5 replies to this topic

[Angelina]

Hello

I got an email the other day from a SEO marketing comp offering me to "do" my site up. According to them it didn't rank well in G and neither do my products.
Now I'm a bit concerned, because they are likely to want to sell their services, but how right are they? How can I check this myself?
All I've done so far is just type in product names in all forms in G and usually I'm nr. # or very high up at pg. nr. 1.
Since the climbing curve has sort of come to a halt, I suppose they have a point, but how do I find out and if I can find out i.e. using a tool, does this also tell me what isn't exactly correctly optimized?

Angelina

[chrishirst]

SPAM !!!!!


Just ignore it, they probably haven't looked at your site.

[redsonia!]

Yep, Angelina. It's just spam. I get at least one a month. They all say exactly the same thing, just some spam template. Hit the delete button.

[Martin C]

I got an email the other day from a SEO marketing comp offering me to "do" my site up. According to them it didn't rank well in G and neither do my products.
Now I'm a bit concerned, because they are likely to want to sell their services, but how right are they? How can I check this myself?
All I've done so far is just type in product names in all forms in G and usually I'm nr. # or very high up at pg. nr. 1.
Since the climbing curve has sort of come to a halt, I suppose they have a point, but how do I find out and if I can find out i.e. using a tool, does this also tell me what isn't exactly correctly optimized?

The classic mistake you may be making is that it is easy to rank well for an uncompetitive term. Although I would be very wary of companies that contact you in the above manner it is probably a safe bet that the majority of people that they do contact are running unoptimised websites.

I recently did some work for a relatively new travel related website that I thought would represent a real challenge as it is a highly competitive market. What I found very quickly was that apart from a handful of sites the majority of their competitors had unoptimized websites and once we had completed the basic optimization the website ranked well for many hundreds of competitive terms and the traffic increased considerably. I believe that the reason that most websites are not optimised is because after ignorance, it takes time and effort.

How can I check this myself?

You have to first identify what the search terms are that will bring you traffic. Ask yourself if the 'Product names' that you say you are ranking well for are the search terms that people are using to find your products? You have to stop thinking as the supplier and put yourself in the mind of the customer, what are they using as search terms to find your own and your competitors products?

This 'keyword research' to identify search terms that are relevant to your website and that are being used by a significant number of people is one of the first steps of SEO.

So 'How do you check this myself' - Identify what the search terms are and see how well you rank for those terms.

If this company has managed to cause doubt with you that your website may not be properly optimized they may have done you a favour. Even a broken clock is right twice a day and it is something that you really ought to know.

[Ignoramus]

Yep, Angelina. It's just spam. I get at least one a month. They all say exactly the same thing, just some spam template. Hit the delete button.

Only once a month ? You're lucky !

My rule of thumb is.... If you see the word 'guarantee' hit the delete button.

[Big Bill]

Hello

but how do I find out and if I can find out i.e. using a tool, does this also tell me what isn't exactly correctly optimized?

Angelina

I think myself there's no substitute for an experienced eye. Be bold and ask for advice on SEO forums, I would, and if someone seems helpful and genuine, doesn't get shouted down by the regulars (or moderated by the owners) and you feel you can rub shoulders with them (this last I think is the most important quality because you're entering into a collaborative relationship), then have a word with them about doing some work on your site. Or, if you feel so inclined, ask the authors of the email you've received for some more detail about what they'd be doing to your site and run it past the regulars here or indeed anywhere you feel comfortable. Either way, you have to build a relationship and that takes a little time. Once you've built one with an SEO, do what they say!

BB