So, your website has been optimized and you’re not seeing a return on your investment.  You’re frustrated and are upset with your internet marketing company. I get it and have seen it from both sides.

Sometimes a small business will hire someone without an seo and internet marketing background, who just isn’t able to get the job done. Other times, you hire a company with proven experience, yet things just aren’t happening.  Why?

Ask yourself.

• Is your seo company bookmarking your blogs and posting on Facebook and Twitter.  [Tip Facebook and Twitter posts shouldn't just spit out content about your business. Create a relationship with your followers.]
• Are they link building, and I don’t mean hiring link farms. My suggestions is always slow and steady wins the race. [Example,  if you sell cars and you have worked with a company in the past, a simple call asking for a link is the way to go. Then keep going from there.]
• What is your online advertising budget. The amount of work an seo company needs to perform is often misunderstood by the company hiring them.  Writing one blog from scratch can take a couple hours, especially if they are left to do all the research and writing on their own. Any good seo company will work within your budget, but if your budget is small, you will need to provide them with content to keep things rolling efficiently.
• Am I in a highly competitive field?  You need to make sure things are set up right in order to compete. If you believe your site is properly optimized and your social media presence is solid, then ask yourself, is my competition doing any form of traditional advertising?  Are they on tv, radio, or billboard advertising. If they are, that may be something to consider.
• Have you tried Google AdWords. While your site is being indexed, you may want to consider beginning an AdWords campaign. You need to be careful and you need to know your industry. I’d stay away from the display network as that would eat up your budget. Again, take it slow and do your research.

These are just a few tips to check out if you’re not seeing a quality return on your investment. You can always sit down with your seo company and share your concerns. You could also hire a new company to give you an overview of your website.  A little advice into what’s the best direction could save you a lot of money down the road.

Best of luck to you in your future endeavors.

Fuel the Web, a Buffalo SEO and website design company, is pleased to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website.

We wanted to provide our visitors with information about the company, our services, and a quick contact form, which will enable us to get things rolling quickly.

Our company qualities include not only our focus on providing you the website design you have dreamed of, but we believe in an honest and ethical approach to search engine marketing and optimization.  We will work with you to ensure your goals are met.

Our approach is simply this…be honest, work hard and develop a product our clients can be proud of.

If you are looking for help with your online marketing campaign, or need a website redesign, Fuel the Web can put together a strategic plan to help you accomplish your company goals and objectives.

Is your SEO company leading the way, or are you trying to play catch up by following the crowd?

To be a leading seo company, you need to understand what your clients want.  What are their goals?  What is their reputation?  Do they need a new image?   Are they looking for leads or sales?  There are so many questions to ask and the key is to listen to the answers and draft out a game plan.

By leading the way, an SEO Company will research their client’s competition, analyze data and then put together a plan for success.  It’s not just about optimizing a website.  It’s about the big picture. It’s not about copying what your competition is doing, its about analyzing it and then incorporating the right moves into your clients plan.

Being a true leader in the seo arena means being honest and having integrity. No SEO company likes it when their client’s rankings aren’t as high as they’d like them to be, or that they haven’t received the number of leads they had hoped for. The worst thing any SEO company could do is lie to your clients about it.  Be honest, always.  Work with your clients to make things better.

SEO is not an exact science and there is no guarantee. If, however, you do things the “right way”, it will all come together in time and your clients will appreciate you and they will be clients for years to come.

Not all SEO companies are the same. So what do you need to watch out for?

Well, first of all, any SEO company who guarantees they can get you top organic placement on the search engines is full of bologna and should be a red flag.

As I’ve mentioned before, search engine optimization is about hard work and focus, not tricks and the magic fairy.  I personally don’t appreciate companies who blow smoke up my skirt, do you?  The bottomline to rankings on the search engines boils down to algorithms, but we’ll get into that another time.

Many SEO companies offer you the moon.  Be careful what you buy into.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

SEO or Pay Per Click?

Pay per click campaigns are great for quick results. Basically, you bid a certain amount per click and based on your bid and ad copy (and other factors), you get listed in the sponsored section on the search engines.  I do caution that you need to really keep an eye on things and check your conversion and click through rates or you can spend a lot of money rather quickly. The point is not how much money you spend, but that it’s producing results. So when looking for a search marketing company, I always appreciate when they come to me with some research done. Then I can compare it to my own research.

When a company starts asking me what the important keywords are, it’s a red flag.  Don’t get me wrong, you need to work together, but if they haven’t at least taken the time to do some of their own research, then to me it’s often a sign of  them either digging for information, or not being hungry enough to get you results. Many times they are looking to just glide along. Also, if they throw around that they can get you listed number 1 for some amazing keyword, that’s great, but ask yourself if this keyword is really significant. Testing and research are the only ways to find out what keywords are right for your website.

Natural rankings are gained through search engine optimization (“SEO”). SEO takes time and results do not happen overnight. I do believe, however,  trying to gain high rankings through natural (organic) listings is your best investment.  A good SEO company will work with you to determine what your needs and goals are and they will research your keywords and your competition.  Watch out for companies who promise you the moon, or who focus on one or two keywords.  Every single page of your website should be optimized and the keywords should be consistent with that page.  You don’t just want a company slapping keywords up there, just to make a buck.

So What’s the Bottom Line?

Don’t be afraid to do your homework.  This is your money and your business we’re talking about.  Ask the tough questions, such as how do you do your keyword research, what has your success been for others, can I have some references, and so on.

Here’s something I always do.  Ask your potential SEO company if they guarantee top placement on the search engines.  If they say yes, move on to the next company.  We all make mistakes when hiring people to helps us, whether it’s landscaping, home building or SEO.  The point, however, is to learn and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes again.

Over the years, I have learned to go with my gut.  Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. My goal here is to help you along the way to hopefully avoid some questionable practices.

In closing, you want to choose a search marketing company that not only helps you with your search engine optimization, but will also sit down with you and discuss an overall search marketing strategy.  Pay per click, seo, blogging, social media…each one of these can play an important part in the success of your business. Take it slow. You don’t need to give them an answer immediately.

Be smart. Do your homework and ask questions.

Have a great day.