The majority of people who try to build an online business are completely ethical. However, they often fall victim to the unethical practices of others, and particularly those of search engine optimization companies that they hire to get their site out there. You must, therefore, find a company that you know you can trust. Below are some of the things that you would find in an ethical company.
Real Expertise
The company should have been around for a long time. A lot of unethical SEO companies are people with good intentions who simply hadn’t expected things to be this difficult. What you are looking for is a company that has been around for a long time, as this proves that they really get it. It is impossible to stay in business for any length of time if a company were to use tactics that get their clients penalized all the time.
Keeping Their Promises
You may have come across an SEO company that promises, or even “guarantees”, that they will get your page to the first page of Google within 24 hours. It is impossible to guarantee a first page ranking, let alone a first place. But what a company can promise is that their techniques work, and that they constantly improve them, thereby also improving your standing. Don’t fall for clever terms such as “partner only”, which makes it look as if they have a partnership with Google. In reality, they are talking about “paid inclusion”, which means that you are paying for your submissions.
Clear, Honest Strategies
You have to make sure that your SEO company is able to describe exactly what they will do, and why they do it. If they try to fob you off with “you wouldn’t understand”, or if they are vague in any other way, you need to be very suspicious. They should have nothing to hide from you, unless they are also hiding it from the search engines, after all. This isn’t about keeping trade secrets secret. For instance, someone who creates a baking product has to include the ingredients, but that doesn’t mean someone can understand how to make the same thing.
Giving You a Long Term Outlook
If you think that you can hire an SEO professional and find yourself on the first page of Google the very next day, you will be sorely disappointed. To really achieve strong rankings, you will have to be patient for a few months. However, once you’re there, staying there will be a breeze. Your SEO company should work hard at turning you into a true authority, not just a passing craze or one hit wonder. While it may take months for you to reach that first page, you should see at least some improvement in your rankings in the first few weeks.
Free Consultation
Finally, the SEO company should offer you a free consultation. Most will evaluate your website, describing what your current standing is, and how you can improve on that. This should be completely no obligation as well.
