SEO Services are still seen as black magic!
Obtaining a higher ranking on a search engine such as Google or Bing is no more black magic than modern medicine. It is 95% science, 3% trial and error and 2% luck.
The process of actively working a website into the first three positions on any search engine is known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Obtaining the number 1 spot on any search is the ultimate goal, but positions 2 or 3 can also be highly profitable.
The skills required by those providing SEO services has progressed dramatically in the last 10 years. A decade ago all you had to do was use the same ‘keywords’ (words commonly used when searching for what you sell) as many times as you could on your website. Today, this is known as ‘keyword stuffing’ and Google now actually penalises you for doing it. The search algorithms constantly change and SEO specialists need to keep adjusting their methodology to keep providing value to their clients.
In meeting people and talking about SEO, I can’t remember a time where my potential client has NOT said one of the following:
- I tried this once but it didn’t work.
- I paid a lot of money to a local company, but I saw no return.
- That rubbish doesn’t work!
There are still a lot of businesses promoting SEO services operating on the knowledge that most of their clients don’t understand the finer points of SEO. In fact, the act of enhancing the ranking of a website is quite complex and if I wasn’t interested in this area, I would most likely turn off mid conversation too. This not only leads to some SEO providers getting paid for doing very little, but it also leads to many Australian businesses turning away from a legitimate and important marketing strategy.
Today we use no less than 6 tools to show a client how we measure their position within the greater search engine landscape, manage their SEO and how we add value to their business. One such tool is a dashboard that my clients can access at any time of the day or night and see for themselves just how well (or not) we may be doing against the agreed metrics. This gives the control back to my client and provides them with transparency over what we are doing for the fee we charge.
If you decide to engage an SEO provider, make sure to ask for a demonstration of some of the tools they use to provide the service. If you don’t receive a demonstration at the time of the presentation, then be wary as you may not be getting what you sign up for.