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SEO Consultation

Search Engine Optimization or SEO has as many definitions as there are days in the year. I think that it is best to start at a high level and then dive deeper as needed. From a basic concept SEO is creating a blueprint or strategy for successfully getting customers to your website and having them take a desired action like buy your product or sign up for a newsletter.

Google Webmaster Central definition of SEO

SEO is an acronym for "search engine optimization" or "search engine optimizer." Deciding to hire an SEO is a big decision that can potentially improve your site and save time, but you can also risk damage to your site and reputation. Make sure to research the potential advantages as well as the damage that an irresponsible SEO can do to your site. Many SEOs and other agencies and consultants provide useful services for website owners, including:

• Review of your site content or structure
• Technical advice on website development: for example, hosting, redirects, error pages, use of JavaScript
• Content development
• Management of online business development campaigns
• Keyword research
• SEO training
• Expertise in specific markets and geographies.

ref - Google Webmaster Central definition of SEO

This is a great article from Google about not only what SEO is but also how to go about talking with and choosing an SEO consultant to work with. Since Google is currently where 65% of all searchers go for their questions I recommend printing it out and reading it a number of times. The list of questions that they provide for you to ask a prospective SEO Consultant is priceless. I have provided my answers in bold:

Some useful questions to ask an SEO include:

• Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories? Absolutely, here are a few of our SEO.COM Case Studies.
• Do you follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines? Yes
• Do you offer any online marketing services or advice to complement your organic search business? Yes, we provide a wide variety of Online Marketing Services including: Pay Per Click(PPC), Social Media Consulting(Writing and Training), and Website Design Services.
• What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success? We expect to see results that match up with your business needs as outlined in our initial Proposal. From a basic level we expect to get you ranked competitively for keywords that not only match your business niche but that deliver relevant traffic that results in more sales or action. Generally we communicate that results prior to the 6 month mark are not fully understandable because of a few factors. The main one being that we are NOT a search engine and therefore cannot guarantee anything other than our work. In the end the search engines are in total control and we just play by their rules. In the end success is measured by getting more relevant traffic to your website, what your business model does with it after that is another question.
• What's your experience in my industry? We have a extensive experience across a variety of industries from manufacturing, to high tech, to retail, to non-profit, to service providers, to lawyers, and a few more.
• What's your experience in my country/city? We have provided SEO services extensively in the United States but are also well versed in many countries where you do business.
• What's your experience developing international sites? Our International/Global SEO service is our fastest growing segment with a high profile success story for Dell Computers International SEO needs.
• What are your most important SEO techniques? Here is our SEO Process: Research Keywords, Analyze Competitors, Develop Search Strategy, Optimize Website Content, Link Building, and Monitor and Adjust
• How long have you been in business? We have been in business since 2000.
• How can I expect to communicate with you? Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site, and provide detailed information about your recommendations and the reasoning behind them? We are always available to you via Phone, Email, Chat, and anything else that seems reasonable. We will absolutely share with you all the information about what we are doing and why. This actually comes first after the Proposal is created.

Lets get started:

Give me a call at 602-748-4385 or shoot me an email at rwilliams at seo dot com.