5 Questions You Need To Ask To See If The SEO Firm Is Legit

1)  Do you have an emphasis on organic or natural SEO?

If an SEO firm is pitching you on their services and they do not have an emphasis, solution and proven technique dedicated to organic SEO – you are wasting your time.  The click through rate on natural vs PPC is overwhelmingly in the favor for natural SEO results.  Now, there is nothing wrong with PPC, but it is the McDonald’s version of SEO – quick and easy!  Does it work?  Yes to some degree it does, and we are not saying to ignore PPC.  But, definitely do not ignore natural or organic SEO!  There are a number of reasons why PPC is not as effective as being ranked on the top page naturally including: PPC wars and bidding schemes, no long-tail keyword opportunities and the fact that all us browsers know PPC are paid ads and less trustworthy than a local business website in the natural rankings.

2)  Are you positioned on the top page naturally yourself?

There is no other way to address then asking the SEO firm pitching you, do you practice what you preach? Let’s use Charleston for example.  If an SEO firm is telling you they can gain you top page position, are they there themselves for INTELLIGENT keyword terms?  For instance, “SEO in Charleston, SEO Charleston SC or Charleston SEO Company” would be a few examples of what an SEO firm should be on the top page for themselves.  If they cannot get their own business on the top page, and that is their profession, then how can you expect to see an ROI on dollars you spend with them?  Be smart and pay attention to the facts. You would not hire a fine clothier to dress you if he/she was in cut-off jeans and stained t-shirt right?  Same principle here!  The SEO industry has a lot of talkers; make sure you find the ones who can show you real results.

3) Can you show me some client position right now on Google, Yahoo and Bing?

The beautiful thing about search engines is the fact that the results are always there to see.  Ask the company pitching you if they have at least 10 different searches they can type into Google, Yahoo or Bing showing their clients on the top page!  Now, the term has to be intelligent and THIS IS KEY! If they show you a client on the top page for a term like “Charleston SC 18-wheeler truck accident attorney” – this is no good and false advertising.  Why?  Cause no one searches for this term!  There is no point of being on the top page unless it is for a search term which we know is consistently searched month in and month out.  They must be able to prove their SEO can open the doors to people who are currently looking for your service(s).

4) How do your clients feel about working with you?

Ask for some testimonials and request to speak to a few clients. There is nothing wrong with holding SEO companies accountable, just like every other industry.  Find out who they have worked with, and see if they really have been able to come through and land them on the top page. SEO companies prey on businesses who have a low education of SEO and how to rank online.  Do not be fooled by the smoke and mirror shows and guaranteed #1 position!  Did you know there are over 100,000 variables that go into ranking a website, and Google themselves says to stay clear of companies who guarantee #1 position. It is either false, or for a search term so specific that no one searches for it anyway.

5) May I see one of your client’s progression when working with you?

Where were they when you started?  Where are they now?  And what is in store for the coming months?  Again, if this is not being tracked and formulated with a concrete plan, then the SEO Company pitching you is not really interested in your long term success.  SEO does not work unless there is a long term plan ensuring the content and program is being updated each and every month.  Search engines and search trends change so fast, it is imperative you partner with a firm who is going to keep you and your website abreast of the industry allowing your website to remain on the top page.  Analytics and ranking reports are easy to come by, and if this cannot be provided, then the firm is lacking simple disciplines in order to get the job done. 

If you ask these five questions and they all check out, you have found a great SEO firm!  You will enjoy increased traffic, qualified leads and top page position on the major search engines.  With over 80% going online for anything and everything, this is where your business needs to be. When done right, it is a highly effective means of advertising and branding, as you open the doors to an audience looking just for what you offer.  No more guessing and no more media saturation in order to get in front of the right audience.  It is a beautiful money making tool when done right!  Be sure to formulate this checklist of 5 questions, and you will always know where you stand!

Tommy Sugishita, Ranking Carolina

With an overwhelming majority of consumers turning to search engines for the general information and shopping – your business MUST BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE via the internet.  We all know Halloween is a time to dress up in scary costumes and share bone chilling stories.  With that said, there is nothing more bone chilling then people who are looking for your business and you not even being considered.  At Ranking Carolina, we KNOW and can PROVE people are looking for your products and services.  It is as simple as that!  Imagine people lining up outside your storefront and you not having the ability to open the doors and let them in.  Scary thought isn’t it?  At Ranking Carolina, we use the internet and our custom solutions to open the doors of your virtual business!

