The year 2011 brings with it many lessons from the past year, as well as new trends and technologies to learn and watch out for. Social media marketing has taken center stage and has proven itself indispensible for ecommerce merchants. However, ecommerce merchants should not neglect their search engine optimization needs. In the world of ecommerce, keywords and link building are still at the core of the formula for success. Thus, if, as an entrepreneur, you feel your company is not among the top search results for keywords related to your business, then you are not meeting your company’s search engine optimization goals.
Start the year right by choosing the right search engine optimization partner. There are many candidates out there but only a few are worth the time and money. Practical Ecommerce contributor and search engine marketing consultant Greg Laptevsky shares eight tips for choosing an SEO professional.
1. They shouldn’t promise top natural rankings on Google, Yahoo or any other search engine. A real search engine optimization professional will tell you that you can generate web traffic through pay per click or paid inclusion, but not through SEO.
2. They should set realistic expectations on performance. One way to check this is by inquiring about their other accounts with similar business interests as yours. Do not expect a specific date for achieving goals. Rather, look at timelines.
3. They s
hould tell you how they plan to execute your plans. Each SEO company approaches the complex world of search engine algorithms differently but however they do it, they should be able to explain it to you in a manner that you will understand. Laptevsky cautions entrepreneurs against SEO companies who resort to generalized but vague statements.
4. They should be willing to let you ask about them from their other and previous clients. Also, look around for company reviews.
5. As a follow up to number four, check out your prospective SEO partner at SEMCompare.com.
6. Make sure you own all content used to promote your site. See to it this is spelled out in your contract.
7. They should give you sample reports. According to Laptevsky, once every six months is not an acceptable frequency for submission of reports. Make sure their sample report includes profitability levels, traffic patterns and in depth custom analysis, among others.
8. Make sure you get what you pay for. Effective search engine optimization
does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of time, effort and admittedly, money. Laptevsky suggests asking about hourly rates or how much your SEO campaigns will cost on a monthly basis. Keep in mind that you can’t expect great service if you are not willing to pay fair.
