SEO reality sometimes gets lost when it is coming from telemarketers and fast talking salespeople. Add on top the lack of knowledge and confusion and finding a good SEO person feels like a gamble.
With people not really knowing what they are buying many people can set their own price. Some places charge up to $300 just to tell you what is broke. I like to use actions instead of words. I rather go into a meeting with a written analysis of on-site SEO as well as off-site SEO and why I believe the strategy will have an impact.
Real SEO efforts are like grains of sand on a scale adding weight. Because search engines guard exactly how they rank it can be difficult knowing exactly how much effort or time it will take. The moment someone guarantees page 1 rankings without paid advertising, a red flag should immediately jump out. Just ask Google.
Confusion is sometimes created with acronyms used by Internet techys, especially when terms are similar. For example; SEO, search engine optimization means to rank organically (laymen’s terms for natural or unpaid ranking obtained through strategy). SEM, search engine marketing means buying adds to advertise on Internet pages.
Although I do both, the long term SEO strategy and goal is to make it easier for someone to find you versus you searching and paying for them (as in one click at a time).
Not everyone may find this stuff as super cool and interesting as maybe I do. It is like a gaming strategy creating the most opportune chance to be successful along with the reward of watching a site rise higher in standings which will result in greater success.
At the end of an SEO meeting, there are a number of options:
• Do nothing (yes deciding to do nothing is still a decision)
• Do it yourself
• Use someone else
• Hire me
It is really that simple. What does it cost you to look?