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Organic SEO has become vital to the growth and sustainability of businesses in today’s online economic climate.  When you want to vacation, have a nice dinner or research any product or service, what do you do?  Some 80% would say they Google it, Bing It or give it a Yahoo!  For businesses of all shapes, sizes and budgets – Organic SEO is a strategy which must be in place for you to capture your potential. 

Did that sound familiar?  You may be asking yourself what makes Ranking Carolina, the SEO Division of Jonea Gene Marketing & PR, different than everyone else who can talk the talk.  Results and numbers tell the truth.  We do not apply the same Organic SEO techniques to every website we design and optimize.  Each of you has a business which warrants different strategies.  Do I need 3, 5 or 15 pages optimized, and do I need them maintained monthly?  Well, it depends on how competitive the search term.  Going back to numbers, at Ranking Carolina, before we start writing search engine friendly content or apply our proven Organic SEO techniques – we FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR directly related to YOUR LINE OF WORK!  It is borderline insane to simply insert basic meta information into your website without performing keyword intelligence.  Once keyword intelligence has been performed, we go in and create great marketing copy friendly to human readers and search engines alike.  This trade, along with our advanced meta solutions (off page) is the reason why we have gained over 200 top page rankings for our clients in Myrtle Beach, Charleston and throughout the Carolinas.  In the end, you have to go with results.  We’d love the opportunity to prove that to you!

Organic SEO – It’s Healthy For Your Website

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Ranking Carolina – When you expect peak performance from things like your automobile or your body, it is essential you provide the proper tools, equipment and fuel in order to maximize performance.  The same is true when it comes to your website.  Imagine your website being a Ferrari Testarossa.  Are you going to put 87 grade gasoline into your Ferrari?  NO! You are going to feed your Ferrari premium and performance-worthy fuel in order to ensure your sports car is healthy.  Or, if you are coaching an Olympic Sprinter, are you going to create a junk food/fast food-driven diet with no exercise?  NO WAY, because you know your competition would blow you out of the water.  The same principal is true when it comes to your website.  You will only get out of your website what you invest into it.  Organic SEO is the premium fuel and optimum diet to ensure your website performs at high levels – out ranking your competition and creating your business a positive return. 

Ranking Carolina has discovered an Organic SEO diet for your website that allows your website presence to me a lean, mean and revenue-returning machine.  Just like people have different goals for their physique made possible by following a particular diet, the same holds true for your business.  With all the online competition out there, your business needs a targeted diet for online performance.  Ranking Carolina creates custom Organic SEO diets for your website based on your competitive landscape and location, teamed with your expectations and desired demographics.  We do not have a “one diet fits all” solution.  This type of approach is unethical and simply put, untrue.  Every body is diverse and needs different dieting methods to maintain a healthy physique, just as every website is unique and is going to require different levels of Organic SEO for online success.  Why Ranking Carolina?  Because we have proven time and time again we know how to get results for websites of all shapes and sizes.  Invest in your website’s health today!

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Businesses which have local storefronts should never solely rely on Organic SEO to run their business.  Furthermore, your Organic SEO firm should never tell you this either.  It is an important facet to running your business, arguably the most important, but not the only one!  Companies which conduct all business online do not care who visits their website and do not care how they get there.  On the contrary, if you are a local landscaper, real estate firm, etc., stats are showing more and more locals are searching friendly and optimized directories and using functions like Yahoo! Local and Google Maps.  Organic SEO on search engines is great, but consider your business and storefront and it may not be enough.  Do not forget about all the locals and repeat customers who search online via local searches.  In addition to being easily found via local search options, being listed in pertinent directories and local profiles is another great backlink tool, which is going to increase your website rankings as long as backlinks are optimized.  Depending on the keyword intelligence and the nature of your business, do not forget how important and vital local search options can be!  Be sure when you hire an Organic SEO company, they take these important questions into consideration.  Results and analytics tell the truth, people don’t!

- Jonea Gene Marketing & PR

Result driven marketing and organic SEO solutions – see the results.

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