7 Simple Warning Signs to Keep off the Wrong SEO Expert

Search engine optimization (SEO) will either make or break your online marketing efforts. You might have a hugely successful brick and mortar business but if it is not visible on search engine result pages (SERPs) for targeted keywords, you are bound to struggle to keep it afloat.

More than 3.62 billion people are now using the internet and according to Google, 93% of all online experiences start with a search engine. If your website is not showing up on the first page of SERPs for your ranking keyword, you will find it hard to convert. A report by the Search Engine Journal shows that 75% of users don’t scroll past the first page of search engine results.  If your website doesn’t rank highly, you simply don’t exist and your target audience will not find you.

If you are angling for a piece of the online market in your niche, it is advisable to employ the services of a highly qualified Floodlight SEO expert. These professionals have the expertise and resources to run your SEO campaign right from the web audit, strategizing, implementation, launch and evaluation. While there are many DIY SEO resources online, only a professional will help you adapt emerging techniques for a high ROI.

As the need for SEO services increases, these professionals have inundated the internet marketplace. Finding the right SEO consultant in such an environment can be overwhelming, especially if you are doing it for the first time. There are many complaints against SEOs and you need to know what to look out for to avoid poor services.

Here are some warning signs that you should look out for when interviewing potential SEO experts for your website:

1. Failure to disclose references – If an SEO consultant is not ready to share their past clients, then you better run and never look back. When hiring an SEO specialist, you should start by asking for references and then checking out what projects have been done.
2. Guarantees galore – For a start, you need to appreciate that search engine optimization is not a one-off process with guaranteed measurable results within a timeline. There is no way an SEO specialist can have a guarantee on the outcome of efforts they are undertaking.
3. Inability to explain mode of operation – It may be true that a prospective SEO consultant has been in the industry for long but they must be ready to show you how they do what they do best. If the expert is evasive when asked about their techniques, it is highly likely they love black hat shortcuts which can harm your website.
4. Too quick to get started – While enthusiasm is a great attribute in any project, you should also consider that an SEO project will run over a long stretch, hence the need for solid planning and strategizing. Any SEO efforts must start with a clear understanding of your business, marketing objectives and resources. Don’t allow an SEO job to start without a comprehensive audit of your site, agreement on techniques to be used, communication modalities and agreement on evaluation.
5. Failure to appreciate trends: A few years back, most SEO consultants were claiming that social media is a fad and can’t influence online marketing. Indeed, most SEO trends creep in slowly with poor adoption before they explode. If your SEO strategist is not talking about trending developments such as Google mobile-first index, voice search, machine learning, and AMP among others, you might not get any value for your money.
6. Too many clients – When comparing different SEO services, you will obviously be interested in learning how qualified they are and the number of clients they handle. A big number of clients show the SEO service is well established but this could also be a problem. Too many clients without necessary resources means you won’t get dedicated services. Always confirm that you will have a dedicated team working on your website 24/7.
7. Treating SEO like a vacuum – Some SEO consultants are intimidating and they want to force ideas through at all costs. In such cases, they fail to recognize the interconnected nature of SEO with other disciplines such as web design, PR, and marketing among others. If an SEO consultant is just focused on higher ranking on SERPs, this might end up being counterproductive. The idea should be providing a better user experience through a holistic SEO approach that touches on PR, on-site and off-page optimization among others.

When hiring an SEO specialist for your website, take time to check what they have done, talk to their past clients and understand what they are doing to boost your SEO efforts.