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The SEO scam
I have decided to write this article as a result of numerous emails. It seems that more and more people are falling victim to bad SEO. The main complaint is that they are paying too much for little or no results. Also, many are victims of bad SEO practices. If you plan to hire an SEO professional in the future, I suggest you use this article as a set of guidelines.
Before you go with any SEO firm or individual, do the following:
A) Find out how established and experienced an SEO company is before you negotiate.
Do they have a sizeable list of clients under their belt?
Are they published?
B) Examine your portfolio.
What kind of results have they achieved?
Get in touch with some of your clients. Were they satisfied with the work done?
C) Consider and confirm your methods?
How will they optimize your site for your keywords?
Do they use organic methods? Some people or companies use doorway pages, hide text in the background, use redirects and other blacklisted methods. Stay away from these.
D) Get at least three proposals from different SEO companies.
Look at each one carefully. Are there similarities? Proposals will help you see which companies are honest and which ones are trying to sell you something you don't need.
How much? Cheapest is not always best, however, the highest price may not be linked to a comprehensive and viable course of action. Try to find a person or organization that will give you what you want within your SEO budget.
E) Contract, Contract, Contract.
Get everything in writing. Please review the document carefully. Make sure you cover everything you've discussed, including methods to achieve your desired results. Have the copies signed by both parties. If the job is large, you may want to consult an attorney.
F) Clearly indicate the payment conditions.
While most SEO firms won't do any work for free or accept a pay scale based on results, many competent SEOs won't shy away from a base-plus-performance incentive package. I'm not a firm believer in prepaid contracts. Most SEO professionals will adhere to the standard of 50% up front, 50% on completion. Make sure all financial terms are as clearly defined in your contract as the actual scope of work. This will protect all parties involved in the event that expectations are not met.
In general, try to do everything you can to educate yourself on SEO. Have a basic understanding of SEO terminology and SEO methodology. Anyone offering SEO services should have no problem explaining how they intend to get results. If they don't earn your trust or raise a red flag for whatever reason, keep looking. You will eventually find someone who will help you achieve your goals for a fair price. Happy hunting.
