Island event. Hope I saw a bunch of you there! It's a great organization where you can chat with search marketers and others in New England who are trying to build targeted traffic to their websites.
Next on the schedule will be the Search Engine Strategies Conference in San Jose, CA, where I'll be on the Keyword Research and Content panel. They still have seats left if you're interested! Oh yeah, and I'm heading out there early with my husband to check out some of the wineries. Please email me with any must-see suggestions!
Catch you in 2 weeks! – Jill
 Today's issue is also available online in the newsletter archives. If you prefer RSS/XML please feel free to use our newsfeed here. Feel free to forward this email in its entirety to anyone you feel might be interested in it. Paid sponsor ads are clearly marked as advertisements and neither High Rankings nor Jill Whalen take any responsibility for the claims made within these ads, nor the websites they point to. Paid ads do not constitute an endorsement for the products, services or companies advertising in the newsletter. Please visit our sponsors and use your own due diligence for any purchases you make on the Internet.
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SEO Training Classes
Next Class Sept. 18, 2009
1-day SEO Training Class for beginners to intermediate learners.
You will learn to separate SEO facts from fiction, and what to do to bring in more search engine visitors who are seeking exactly what you offer.
Only 6 people per class in order to provide personal SEO consulting to each student.
Learn More or Register Here
Recession Buster SEO Website Review - Only $600
In this economic climate, can you afford to put your SEO on the back burner?
What you'll receive:
- Jill Whalen will personally review your website for the top 10 problems preventing you from receiving the targeted traffic you deserve.
- An emailed statement written by Jill of the issues she found.
- Answers via email to any questions about the review.
Learn which tasks will provide you with the biggest bang for your buck and stop missing out on highly targeted opportunities and sales.
Request Your Website Review Now!
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