How to Hire an SEO Professional
Posted: February 19, 2010 Filed under: How-To SEO, SEO Writing | Tags: content writing, hiring SEO, organic SEO, SEO content, SEO Writing, web content, web writing 1 Comment »“The SEO business is 80 percent scam,” says Peter Kent, an internet marketing strategist and author of Search Engine Optimization for Dummies. “It’s very, very difficult to find a good firm.”
This quote comes from an article published by Entrepreneur just this month, and it’s a sadly accurate assessment of some of the services purported “SEO consulting firms” are offering to unwary clients. I’ve been digging my heels into the content side of SEO and I understand pretty well what can get lost in the shuffle, but what is often the mantra of good developers and SEO professionals: content is king. The problem is, this phrase is being used and abused by some firms who ultimately just make their clients look bad while leaving them with empty wallets.
Yes, content is king. But let’s stress something: GOOD content is king. READABLE content is king. Should you use keywords? Absolutely. Should you do your best to incorporate them into the copy of your page? Definitely. But don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal: communicating to your current and prospective customers in ways that are clear, intelligent, and readable.
Improper word usage and forcing words make you and your company look sloppy and unprofessional – but this is what sometimes happens to your web content if you fail to hire a good writer. Many SEO firms are more focused on the technical side of SEO rather than on quality writing, and this should be a red flag to you when considering hiring.
Your best bet? Talk to your web developer about SEO and see what they recommend. Chances are, between your developer and hiring a good writer who understands content-based SEO, you’ll end up with a site that’s very well written and very well optimized without wasting your time. As Entrepreneur recommends, the best time to “do” SEO is during a new website build. This way, you get everything taken care of and have a solid organic SEO foundation to work from right out of the gate. If you have an existing site and just want to jazz it up, again, look for a writer who knows SEO. You’ll get snappy and creative copy that sells, plus someone to research keywords and optimize page tags like titles and headings; keywords will be chosen by the person who will actually be using them in writing, so you get a solid guarantee that it’s going to read well.
Link building is time consuming to undertake and can be costly. Want to do it yourself? Talk to colleagues in your line of business, your suppliers, and your customers about swapping links. It might be easier than you think to start a reciprocal link partnership on your own. Just be sure that if you link to a site, they’re returning the favor by linking to you. To take it one step further, get involved by sharing your link with blogs that highlight your industry. Keep it relevant, and the blogosphere will come.
Have questions about SEO or SEO writing? Leave a comment here and I’ll do my best to answer!
While the article and your observations are spot-on. SEO is an important part of how websites become available to visitors. Although climbing the ranks is important SEO consultants make many promises to generate traffic and leads.
The success of a website is not based on traffic, but engaged users (or customers depending on what you are attempting to do). Natural SEO and the techniques you’ve outlined are all important to draw visitors who are searching for specific content and are ready to engage.
Very good post!