Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) companies are ten-a-penny nowadays. And while it’s great that there are so many to choose from, not all SEO companies are created equal. Even worse, some are even actively bad, and that is a precarious situation for a business owner to be in. SEOs are critical hires, and hiring the wrong SEO company can make or break a business. Think about it for a moment. Think about all the information and access you give to any SEO company in order for them to do their job. With the wrong SEO company, that is a recipe for disaster.
So how do you avoid choosing the wrong Search Engine Optimization company? We at Misfit have compiled a list of five top tips for helping you to do just that!
#1 Top Ranking does not Automatically Mean Top Company
This seems counterintuitive. After all, shouldn’t the best SEO companies be at the top of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)? Not necessarily, and this is especially true with local SEO. Local SEO changes are fast, and companies quickly gain and lose rank all the time. Which means that any company that sits consistently at the top must be actively fighting to do so. Sometimes companies will do this because of local competition with other businesses. But other times, companies focus on upping their own SEO because they are struggling to get clients. Lastly, it’s not unheard of for a company struggling for clients to start a ranking war with competition.
So, a consistently top ranking can signify a lot of things, but it doesn’t automatically signify a top company.
#2 Avoid the “Top SEO Companies” Lists
It’s the most instinctive thing in the world to search for “Top SEO Companies”. 
But it’s not always the best search term for the job. Because the simple fact of the matter is that these lists are often run on a “pay to play” model. This is a great model for the list compilers, but not so much for you. They get to make money just by including SEO company names in a list and making it look authoritative enough. Unfortunately though, the only thing these lists usually tell you, is who can pony up the cash to get listed. That’s not to say that the companies on these lists are all terrible – of course not! There are some good SEO firms in there. I’m just saying that listed isn’t endorsed, and that you still need to do your research.
#3 Avoid Unrealistic Promises
Working in SEO, you come across people all the time with unrealistic expectations of what SEO can do. However, the truth of the matter is that SEO done right takes time. SEO companies that claim they can get you dominating the SERPs within a month are being disingenuous at best. Because as I said above, local SEO is fast, it’s easy to optimize a site to dominate locally. But it’s also continuous work to keep it in that number one spot.
To make a real long-term difference, you need to go beyond simple keyword optimization tactics and redirect fixes. You need to increase the user value of your site as a whole. You see, sites that not only attract but retain interest, gain rank just by existing. Search Engines like Google want you to have the best site you possibly can, and they reward on that basis. So SEO done right, is really about producing an excellent site with great content, and that takes time.
#4 Avoid “Secret Sauce” Promises
This is something that a lot of SEO companies promise, but in truth no one has. What we do have though, is what Google tells us, and what SEOs have found through experimentation. When we find things that work, we adopt them as best practices. There are no “Secret Sauces” or magical solutions here, just a lot of hard work.
#5 Avoid Companies Whose Websites Suck
This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s always a good to check a company’s work before hiring them. Because sales-pitch promises are one thing, but how did they actually play out with their previous clients? How is their site content? Do you want to spend time on the site or does it give you a headache? Does the site look good? How accessible is the site? How does it look on mobile? These are all things you should be looking for when checking out an SEO company’s work. That’s not an exhaustive list, by the way.
Final Words
Hopefully now you have a better idea of the pitfalls to avoid when choosing an SEO company for your business. If you would like to find out more, especially about that final point, why not check this out? It’s a more detailed look at all those things to look for.
Alternatively, maybe you’d like to find out a little more about Misfit Interactive and the services we offer? As you can see, our testimonials are great, and our customer service is award-winning. We also offering everything from web design and hosting, to SEO and Social Media Marketing. So why not check us out?
