What to Look for in an SEO Agency

Author: rbstevens | Posted: 15.12.2011

you are considering taking your first steps into the world of search engine optimisation (SEO), you may find it confusing. Between the technical concepts and the accompanying jargon, it can be difficult to understand what many agencies mean when they make certain claims.

To help you along the way with choosing an SEO agency that will fulfill your requirements and take your business' internet presence to a whole new level, we have come up with a basic guide explaining some of the surefire signals that can help you separate the wheat from the chaff - without a degree in computer science.

First and foremost, as in any area outside of your personal (or business) expertise, it is best to rely on the knowledge of trusted advisors. In this case, the trusted advisors need not be anyone you know personally. Instead, they could be major businesses whose work with a given agency can be interpreted as a trusted vote of confidence. Although there are ways to research this manually, perhaps the easiest way is to look through the web sites of SEO agencies for 'testimonials' sections. Any agency that does not include one of these as part of their web site is probably not worth your time or effort. On the other hand, for those that do, you can look through their list of satisfied clients for major name brands or businesses in your industry. Although there is no guarantee that what works for one client will work for another, these testimonials can provide you with an excellent first indicator of competence.

Another way to tell the difference between a good SEO agency and a bad one is to search for the term "SEO agency" on Google. The results that come closest to the top of the pile are likely to be amongst the most competent agencies, simply because they are sure to make use of their expertise in the promotion of their own web site as well as the promotion of those of their clients.

The importance of this final point can hardly be overstated. It is absolutely vital that you choose what is commonly referred to as a 'white hat', or ethical, agency to design and implement your SEO strategy. Some agencies employ underhanded tactics in the promotion of web sites, some of which are on the fringes of acceptable practice ('grey hat') and others which are definitively on the wrong side of the line ('black hat'). Although so-called 'black hat' or 'grey hat' agencies may be able to improve the rankings of your web site quicker than those who employ more ethical techniques, this speed comes at a price: ranking gains are far less likely to be sustainable in the long (or even the medium) term if they are made through the use of questionable tactics. Google and other search engines are constantly updating their algorithms to combat black hat tactics and it only takes a small change to cause a web site to plummet precipitously from grace.

Whilst this list is by no means exhaustive, it should provide you with the tools you need to make an informed choice with limited time to learn the nuances of the search engine optimisation industry.

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