question Things to look out for when buying SEO services?

[immediate]

I'm looking for some solid and reliable SEO services, at the least, that won't get my site penalized by Google. After reading Google's opinions on unnatural links, I'm starting to get paranoid.

I mean ain't most of the SEO services out there offering and building links in these ways? Have you had any experiences with SEO firms / providers that get your site actually penalized in the end for using these ways to build links?

I'm looking for long-term results, not just short-term gains, so the last thing I want is to spend money to get my site penalized after a short outburst. I checked out quite some SEO providers all they claim are:

1. How they can build xxx links, xxx directory submissions, xxx articles published, xxx EDU/GOV links, xxx blog comments, xxx forum profiles / posts / signatures, xxx social bookmarks, xxx guestbook entries, across a matter of 3 - 6 months.
2. How they can bring up rankings in a relatively short period of time, e.g. 1-3 month ---- it's great but I had my own experience when my site gets up in the rankings quickly then penalized forever.

According to Google's link scheme standard, these all fall in that kind of efforts that will be negative to SEO rankings, do they?

I used to do SEO myself and these ways actually work a few years ago. I haven't done any SEO in recent years so I'm not sure if they work now or if they actually get penalized by Google as they state.

What's your recent experience? If they don't work now or even work negatively, what should I do now in SEO?

I get offers ranging from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars per month, is more expensive the better? What should I look for in an SEO firm from now on?

Would really like some experienced pros here to share some insights. Thanks!

 

[enlytend]

I mean ain't most of the SEO services out there offering and building links in these ways?

Some are. The legit firms will build links in a more labor intensive and less risky manner and focus on links that bring in real paying customers.

Have you had any experiences with SEO firms / providers that get your site actually penalized in the end for using these ways to build links?

I've helped people clean up after using them...

I'm looking for long-term results, not just short-term gains, so the last thing I want is to spend money to get my site penalized after a short outburst. I checked out quite some SEO providers all they claim are:

1. How they can build xxx links, xxx directory submissions, xxx articles published, xxx EDU/GOV links, xxx blog comments, xxx forum profiles / posts / signatures, xxx social bookmarks, xxx guestbook entries, across a matter of 3 - 6 months.
2. How they can bring up rankings in a relatively short period of time, e.g. 1-3 month ---- it's great but I had my own experience when my site gets up in the rankings quickly then penalized forever.

You're looking in the wrong place. Legit agencies don't work like that. They also won't make ranking promises - it's pretty unethical to do so. Think about it: Your seo agency can't control what Google does and they can't control what your competitors do - those are 2 very important unknowns that are always in the equation!

Or maybe you're looking in the wrong price range. Genuine SEO involves a lot more than directory submissions and forum posts and it isn't cheap. Here are just a few things you could expect an agency to do:

- Start by learning about your business. Who are your customers? What are your KPI's? Are there seasonal patterns? What is your most / least profitable offering? What are your goals? What has held you back in the past? ...
- Technical site evaluation - are there things on your site that may be holding you back? Detailed audit, outline issues, plan and prioritize fixing them.
- Any evidence the site was penalized in the past? Strategy to rectify.
- Competitive evaluation (content, link profiles, local factors if applicable) - what type of content is getting links, shares and driving traffic for your competitors? How strong are they overall? What do they rank for?
- Content strategies - Does yours need to be organized better? What is lacking? Are you targeting the right keywords?
- Link building or a link building strategy - Quality over quantity. Links that provide genuine prospects.
- If local, citation building and cleanup, review acquisition strategies
- Advanced analytics and reporting. Not just "what am I ranking for?" but "what is CONVERTING and providing value to my business?" How can we drive more BUSINESS?

Here's Google's own 2 cents on the subject: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35291?hl=en

 

[Mike Patel]

If you’re not an SEO expert you need to hire one. It may be an individual or a firm. The most important thing is finding someone with the right skills and experience working on your website to increase its traffic. Following tips will help you when buying SEO services.
ü Go for experience
ü Does the company understand SEO?
ü The company should have a good track record
ü Skills in marketing
ü Go for a company that suits your style
ü Place an emphasis on communication
ü Passion for what they do
ü Up to date

 

[carob]

- Start by learning about your business. Who are your customers? What are your KPI's? Are there seasonal patterns? What is your most / least profitable offering? What are your goals? What has held you back in the past? ...

Yes, you need to be clear about what you want to achieve - presumably more sales either through higher conversion or more/better traffic. So you need to know your starting point and where you want to get to.

Doing well in search results that will never convert to sales would not help you. And paying for links would hurt you if discovered.

 

[Jiligite]

Don't know if i am allowed to say which software i used to SEO my websites but if an admin or moderator tells me i can..i will of course mention it's name. The license costs between 250$-450$ depending on your needs.
Believe me it's really unbelievable and you learn a lot of things from it.