Hiring a Search Marketer Doesn't Have to be Scary

While many small businesses spend time trying to learn how to optimize their own web sites, others choose the faster (but more expensive) route of hiring it out. The problem is, most small businesses know at least one person who has been burned by a bad SEO. Like lawyers and used car salesmen, the SEO field has attracted its share of shysters and that makes businesses a little worried about how to find someone who is both skilled and trustworthy. Greg Howlett offers up some good advice at Marketing Pilgrim about picking a search engine optimization specialist or firm to work with.

Greg writes:

While the good news is more and more search marketing companies are opening up shop, the bad news is that more and more search marketing companies are opening up shop. With everyone knowing someone that "does that search marketing stuff" it can be tough to separate the wheat from the chaff.

But why are companies so fearful of hiring the wrong company? Consider this. If you make a bad choice in the firm you hire to send your next direct mail piece, you'll have a bad response rate and lose some money. If you make a bad choice in the firm you hire to optimize your web site, you could find yourself banned from the search engines.

See the difference?

There are good firms out there and you *can* find one to work with. How? Well, here are two bits of advice I'd offer any company looking to hire out their search marketing.

1.) Learn the basics of SEO yourself. You can't ask the right questions or understand the tactics being used if you don't have at least a base level understanding of search engine optimization yourself. Invest in a one day seminar offered up by a respected marketer or buy one of the many quality ebooks that have been written about the subject. Yes, it will cost you a bit of money and some of your time, but you'll learn enough to make good choices about

2.) Ask around! Sure, it's good to check references, but it's even better to talk to those references before you speak with a search marketing firm. Find a site that ranks well in an industry that doesn't compete with your own. Get in touch with them and ask them who does their search marketing. The best SEOs aren't always the most well known, so sometimes it pays to hunt them down via happy clients rather than ask them if you can speak to their happy clients.