TIPS TO HELP YOU FIND THE BEST SEO COMPANIES IN SYDNEY
TIP # 1: Search for the words on Google ' SEO Companies Sydney'. Try to look for companies on the front page of Google. But herein lies a problem. Google is constantly tweaking it’s algorithm and the way it ranks pages, so these results can and will fluctuate daily. Finding a SEO company that has consistently remained at the top of search results is challenging, but if you conduct your search over a few weeks, you should see a trend emerge. Some SEO companies can have an awesome ranking very quickly, these types of SEO firms should be avoided as they are using spammy, dodge techniques to get a fast ranking. Google will pick up on this and they will be punished for their so- called ‘SEO friendly’ tactics. Best way to go about this is to pick the top 1 or 2 companies and go from there. NEVER EVER use a a company that has paid to be on Google via ADWORDS – this is the WORST mistake you could make. You have to trust me on this as the SEO agencies paying to be ranking for the keywords related to SEO – CANNOT RANK THEIR OWN WEBSITES – so how are they going to rank yours….this is really important so if this point is unclear please call me on 02 9360 8514 and I would be happy to explian this to you. Knowing this diffierence betweeen organic SEO rankings and Adwords is critical!
TIP # 2: Ring up their previous clients. Testimonials on their websites are fine, but make the extra effort and call their past clients. People will be more than happy to tell you if they have had a bad SEO experience. Also, if they say that they have been able to rank a client on page 1, do your homework and physically check this out.
TIP # 3: See how long they have been in the SEO business. Fly by nighters come and go. SEO is a new industry so it is wise to work with SEO companies that have been in business for at least a few years. SEO start ups without any solid background or past proven history should be avoided at all costs. Because barriers of entry into the SEO game are so low, Sydney businesses need to be on guard for SEO companies that are either not accredited, certified or able to demonstrate a track record.
TIP # 4: Have a good look at their website. Many new, untrustworthy SEO companies will have cheap, amateurish looking sites. Be proactive and look critically at the site. If it looks dodgy then the SEO tactics used by these companies will probably be as well. Be aware that some SEO firms can have many websites online at one time. This is why you have to physically meet with them.
TIP # 5: If they promise miraculous results in less than 3 months, then you need to ask what they are doing behind the scenes to attain these rankings. What goes up must come down, so if they say that they guarantee a top SEO result quickly, then again, avoid these guys. It's just a massive scam!
TIP # 6: Look for SEO firms that don’t want to lock you into yearly contracts. Having a 3-6 month locked in contract is fine but anything over that is risky. Rankings need to be achieved organically over time. If speed is an issue, and you need your website exposure quickly, then adwords is a better alternative for you.
TIP # 7: Pay peanuts and you get monkeys. Many SEO sites offer packages that seem just far too good to be true. Like any profession where results are expected, you have to pay; and in some cases a considerable price for quality SEO services. The playing field to rank websites has shifted and a lot of work is now needed in order to rank a site and maintain this ranking. Therefore, only go with the SEO Sydney companies that charge fees accordingly. Try to remember that this is your business and for it to succeed online you need to be working with the best SEO companies. Cutting corners, reducing budgets might be OK in some other areas of marketing but unfortunately with SEO, cutting costs will be catastrophic for your SEO positioning. More information on SEO costs can be found here.
TIP # 8: See if they have in house copywriters. Web content is a crucial component of any SEO strategy and having the right mix of web content writers and SEO technicians, all under one roof will mean that you are certainly dealing with the best type SEO company. Known as content marketing this will do wonders for your online position.
TIP # 9: Ideally the company should be based in Sydney. This means that you can actually go to their office, meet with your SEO consultant and learn as much as you can about their service offerings. If they don’t have a physical address and want to build a relationship via email, then this may cause a few issues. Don't do everything in the virtual world – meet with them.
A huge warning here !!!!
If they outsource their SEO work, then don't even think about it. I have seen far too many good businesses get hammered on Google because they were duped into trusting a SEO company that promised that they did everything in Australia. This is a con. Visit their premesis to see them working locally. It’s just not worth the risk.
TIP # 10: Make sure they know about social media and conversion rate optimisation and the close relationship between the various social media platforms and SEO rankings. A quick quizz on this subject by you should give you the answers you need. If they faulter, or don't know what they are talikng about then again this is not one of the best SEO firms that you should be engaging.
TIP # 11: If you are in business or part of a marketing team then use your instinct. If you get a bad vibe from your first contact or have met with them and something just doesn’t seem right then look elsewhere. Keep on looking until you are comfortable with your choice. Make sure they have explained everything to you in a very clear and transparent way. If they seem over pushy or unclear about any SEO subject, then this is generally an indication of bad things to come.
TIP # 12: If you have an existing website make sure they will do a thorough audit of past SEO work. They will need access into your web master tools account in Google for this. If your rankings have suddenly dropped for no apparant reason, you will need to address this issue as your website might have incurred a Google penalty and be sandboxed – this happens all the time and the SEO team at Hopping Mad Designs can fix this problem for you.