Hiring an SEO Consultant
Hiring an SEO consultant for many businesses is based on only one factor… Price! I know, as I hear from people all the time who dare to try to negotiate with me on prices. Then I tell them, work with the company that gave you $XXXX.00 price and email me in 5 months and tell me what happens! Here’s the thing… They really want to hire me, but they want me to work for the price they got off of Elance or some other website.
So here’s 5 questions you should ask before hiring an SEO consultant… Ask them and you’ll hire right the first time.
1. Do you have any proof of your previous work? You’d be amazed at how many new SEO consultants come out every day. So, double check their references and make sure that they have a good track record. Make sure that you can talk to their references as well as many of these companies will simply point you to a top 10 ranking which they DID NOT optimize.
2. What do I get for the money? For most SEO companies, they do onsite SEO for the money but fail to mention that you will not get any links… Off site SEO or link building is the key to your rankings. So if they are only doing onsite SEO and not building any links, then you’re probably getting the short end of the stick. I’d like to mention that is why I don’t negotiate on price… Most of my campaigns have link building included, thus when someone hires me they are getting full service SEO, verses someone just changing meta tags.
3. What form of tracking will I receive? This sounds dumb, but 90% of most seo consultants don’t use software? If they don’t have software to OPTIMIZE, then they are going to do a weak job with the onsite SEO. Additionally, they won’t be able to send you any tracking on the results. Make sure that you’ll get weekly updates on number of links to the site and positioning in the Search Engines.
4. What are the Payment Terms? As an SEO consultant, I offer flexible payment terms. Monthly payments helps me the the cash flow and also helps my clients work on a steady stream. If you are spending tens of thousands of dollars on SEO, I suggest that you check and see if you can break down payments. You’ll also want to know if you are in a contract. By the way, I never force contracts. Clients are always free to come and go… I could only do this if my SEO Consulting was working.
5. Are there any guarantees? Some of you have been burned. You have hired SEO consultants and paid a lot of money and have had poor returns. Mostly because you probably didn’t check references, and you didn’t ask about link building. Now your are in a position where you’ll demand a guarantee. I will tell you up front that you’re digging a whole… and the top SEO consultants (ones who can actually make you money) will steer clear of your business. TOP SEO guys do not need your business, so by demanding a guarantee or no payment will actually keep the good guys away. If the SEO consultant gives you a guarantee for a REFUND… RUN!!!! Your money will be spent and gone before you ever see it again.
Here’s my suggestion in a nut shell.
Make sure you call the SEO consultant and speak with him or her directly. Ask about previous work and experience! Ask about their SEO packages and what they include. Make sure they include link building. Ask about software tracking and reporting. Confirm the payment terms and the contracts.
My name is Matt Law and I’m an SEO consultant. I’d encourage you to watch my 4 step method for increasing sales by watching a short video entitled triple your business! Be sure to also check out my testimonials and proof video. If you’re ready to hire a professional SEO consultant, please do give me a call.
Kindest regards,
Matt Law
Your SEO Consultant!
Tags: SEO consultant
