Outsourcing SEO can be beneficial for many small to medium sized companies. It allows the company to focus more on their core business aspects without hiring one or more employees. There have been a lot of shady businesses offering SEO services the last couple years. How do you know which company to trust? Here are a few tips for someone who is looking to outsource their SEO.

SEO is not just some magic computer thing.

You should have a clear understanding of what the company will be doing for you, especially before you pay them. If a company claims that they will explain what they do after you sign a contract or payment, walk away. Nothing in this industry is a secret.

SEO should be a collaborative effort.

The company that does your SEO should understand your business. At the same time, you, your developers, and anyone in marketing or content should understand some of the basics of SEO and work together to keep the site optimized. Here are some articles that can act as a starting place if you are confused about how SEO works:

How Search engines work.

Why it is necessary for your website.

No one can guarantee a #1 spot on Google.

Don’t trust a site that promises you a first result or even first page on any search engine. Especially before you have specified what you want to rank for. Many companies will message your promising you top results on Google, don’t trust these scams. Sites can offer results, but always make sure they are clear and there are well defined consequences in place if they fail to deliver.

Watch out for scam SEO sites.

More than a few scrupulous SEO sites have started in recent years, looking to take advantage of uninformed business owners. It is important to watch out for companies that may end up punishing you. One common scam is the creation of “shadow” domains that funnel users to a site by using deceptive redirects. These shadow domains often will be owned by the SEO who claims to be working on a client’s behalf. However, if the relationship sours, the SEO may point the domain to a different site, or even to a competitor’s domain. If that happens, the client has paid to develop a competing site owned entirely by the SEO.

Do your research on SEO companies.

Be sure to ask for their experience. Some companies may be unable to show direct results due to NDA’s, but they should be able to provide a list of sites they have optimized and the time frame they operated in. If the work was done recently, check the sites yourself.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of what to look for if you choose to outsource your SEO. As always, iPoint offers trusted SEO services. If you are thinking about outsourcing your SEO, check out our SEO page, or call us at 970-266-0703 to speak with one of our SEO representatives.