What Would We Look For in an SEO Company?

One of the questions that we often get asked here at Choice SEO is about what we would look for in an SEO Company.  Obviously, we are a bit biased as we happen to think that our company is exactly what someone should look for, so the answer to that question reflects what we think about the world of Search Engine Optimization.

First and foremost, we believe that you should look for a company that actually cares about what you are looking for.  Often, it seems that companies are all about getting you to the first page of rankings, or to the number one rank, but they fail to listen to their clients because they are so focused on telling you what they can do. However, every client is different, and while every client wants to be successful, budgets, timeframes, needs, and technical expertise will vary across the board, so it is important to listen to each and every client.

Speaking of rankings, you should be wary of anyone that promises you to get you to number one within any certain amount of time or for any certain amount of money.  Search engine optimization is hard work, and it is by no means predictable.  It is also very competitive, and thus it is very difficult in most cases to say how long something will take.  A lot of that will vary depending on how competitive a keyword is, how much effort your competitors are putting into their SEO services, changes to the various search engine algorithms, etc.  Be wary of big promises, because they often result in being big empty promises.

Lastly, you should be comfortable.  It is all well and good for someone to say the right things, show you their past projects, and in general show you the proof that they are great at what they do, but if you do not feel comfortable working with them or dealing with them on a daily basis, then you should find someone else to work with.  Search engine optimization, like any other business relationship, is just that - a relationship.  If you do not like who you choose to work with, it will be difficult to maintain that relationship for any length of time.  The last thing that you want to do is find success working with someone, and then have to start over when personalities clash.

These would probably be our initial three thoughts when it comes to choosing an SEO company, but I am sure we will think of more and have more to share as time moves forward.