April 8th, 2010 by Dan

As social media marketing and other link building strategies come to the fore, it’s easy to forget how important SEO is to your site. Over 70% of searches online are still conducted by Google, which means an awful lot of competition to get your site on that elusive first page. Unless you are running a search engine optimization company yourself, it’s unlikely you’ll have the time or resources to implement SEO strategies yourself.

It’s a rare e-Commerce site that doesn’t need a search engine optimisation company at some time in its life. These companies use SEO tools to perform a range of analyses on their clients’ sites, implementing structures and link building strategies to improve search engine rankings and positioning. The level of service varies, and generally works on a stepped tariff. For example, some companies offer a package that includes SEO, social media marketing and online reputation management. This covers your business from all angles, and can be the most effective way to increase sales for surprisingly little outlay. Many people pay a monthly retainer to keep their search engine rankings in tip-top condition.

For the best results, you should work directly with your optimiser. No-one knows your company the way you do, and you may not always feel that their way is best. Generally, though, if a search engine optimization company comes up with a radical new idea, it’s to the benefit of your site. They have access to the very latest developments on the SEO front, and get industry input that clients can’t access. Updates and alterations to the search engine algorithm happen on a regular basis, meaning something that works for your site one month may not work the next. This is why it’s a good idea to take out a monthly contract; all good SEO services offer this.

When searching for a search engine optimisation company, avoid those that make unrealistic promises, offer free ranking reports or quote “trial” offers. That’s not to say these are all scams, every reputable company wants to get visitors to convert to their site, but no trustworthy SEO company will ever make a promise they can’t fulfil. Neither will they hide expensive fees inside cheap “trial offers” (which is what this generally is, so never sign up for anything cheap or free that involves you giving away your bank details). Most free “ranking reports” don’t include in-depth keyword research, making them worthless. However, some sites do offer valuable cheap or free incentives to new clients, so don’t dismiss this out of hand.

When choosing search engine optimization services, look carefully at what they offer. At the very least, they should exhibit familiarity with the latest SEO tools and software. Keyword research is painstakingly thorough and complex. Unless the company has you as their sole client, this is only possible with the appropriate tools.

The other thing to check is if the company offers SEO link building services. Distinct from keyword management, SEO link building is integral to online success for any online enterprise.

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