| If you are in the market to hire a search engine | | | | easier to update, easier for the search engines to |
| optimization (SEO) firm, selecting the right vendor can | | | | navigate, load faster, and some would argue, rank |
| be a daunting task. In recent years, SEO has gained | | | | higher in the search engines. |
| immense popularity and acceptance as a formidable | | | | 3. Get expanded expertise all under one roof. |
| marketing technique, so it should come as no surprise | | | | Want to hire and manage different firms for your |
| that SEO firms are popping up in various shapes and | | | | SEO, PPC, and design/development? Probably not. |
| sizes: one-person SEO consultancies, SEO-only firms, | | | | One firm means one production timeline and one team |
| combined SEO/Development firms, traditional ad | | | | handling all your needs, which should result in a more |
| agencies offering SEO, and even offshore SEO | | | | consistent final product. By hiring a company that has |
| enterprises. | | | | development and marketing under one roof, you can |
| But which of these options will deliver the best results | | | | simplify the SEO process and save money, too. |
| for your business? Which can you trust to suggest - | | | | While some advertising agencies offer a suite of |
| and possibly implement - changes to your site? The | | | | marketing and public relations services under one roof, |
| fact is that true Web marketing success requires | | | | oftentimes just a tiny sliver of their business (perhaps |
| knowing the web business inside-out, including | | | | one or two people) is dedicated to Web marketing. |
| programming, design, usability, and SEO. Here are four | | | | Simply put, most ad agencies that offer SEO lack the |
| reasons to hire a firm that offers both SEO and Web | | | | SEO resources to do your job right. It is important to |
| development: | | | | ask who makes up the SEO team: is it one person |
| 1. Get a truly search friendly site. | | | | trying to do everything, or a team of individuals each |
| SEO-only firms tend to be focused on top rankings. | | | | offering different skills and areas of expertise? |
| While rankings are important, they won’t mean | | | | SEO consultants and SEO-only firms, on the other |
| much if your site’s design and functionality | | | | hand, usually have a firm grasp on SEO but either |
| aren’t appealing to your visitors. Even if a site | | | | outsource development or provide recommendations |
| gets heavy traffic, what’s the point if visitors | | | | to pass on to your development team. If you have |
| quickly leave and don’t convert? | | | | ever tried to pass along suggestions from a consultant, |
| When selecting a SEO firm, ask yourself these | | | | you know this can be a challenge. Without fail, |
| questions: | | | | unforeseen issues crop up and certain items get |
| - Can this vendor optimize a site’s code, images | | | | misinterpreted between the consultant and the |
| and programming? | | | | development team. This can mean production delays |
| - Can they uncover design and programming issues? | | | | and unexpected expenses for you. By hiring a firm |
| - Do they understand Web usability and its effect on | | | | that does both Web development and SEO, you will |
| conversions? | | | | find that the development and SEO teams interact |
| SEO is about more than just getting – or | | | | with one another to ensure your site’s design, |
| manipulating the search engines to get - high rankings. | | | | programming, and optimization work together on every |
| It’s about implementing strategies that create an | | | | level. |
| outstanding user experience, resulting in increased | | | | 4. Get an SEO team that understands – and |
| traffic, leads, and, most importantly, sales. After all, why | | | | implements – development changes. |
| go to the trouble and expense of obtaining high | | | | Understanding the development side of a site is |
| rankings if it doesn’t increase your bottom line? | | | | especially important if you have a dynamic or |
| 2. Get an SEO team who understands how sites are | | | | e-commerce site, but still important if you have a static |
| built. | | | | site. SEO-only shops, consultants, and ad agencies |
| Sometimes the search engines need a little help | | | | without a firm grasp on development may not |
| “seeing” your site, especially if you have a | | | | understand the full impact of the site changes they |
| dynamic or e-commerce site. Search-friendly sites | | | | request or, in some cases, even know how to make |
| have properly written URLs which avoid characters | | | | the right kinds of requests. A team that understands |
| like a question mark, ampersand or equals sign in the | | | | development can ask for - and implement - the right |
| URL since these can create roadblocks for search | | | | things, the right way. Otherwise, you might end up with |
| engine spiders. SEO-friendly URLs are built to eliminate | | | | a dispute between your development and SEO shops, |
| these roadblocks, and as a bonus, a creative | | | | not getting the development services your site really |
| programmer can actually incorporate keywords within | | | | needs, paying too much for the services, or all of the |
| the URL. If you have URLs on your site like in this | | | | above. |
| example, the search engines may have trouble | | | | Do yourself, your Web site, and your business a huge |
| navigating and indexing your site: [ | | | | favor: avoid headaches by hiring an SEO shop that |
| ;shipping=31 [ | | | | knows their way around sites and servers and can |
| In short, good programming results in pages that are | | | | make things happen. |