2. For many businesses, search engine optimization is a
confusing subject. To get the most out of it, you need to
define the role of the person or business handling the seo.
4. Speaking as someone who provides search engine
optimization services, I can tell you there is a lot of
confusion regarding the role of a seo professional. Much
of this results from the acronyms and phrases used in the
field. Businesses will pick them up and throw them around
without really knowing what they mean. Even worse,
many businesses do not know what the really want or
even that they should be asking the question.
5. A seo professional can fill a number of roles for a business.
The simplest situation is one in which the business simply
wants the seo wizard to crank up the rankings. This sounds
obvious, but rarely is the case. Instead, the business is
really looking for improved rankings and a little more.
6. It never fails to occur. A client just wants you to move
them up in the rankings. You come to an agreement on
price, suggest some changes to the site and then head off
to build links, etc. A week later, the client is calling with
questions on conversions, purchasing banner ads and so
on. Next week, they call with questions about pay-per-
click and so on. This is all fine, but the hand holding can be
very distracting and frustrating.
7. When retaining a person or business to handle your search
engine optimization efforts, it is important to step back
and think about what you really need. Are you looking just
for top rankings or do you want insight into your site? Are
you, in fact, willing to take some advice, particularly if it is
critical? Clarifying this with the seo person from the outset
makes things run much smoother and keeps feelings from
being ruffled.
8. Some companies believe they are retaining a person to
simply get them high in the rankings. Others believe they
are retaining a person to get them high in the rankings and
advise them on their products, site, etc. The only correct
answer is what you agree to when the pen is put to paper
at the outset of the agreement. As a person on the seo
side, I only ask that you be clear in indicating what you
want from the outset.