SEO Proposals

Sorting through SEO proposals can be about as fun as going to the dentist. OK, that’s a low blow. The dentist isn’t that bad.

Here are four key points to look at when picking a company to help you out with your Internet marketing:

1. Set-up Fee. The set-up fee makes sense for some applications. Set up for quality SEO can take time, but when I read contracts that businesses sign I’m amazed at how much is being charged for basic set-up fees. This is especially true when the client is signed up for a minimum one-year contract. Don’t be fooled by over inflated set-up fees. They should be able to explain why and if they can’t … move on.
2. SEO Contract. Most search engine optimization (SEO) companies require a one year contract and most are set to auto renew that contract unless you provide written notice at least 30 days in advance. This is much the same way health clubs used to run. It’s great for their business, but not for yours. Find a business that allows you to work on a shorter contract or at least one that will roll over into a month-to-month agreement.
3. Analysis. Quality search engine optimization takes time and it’s something that should keep doing to continually reap the benefits, but you should also be checking to see what’s working. Sure, you have experts now, but are those experts giving you the reports you need to ensure what they’re doing is working? If not, that’s a major red flag. The analysis should show your site and should show how it’s ranking for your key search terms (keywords).
4. Yours or There’s. I’ve got a great business model for you. You get someone to pay you to build your business and as soon as they stop paying you, you take the work they’ve paid for and sell it to someone else. Sounds like a scam doesn’t it? Well, many so called SEO companies do just that. They drive traffic to their own landing pages, which they own, and then display your pictures, contact info, and ads. This is where your monthly SEO payment is going. But hey, as long as you pay, you’re golden. Stop paying and they call your competition and give them the traffic from the site you paid them to get to the top of the search engines. Don’t be caught in this scam. Make sure you own 100% of the work being done!

Stick to these simple four points and you’ll be able to dodge many of the so-called SEO companies currently on the market.