RSSGood SEO Hype vs. Reality
Jul 19
Internet Marketing, Online Advertising, SEO Packages internet marketing, internet sales, SEO NY No Comments
Humble words of advice. When looking for an SEO firm or sifting through seo packages online do your homework, and be weary of too good to be true “guarantees”. I must admit, being an SEO myself I’m often disappointed by the bad name some firms have given the rest of us in the industry. But it’s out there, small and local business alike often get burned by the false promises and black hat tactics used by these firms. Terms like “we are a Google partner” or “we’ll get your website first on search engines in no time” are all too often present and misguiding to website owners desperate for immediate traffic. Well most of the time my friends, something bad or unwanted happens in those cases.
Personally, I think the best guarantees you could find out there, are those offering not to charge for services until some measurable results are achieved, but even in those cases you should make sure that their practices are always ethical.
The truth of the matter is although an effective SEO Campaign can do wonders for your website, there is never any certainty as to what spot in the rankings or how soon your website will place on any of the search engines out there. As a website owner you should also know that a reputable SEO will focus on optimizing your site ethically, and should not be claiming to have the magic potion or found a loophole in Google’s algorithm. Nobody does as claiming to know Google’s closely guarded algorythim to land on first page is like claiming to know the secret recipe for KFC. All they can really tell you that it’s a blend of seven spices and herbs…
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there isn’t a consensus out there, among the more experienced SEOs, as to what the best and most effective practices are in order for your website to flourish. Just to name a few, a good SEO will take an in depth look at your website, analyze the appropriate keywords to go after, optimize title and tags accordingly and then focus on promoting your site through social media and web 2.0 properties, building up your links naturally over an extended period of time. Google loves backlinks, but haphazard and mass link building simply will not do anymore, as Google has started to catch on and hand down hefty penalties to sites that employ these unethical tactics and drop them in the rankings or de-index them altogether. It’s what we professionals in the industry call the “Google Sandbox”. Something you should absolutely try to avoid for your website to be caught in..
Also as a potential customer, or even as a do it your-selfer, you must understand that employing the correct strategies do take time to show the intended results, but most often work best, and once those goals are achieved they stick around for the long haul. Your business will reap the rewards of your hard work or hard earned money used towards paying a reliable SEO firm. So before signing up with anybody, always have a list of questions ready regarding their methods, and have them put the exact tactics they employ in writing. Ask for referrals and examples of their work. It will all pay off in the long run and weed out the bad from the good online advertising firms.