SEO : "The Man Behind the Curtain"
February 5th, 2010
This week’s SEOmoz whiteboard Friday talks about hiring a consultant for your SEO. One of the frustrations with buyers is the lack of transparency in strategy and tactics. This week’s whiteboard Friday does a great job of explaining what to look for when you are shopping around for search engine optimization services.
While it’s not wise for SEOs to give everything away before winning a contract, I feel consultants and firms should be more transparent in their approach. How is a buyer able to truly compare firms and services if they do not know the tactics involved or what’s being measured. Every company or service is a little different, but a majority of SEO services performed should be similar based on the size of a client’s website. Do you agree? How much information is too much?
While it’s not wise for SEOs to give everything away before winning a contract, I feel consultants and firms should be more transparent in their approach. How is a buyer able to truly compare firms and services if they do not know the tactics involved or what’s being measured. Every company or service is a little different, but a majority of SEO services performed should be similar based on the size of a client’s website. Do you agree? How much information is too much?
I think you have to focus on the goal rather than the tactics. Even if every firm offered the same high-level strategies, they could be implemented in an entirely different manner and, therefore, offer different results.
It's important to identify/establish customer goal(s) upfront and require the consultant to provide real examples of success reaching those goals for customers in the past.