So you’ve decided you need Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website. You want you site to feature prominently on Google, and with all the good stuff that brings – ranking for keywords, traffic etc. However, perhaps you’re not quite sure how to go about it, or what to ask when hiring a SEO?
Well, don’t worry at all, as in this article we’re going to tell you what to ask – and it’s not that much, don’t worry!
The one thing to ask when hiring an SEO
Listen, too many people overcomplicate SEO – which is itself a tad mysterious, as Google actually don’t announce everything about how their Search Engines work out rankings – when in fact there’s only one thing you really need to know.
What is this one thing? That the SEO you’re hiring and trusting your website too will only work using ethical (sometimes known as ‘White Hat’ ) SEO practices.
To explain the difference, Black Hat (bad/unethical) SEO uses shortcuts and dodgy practices that are likely to hamper your site in the long run. Often, Black Hat SEO is done by cheap international workers at a fraction of the cost, and using all sorts of nefarious practices.
White Hat SEO (such as practiced by WebMetrixGroup) is long-term, using tried and trusted legitimate practices that will only improve your ranking in Google. Black Hat (and it’s other murky cousin, Grey Hat SEO) are only ever negatives – cheap practices done cheaply by cheap cowboys.
See what Black Hat SEO cowboys rely on is that the client doesn’t understand the difference, or can quantify their practices as legitimate. In some cases, they may even claim to offer White Hat SEO – in the hope you won’t ask deeper questions.
So, the first – and in some cases, only – thing you need to ask when hiring an SEO is about his/their practices. Be prepared to ask deeper questions, such as which methods they’re likely to use – and how do they prove it to you.
A little research on the difference between White Hat and Black/Grey Hat SEO would probably prove beneficial to you.
Other questions to ask when hiring an SEO
Of course, you’re bound to want to ask your potential SEO partner some more questions – once you’re reassured that they’re White Hat and legitimate of course – such as :-
- Is this a one-off or repeated contract?
- What evidence will I have that your results are working?
- Will you teach/coach me how to improve SEO myself?
- What’s the difference between On-Page and Off-Page SEO?
- Please could you provide some references, testimonials or case studies?
When it comes to SEO, it pays to have a little knowledge of it, even in layman’s terms. The reason for this is it’s not something you should just trust someone to do – and for you not to understand what they’ve done – as it’s your website (and potentially your business) that will suffer in the long term.
Above all, what to ask when hiring and SEO is simply – enough for you to be reassured that they know what they’re doing will benefit, rather than hinder, your website.