Good SEOs (SEO companies and SEO firms) will exhibit many good qualities you normally see in any other good business. If you are not familiar with SEO or search engine optimization, it can be difficult to spot or differentiate Black Hat SEO methods (the bad) and White Hat SEO methods (the good) so here are some of the qualities you want to look for in your SEO company/firm:
SEO That Listens More Than He/She Speaks
You’ve probably heard before that we had been given two ears and one mouth so we can use them in that proportion (to listen more than we speak). That’s what a good SEO company/firm will do. No two SEO campaigns are the same because no two businesses are the same. In order for an SEO to understand what your business is trying to accomplish, he or she needs to be a good listener so that they can understand you and where your business is trying to go.
SEO That Are Transparent
A good SEO can explain what he/she is doing and why he/she is doing it. An SEO company/firm that avoids your questions, avoids answering them or gives you vague answers or answers that doesn’t make sense should raise red-flags.
SEO That Spend More Time Studying and Researching Than Doing
Yes, you read that right. A good SEO company/firm will spend more time studying your business, your website, your industry, your competitors than doing the actual SEO work. How can the SEO company/firm know what SEO work your website will need or how can they know how approach your SEO campaign if they do not have a clear understanding about your business and its environment? It’s easier and faster to get to the destination with a map than to wander aimlessly.
SEO That Avoid Making “Guarantees”
SEO “guarantees” are just a marketing gimmick. Don’t fall for it. No SEO company or firm can make any guarantee as to what Google or another search engine will do with your website. An SEO company/firm making a guarantee on SEO results is like the weatherperson making a guarantee on the weather. They don’t control it, so how can they guarantee it?
SEO That Use a Customized Approach
No two businesses and no two websites are the same. A customized SEO approach will not only fit your business better but it will avoid letting search engines detect patterns from “cookie-cutter SEO services”. If an SEO company/firm is always doing “A, B and C” for their SEO clients and they repeat this for all their clients, patterns will begin to emerge and search engines will begin to pick them up.
Interact with your prospective SEO company/firm and look for the indicators above. It’ll help you find a better SEO. Make sure you also read our previous article Black Hat SEO Methods to Avoid.
