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As B2B companies boost their search-marketing efforts, SEO experts are in greater demand. And why not? With search one of the few bright spots in advertising these days, it stands to reason that optimizers who know how to get the job done are a precious commodity. But in a recent post at the WebCentral blog, Tom Pick voices a warning.
"[A]ny business area or profession that experiences unusual growth [such as SEO in recent months] … inevitably attracts, along with some very bright people committed to their new craft, a less savory crowd of opportunistic, incompetent or even unscrupulous entrants as well." Yikes.
So, to help B2B marketers hire search experts, not sleazes, Pick lists seven characteristics you do not want to see in an SEO provider. Among them:
He has irrelevant experience. "Given the still relative newness of SEO as a profession, any SEO practitioner over the age of 30 probably did something else before SEO," Pick notes. "Most of the good ones came out of either marketing or IT." Avoid those who tout SEO experience in, say, nutritional supplements, he says.
He guarantees results. "[N]o one can guarantee any specific rank for a website on any given keyword," Pike states. "No reputable SEO consultant or firm will even offer such guarantees."
He promises instant results. "As with guarantees, cast a wary glance at anyone who promises instant gratification from SEO," he cautions. "If you positively must rank highly for a specific search phrase TODAY, buy it on AdWords," he says. "SEO is a longer-term investment."
He stresses tech too much. Avoid the guy who offers "SEO in a box," Pike warns. "Of course, good [SEO experts] use a variety of tools to automate routine—processes such as search engine position checking, keyword density, backlink checking and keyword selection." But that's not the big picture, he says. "[T]he overall practice of SEO is a blend of art and science, and the 'art' portion—writing compelling copy, crafting effective headlines and meta tags, obtaining high-quality links—simply can't be automated." Look for talent as well as tech.
The Po!nt: If it seems too slick, it probably is. Keep points like these in mind when seeking expert help with B2B SEO. It could help you avoid a major blunder.
Source: WebCentral. Read the full post.
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by Christina "CK" Kerley
