How to Hire a Search Engine Optimization Consultant

I recently got a question on “What should a SEO Professional deliver?” This person had been scammed before where they paid a bunch of money for a guy to “Get them ranked number 1” only to realize nothing happened. So I thought I would write a blog post to help other people in the same position in getting the right person onboard.

Do I have qualification to be an “expert”? I think I do but you can be the judge of that. *wink* *wink*

Direct SEO Consulting Experience in 2008:
Stockhouse.com Nowpublic.com Bytephoto.com (personal media project)

Since I first started SEO optimization in 2002 I have over the years devised a few strategies that allowed me to get my personal photo review site, www.bytephoto.com included in the top rankings.

Since I have my own sites to test new SEO strategies on I have extended this knowledge to my clients. My typical SEO Audit identifies key traffic issues and opportunities with site traffic. I create an effective competitive analysis and give recommendations on what needs to be applied in order for the site to be search engine compatible.

Because clients have different needs, e.g. launching a new site, I would recommend focusing the SEO audit on the competitive landscape to ensure a lift in rankings and traffic versus competitors. I would look at link-related matters such as external, inbound links, page saturations and keyword rankings. Last I would coach the client’s team on what needs to be done, how to write articles and what technologies to use. That way you ensure a smoother transition and client satisfaction.

Sample Deliverables in an SEO Audit: (Going from an old site to a new site)

• Keyword Analysis and a list of targeted key phrases
• Link-related matters: outbound links, inbound links
• Analysis of major competitors and current search engine placement report
• Keyword Density and metrics
• Link popularity and link strategy
• Content audit and advice on how often the targeted keywords should appear on pages
• Samples of head tags, titles, descriptions, h1 and h2 etc
• One (1) SEO Best Practices document
  - A full and specific analysis of their website and situation, outlining findings and suggestions.
  - Clear explanations about what they need to change and, more importantly, how to change it in order to obtain top rankings.

Until next time. Stay hot stay tuned!

All the best,
Chris