What to Expect When Looking to Hire SEO Experts

If you run an e-commerce website or just considering starting one, consider consulting with an SEO expert. The challenge comes when attempting to determine your potential consultant's qualifications and abilities. Learn what to expect when looking to hire SEO experts.

Learn what SEO means to speak the language

SEO stands for "search engine optimization." If you sell something via your website, potential customers need to know that you exist, what you sell and how to get to your website. Suppose you sell Mont Blanc pens. When you do a search on a search engine for Mont Blanc pens, ideally, you want your website to appear near the top in the results. This does not just happen by accident; it happens on purpose. "Optimizing" your website for search engines entails including specific elements, both visible and invisible, which make the search engine pay attention. These things include metatags like keywords and description, keywords written into the text and page titles and the use of webmaster tools provided by sites like Google and Yahoo.

Read about what to ask prospective SEO experts

Ask about the SEO expert's track record, and ask for proof in the form of screenshots of website statistics or Google analytics. (The screenshots should provide summaries of how many people have visited a site, which pages were viewed, how long a visitor stayed on a page, and so forth.) One can easily fabricate computer documents, but not so easily with web statistics. Ask about the prospective candidate's experience with backlinks, keyword stuffing, page rank, Google Analytics and bounce rate. If you get a blank look, talk to another candidate; any SEO expert should know about these topics. As tricky test, ask the candidates if they use hidden text keywords. Consider it a red flag if they answer yes. Mull over your options carefully; while many people out there who call themselves SEO experts, few in fact have much expertise on the topic.

While difficult, you must find good SEO experts who charge reasonable fees and know what they are doing. Understanding what to look for gives you an edge and helps you avoid getting defrauded.