SEO TIPS: Hiring Ethical SEOS, Part Two

With all of that said, there are some unethical SEOs who use overly aggressive marketing efforts and manipulate search engine results in ways that equal scamming the system – which might deliver quick results, but ultimately will end in your losing ranking spots and even possibly being de-indexed by Google. Remember the following: No one, repeat, no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. There ate no guarantees when it comes to anything like that and you should be wary of anyone that promises them.

Despite the pitch some “gurus” make, no SEO firm that has a “special relationship” with Google, or can provide a “priority submit” to Google. Such things don’t even exist. Google doesn’t play favorites with ‘pet’ SEOs, and there is no such thing as ‘priority submission’ – everyone has to submit following the process of submitting a Sitemap or the Add A Page URL, which is free. Anyone trying to sell you on those points is selling you a scam.

Make sure you know what your SEO is going to do and how they are going to do it. Don’t hire a firm that is secretive or won’t clearly explain what they intend to do. SEO is not some huge mystery, It’s drudgery, time consuming, work, and SEO firms provide a service to get it done faster. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. You don’t hire a maid because they have ancient secrets to housecleaning,. You hire a maid because you have other things to do. Think of SEO as housekeeping for your website because in many ways, that is exactly what it is.

No matter how good a job you think you’ve done, sometimes you can still get tricked. It happens. If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, or spams keywords or buys links, you could be removed entirely from Google’s index. There is a real and harsh penalty for such things, it isn’t a myth used to scare webmasters. You are ultimately responsible for the actions of any firms or individuals you hire, so be careful. Choose wisely, and research what you need done as well as the reputations of the top contenders for your business. When it comes to quality, don’t skimp.

Here is something else to look for – make sure your site is showing in results for valid searches, not in advertising sectors. A trick some lazy, unskilled and rogue  SEO’s will use is to take some of your money to buy cheap ads to get you near the top of the page. It looks impressive at first glance, but it’s not real.  As soon as the money runs out your site will be gone. You want ORGANIC listings that will last for a long time with maintenance, not paid for ads that drain your budget. If you just want an ad that lasts a few weeks, you can get those on your own. If you want strong SEO that withstands the test of time, you want a reputable, experienced SEO firm in your corner.