Search Engine Optimisation UK Style – How To Choose Your SEO Company

A great website is useless if no one can find it. But how do you find a good search optimisation company that isn’t going to rip you off? How do you know if it’s really working?

You’re looking for search engine optimisation…UK or US company?....upstart or established firm?....DIY or professionally done? There are many choices to make when you’re considering outsourcing the SEO of your site.

Although it has acquired the reputation of barely legal back-alley dealings, SEO is actually legitimate business practice. Deciphering the ever changing search engine algorithms can be an overwhelming task, so it makes sense to employ the services of a search engine optimisation company.

SEO Optimisation Companies Broadly Fit In To Two Categories - White Hat And Black Hat

White hat companies conform to accepted search engine guidelines and don’t use deception to get higher rankings. Content is king for white hatters. They concentrate on making your content easily accessible rather than trying to pull on over on the system.

This method has more long term benefits because it always references good content. After all it doesn’t matter if you jump from 2 hits to 3429 hits a day, if your site is useless, no one will come back. Return visitors are more likely to make a purchase than first time readers so it’s important to make sure you are providing quality information.

While not illegal, black hat SEO practices are at best sneaky and at worst downright deceptive. They will get your site removed from the search engine results pages (SERPS) and quickly finish your hard work. It is not a long term business strategy.

Black hat techniques include having keywords that are hidden, or written with the background colour; redirecting readers from a search engine friendly page to a more human friendly one.

These practices are not just reserved for the guy running SEO out of his basement. In February 2006, both BMW Germany and Ricoh Germany were removed from Google for using deceptive practices.

Does SEO Really Work?

There is no doubt about it. SEO does work when done properly. It’s important when you’re looking for a company to use a bit of common sense, just like any other business decision you make. Here are a few tips to get you on your way.

1. Hire a company before you start building your website. They can help you optimise your menu titles and site map before you even get any content posted. It is easier to maintain SEO rather than overhaul everything after the fact

2. Check references. Ask the company to provide before and after screenshots for the work they’ve already done. Then you can see if they really know what’s up

3. Choose a local business. Search engines react positively to local spelling and links. British links to your site will hold more weight than American or European links. A local business will have a better handle on the local market anyway

4. When interviewing a prospective optimiser, suggest a black hat technique and see what they say. If they say that’s the sort of thing they do all the time, steer well clear. If they immediately explain that those techniques are a little bit dodgy, you’re on to a winner

5. Be prepared to pay for the service. A good rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for. If you want something for nothing, chances are, that’s what you’ll get

In summary, if you need style, check references, test for black hat…easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.

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