18 replies to this topic

[RiYo]

Tomorrow I am sitting in at a meeting that a friend of mine has with a new SEO firm.

I do not want to be nasty, but what are YOUR top 3 questions you would ask a new SEO firm, just to check if they know what they are talking about

Thanks for the answers, I will let you know what the outcome will be

Richard

[Hyperformance]

Hi Riyo

I would obviously check how long they have been doing SEO?

I would request 3 first page result clients that you will call (checking keywords for popularity, not just Rankings).

Do they have a full campaign they have succeeded with? (New product or service offering, emails, press releases, increased click-throughs, etc.)

Can they show you a client that they took from 30 visitors per day to hundreds per day with conversions (sales)?

I would rate checking results and references as primary to seeing if they accomplish what they claim and where their strengths and weaknesses are.

Proof is way better than presentation in SEO.

- Scott

[RiYo]

thanks Scott.

Anybody else have some good questions?

Richard

[Jill]

What's their general SEO process?
What's the criteria for choosing keyword phrases?
How do they measure success?

[projectphp]

I think all that stuff is too advanced.

How do you work is the single most important question. And what do you expect from us as a client is teh second most important.

Those two will set everyone's expectations early, becasue if you think they'll do all the work, and they think your webdev deam will, disaster! Ditto if they expect FTP access and you won't/can't/prefer not to give it.

You should also ask them if they have experience with things that are unique to your situation, for example, what CMS do you use? Who does your web dev? Do these things matter? What about your internal politics? Do you have buy in from management? Will teh SEo be required to help you make a case or do they have carte blanche? Some SEOs are doers, and get frustrated when there is no progress, where as others are happy to work with you against a difficult internal situations. Define who you are as a client, and find a complimentary SEO to work with.

Ultimately you are choosing someone to provide you a service that, unlike say a hosting company, is so varied that you need to be just as comfortable with the service offerring and the approach of the SEO you choose to solve your unique situation as you are with anything else. Yor mileage WILL vary, so choose the best solution for YOU.

PS don't ask wanky things using buzzwords liek linkbait. Anyone can lean a buzzword or two, and it is easier to manbipulate people that use them than people who want to know details of the service. In otehr words, it is easier to claim they "do linkbait" than to lie about the reports service and types of help they can offer you.

[ScottSalwolke]

In addition to rankings and references also ask for samples of the copy they write. It should be designed not just to rank, but also have a meaningful connection with prospects. It should stress benefits, not just features.

[Catz]

what do you expect from us as a client?

This should be high on the list.

Not many people realize what is involved in proper SEO (including a lot of people currently performing SEO for clients), and might not realize that SEO works best when the client contributes to the process as well. Many SEO's get frustrated due to lack of cooperation from their clients.

Who knows the subject matter of the site better than the site owner? Working together can be your most productive option. They can help create content that is of the most value to their client base, and a natural fit if they understand it's value.

Perhaps you should also have asked...
What important questions should the SEO be asking us during the meeting?

[Jill]

The interesting thing about this whole thread is that it seems to me all these questions should have been asked before the company was hired, not after!

[pittfall]

What's their general SEO process?
What's the criteria for choosing keyword phrases?
How do they measure success?

What is your client retention rate?
What should I expect, as a client, for conversion levels and how do you plan to maintain these levels?

[ScottSalwolke]

The interesting thing about this whole thread is that it seems to me all these questions should have been asked before the company was hired, not after!

Good point. I guess the three questions you then ask are 1)what do you know about our products or services 2)what do you know about the market we serve and 3) what steps are you doing to connect with this market.

[projectphp]

If you've hired them, you just want to know what to expect. You have no choice but to trust them, and you need to know how to be as good as you can as a client. People forget that: you, as a client, have some responsibility in teh success, so ask them how you can be better, and you'll get the best result the firm can deliver (which may or may not be very good all the same).

[Bob Collett]

Do you have a satisfaction money back guarantee?
Bob

[chrishirst]

Do you have a satisfaction money back guarantee?
Bob

And if they say "Yes" ....



... Sack them

[Bob Collett]

Do you have a satisfaction money back guarantee?
Bob

I do have a money back guarantee but I have always built my consulting relationships using the "Know, Like & Trust" model. In 15 years of telecommunication consulting, no client of mine ever asked for their money back; so I continued this philosphy as I built my E-Marketing consulting practice. I do not take on more work than I care to do myself. When a client needs something that is beyond my scope, or my availability, I help the client negotiate with an outside professional.

[M.Kane]

Do you drive a fast red sports car?
Do you live in a big house with an electrified fence and indoor self heating swimming pool?
Can you rank me number 1 for any keyword really really fast, like..lightening fast?

If they answer no to any of the above, they're jokers and should be fired...no doubt.


Ooo Ahhh! This is a late reply, damn it!