Choosing an agency to handle the SEO of your site is a decision of utmost importance and should be made with care. SEO is a very complicated matter, and unfortunately, few clients have a solid understanding of the subject. Taking advantage of this, many agencies promise unrealistic and immediate results, deceiving clients.
At SEO Master, we believe that this kind of practice discredits the market itself. Clients deserve to be treated with respect and transparency. With this in mind, I would like to present Google’s guidelines for choosing SEO agencies and consultants. By following them, the chances of encountering “charlatans” will decrease significantly.
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Guidelines
1 — Be cautious with firms and consultants or web agencies that send unsolicited emails.
Be very careful with agencies and consultants who send emails claiming they have detected SEO-related issues. Many of these emails are automatically sent to multiple webmasters without even examining the site.
Even Google has stated that it has received this type of spam:
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“Dear google.com.br, We visited your site and noticed that you do not appear in most major directories and search engines…”
If something like this comes into your inbox, it is advisable to keep both feet firmly on the ground.
2 — No one can guarantee a top ranking on Google.
Do not believe anyone who guarantees a specific result. SEO results yes, but it is impossible to say where it will be and when it will happen.
Do not trust someone who claims to have a “special relationship” with Google and will therefore be able to place your site in the top positions. There is no such thing. Think about it, do you believe that a company the size of Google would risk its credibility for one person or an SEO agency? No, of course not.
3 — Be cautious if a company has many secrets or does not clearly explain what it wants.
The relationship between the SEO manager and the client must be transparent. Do you have questions about the campaign? Ask for explanations. It is their job to make you aware of everything that is happening. It is your brand that is at stake. Inquire as much as possible about what is happening with your campaign.
4 — You should never need to have a link to an SEO.
There are many SEO consultants who talk about the power of “free and for all links,” link popularity, or link exchanges. Word of advice: avoid these. Typically, these unnecessary actions do not affect your ranking in the results of major search engines.
5 — Choose carefully.
If you have doubts about an SEO agency, research the market. Google, look for information in the press, and talk to the agency so they can clarify your doubts.
6 — Try to understand where the money is going.
Google never sells rankings for organic search results. Some SEO consultants promise that you will occupy the top spots, but in fact, you will be in the ads section.
It is quite easy to differentiate organic search results from paid ads on Google.
7 — What are the most common abuses a website owner may encounter?
SEO agencies that create fake domains to redirect to your website. Don’t trust that. In addition to not being an ethical tactic, these domains belong to the company doing the SEO. If the relationship does not work out, the SEO manager can point to another website or even a competitor.
Another common practice to avoid is the insertion of multiple keywords. It is promised that the site will rank better for several keywords. This information is false in itself, as a page will hardly be relevant for multiple keywords. It also ends up generating “cannibalization” between the keywords.
8 — What other things should I check?
Google has made a list, which it claims is not exhaustive, to indicate that you are dealing with an SEO agency or consultant that is seeing. Here is the list below:
- Having front domains
- Placing links to other clients on landing pages
- Offering the sale of keywords in the address bar
- Not distinguishing between real search results and ads displayed in search results
- Guaranteeing ranking, but only for long obscure keyword phrases, which you would get anyway
- Getting traffic from “fake” search engines, spyware, or adware
- Having domains excluded from Google’s index or if it is not listed on Google itself
Discover more tactics that Google does not view favorably in our section on Blackhat
Questions to ask before hiring the service
Google has also prepared a list of questions to ask before hiring an agency or consultant to manage your SEO campaign. These questions are crucial for you to better understand the type of professional you are dealing with and how they work.
- Can you show me examples of previous work and share some successes?
- Do you follow webmaster guidelines?
- Do you offer marketing services or advice to complement your organic search business?
- What kind of results do you expect to see and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success?
- What is your experience in my industry?
- What is your experience in my country or city?
- What are your most important SEO techniques?
- How long have you been in the market?
- How can I communicate with you? Could you tell me about all the changes made to my site and provide detailed information on your recommendations and the underlying logic?
Conclusion…
Conduct thorough research before hiring an SEO service. Do not be swayed by false promises. Value those who are transparent in their relationship with the client. Try to understand the value offered and whether it is worth investing in.
SEO is not something cheap and requires good knowledge to apply. Do not believe agencies and consultants who set prices up there. They probably do not have a good understanding of internal SEO and work with a means of obtaining automatic links, which has no relevance to Google, especially after their latest updates.
At SEO Master, we pride ourselves on following all of Google’s guidelines. Send us an email or call us. You will be able to verify what I am saying.
And have you ever had an unpleasant experience trying to hire an SEO agency or professional? Comment and share with us.
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