It is really unfair that there are so many SEO in a box types out there. The good that true SEO and hard work can do for a small sized website is unmeasurable and allows anyone to compete with the big dogs on a long tail level. Driving targeted traffic to your site and converting eyeballs into sales should be the number one concern of your SEO, not page views or rankings. Unless of course you are a spammer yourself, making money from cleverly placed AdSense.
NotoriousBRK
· 1 year ago
Like so many other things, "Content is king".
You will find it near impossible to get good, sustainable, rankings with poor or stale content. This is a prime reason why business blogs can be so valuable, the continuous content (and inbound links) really do wonders for your SEO rankings.
Choosing a limited set of relevant keywords (sorry but you cannot be both a dessert topping AND a floor wax), and optimizing your links and content around those keywords will also do wonders.
In the end, your site has to be useful and relevant to really get anywhere with SEO, and it's a long-haul process.
sbspalding
· 1 year ago
That's the trick. No matter what you do it's neigh impossible to sell a useless product.
xstatic
· 1 year ago
I wish SEO was easier to grasp.. but making it too easy just wouldn't work. Bleh. Theres too many fakes out there lately, and with the addition of software to do thing automatically things are getting worse for SEO
Bachmann
· 1 year ago
SEOs are much like used car salemen :) which remind me of a post by shoemoney, where he says that he do not like 95% of SEO experts.
That being the case, somewhere out there is a decent SEO company, right? I'm willing to pay more than a reasonable amount. But I can't find ANY SEO organizations that seem reliable. Can anyone name a specific company to talk with?
Graeme
· 1 year ago
I have the same problem: I can see no way of telling how good an SEO is, and how effective they would be.
Even a track record of helping successful sites is not that good an indication, because you do not know how much of the success is attributable to the SEO.
I did use a well know SEO who runs a press release type service. As far as I can tell, the impact on the growth of my site was negative. Never again. I will do what I can do myself for SEO, and rely on high quality content to do the rest.
Graeme
· 1 year ago
I have the same problem: I can see no way of telling how good an SEO is, and how effective they would be.
Even a track record of helping successful sites is not that good an indication, because you do not know how much of the success is attributable to the SEO.
I did use a well know SEO who runs a press release type service. As far as I can tell, the impact on the growth of my site was negative. Never again. I will do what I can do myself for SEO, and rely on high quality content to do the rest.
Search Engine Optimisation
· 1 year ago
A major problem for most SMBs while hiring an SEO is when the person is met with "guarantees".
I don't understand how any sane SEO would offer guarantees on search rankings.
As for quantify-able results, I believe the focus should be on ROI.
Web Marketing Denver
· 11 months ago
Well, I think you're a bit harsh there.
There are many people out there who use manual submission to great effect. And promising to get ranked number one in G is not so far fetched either, because with the right strategy anything is possible.
I have to agree with the other signs though, you were spot on. :)
peterK
· 10 months ago
Nice article with some good points. Very informative and helpful.
All Comments
You will find it near impossible to get good, sustainable, rankings with poor or stale content. This is a prime reason why business blogs can be so valuable, the continuous content (and inbound links) really do wonders for your SEO rankings.
Choosing a limited set of relevant keywords (sorry but you cannot be both a dessert topping AND a floor wax), and optimizing your links and content around those keywords will also do wonders.
In the end, your site has to be useful and relevant to really get anywhere with SEO, and it's a long-haul process.
Bleh.
Theres too many fakes out there lately, and with the addition of software to do thing automatically things are getting worse for SEO
http://www.shoemoney.com/2008/01/16/why-i-do-no...
Even a track record of helping successful sites is not that good an indication, because you do not know how much of the success is attributable to the SEO.
I did use a well know SEO who runs a press release type service. As far as I can tell, the impact on the growth of my site was negative. Never again. I will do what I can do myself for SEO, and rely on high quality content to do the rest.
Even a track record of helping successful sites is not that good an indication, because you do not know how much of the success is attributable to the SEO.
I did use a well know SEO who runs a press release type service. As far as I can tell, the impact on the growth of my site was negative. Never again. I will do what I can do myself for SEO, and rely on high quality content to do the rest.
I don't understand how any sane SEO would offer guarantees on search rankings.
As for quantify-able results, I believe the focus should be on ROI.
There are many people out there who use manual submission to great effect. And promising to get ranked number one in G is not so far fetched either, because with the right strategy anything is possible.
I have to agree with the other signs though, you were spot on. :)