Picking the right Miami SEO company - how to qualify your agency

Picking an SEO agency to help your company succeed online is alot like dating. Even though someone may be attractive, well spoken, and appear genuinelly interested in you, there's still an off chance they have hidden motivations.  South Florida seems to attract an awful lot of "talkers", and in many cases, they domainte the markets in which they lay claim.  From car repair to marketing, in Miami, looks can be especially deceiving.

But as superficial as many Miami marketers may be, when it comes to selecting the right Miami SEO agency, there are several questions you can ask to quickly asses whether or not a potential service provider is as tough as they say they are.  Many of your questions about a prospective search marketing agency can be answered simply by using search engines themselves!

When I first discovered search engine optimization, and realized how powerful it really is, I knew absolutely nothing about the difference between white hat SEO and black hat SEO.  I knew nothing about keyword research, competitive analysis, linkbuilding, or even how to properly use Google Insights for Search.  It took me quite a while (and quite a bit of trial and error) to learn the ropes...and thankfully, I learned the difference between premium SEO's and posers before I got any of the companies I worked with into trouble.

As a result of my experience (as I spent quite a bit of time interviewing SEO's before I actually became one), I developed a set of questions to tell whether or not the agency I was interviewing knew what they were talking about.  By the fifth round of edits, my questionaire had become pretty strong...and very effective in sifting the wheat from the chaff. I hope it helps you to find the SEO agency best suited for your needs.

1. "What can you tell me about your linkbuilding practices?"

Cutting right to the chase is a good bet for putting a prospective SEO agency on it's heels.  Odds are, if you're talking to an account executive, they will have no idea how to answer you.  And if they do, they've probably received a little training from the in-house SEO, if he/she even exists (you have to consider the possibility that the potential SEO agency is outsourcing their work overseas for pennies on the dollar).  You're looking for pretty specific answers with this question, and the sales person you're speaking with should be able to answer very concretely without confusing you.  Linkbuilding is the fundamental element of SEO, which means, it takes great skill to do it properly.  If the candidate your screening mentions they comb through competitor backlink profiles, seek out blogs relevant to your niche for links, investigate quality forums or directories, and mention developing content, sponsorships/partnerships, or blogging - they're on the right track.  If they fall back to "directory submission" or come up with some confusing monologue about blogging which doesn't really make any sense....it's time to promptly move to question two...

2. "Do you offer any sort of guarantee for #1 rankings?"

When an SEO worth his/her salt hear's this question, they should know how to respond.  "No!" It may come as quite a shock, but SEO agencies which guaruntee first position rankings on google (or a bunch of search engine's you've never heard of) are most likely tring to scam you.  The bottom line is - no one controls the search engines...and quality SEO takes time for the results to kick in...and there are never any guarantee's. This is where the black hat equation kicks in.  For a couple hundred dollars (even though you may be charged thousands), a devious SEO can buy their way into a linkfarm full of junk or spam links...which will result in a temporary boost for your website to the top of the SERPS...but then have disastorous consequences. Once your site gets plastered with spam links and builds a junky link profile (usually for generic terms you shouldn't be able to rank for without significant work), Google will likely ban your site from the search results - and it's very difficult to get reincluded once you've been booted! Bottom line: if the SEO you're qualifying says they "have a special relationship with google". "can guaruntee #1 rankings", or "already own that search market"...it's time to hang up and start over.

3. "Can you tell me a little bit about my domain's authority?"

A good SEO should be able to analyze your domain on the fly and identify some key things right (if you already followed respectable SEO practices) or wrong with your site.  Ask them how they check your backlink profile on the spot...if the answer isn't Yahoo site explorer or a linkdomain query...something isn't right.  A good SEO can employ a variety of tools to get a read on the effectiveness of your on-site SEO practices, the strength and diversity of your link profile, and even who your competition is in the SERPs.  If, at the most basic level, the SEO agency you're speaking with can't provide some sort of analytic report about the state of your web presence, you're barking up the wrong tree!

4. "Can you tell me how competitive my search market is? I want to rank for terms related to 'insert primary keyword here'."

The SEO agency you hire should spend a considerable amount of time investigating the comeptitive landscape in which you're trying to compete.  In order to figure out what it's going to take to help your company rank competitively for prominent search terms, quite a bit of investigation is necessary.  Competitive analysis is a cornerstone of effective SEO, which means your SEO agency better well be near expert level in sizing up the competition and learning to use their hardwork to you advantage. An experienced SEO should be able to determine how competitive your search market is (as well as the primary keywords for your search market) while they're on the phone with you. Remember, linkbuilding is the heart and soul of quality SEO, which means competitive analysis has to be done right the first time. If your prospective SEO can't walk you through a brief competitive analysis....you shouldn't waste anymore of your time.

5. "Can you explain what kinds of analytics you use? How do you quantify your results?"

It's not just about the rankings anymore.  Odds are you aren't and won't be an expert in keyword research anytime soon, but you should be well acquainted with the keyword variations in your respective search market.  There are often mainstream ways to say something...and the proper way to say something (i.e. homeowners association management is the same as property association management....they're basically synonyms...but completely different words to target in the search arena) and your SEO should know the difference. Prominent rankings for comeptitive key phrases is a must have goal...but the focus of your organic campaign should be on earning natural traffic over time. Most traffic from search engines to websites comes from "long tail" keywords...and your prospecive SEO should be able to explain that to you.  They should also be able to explain a concrete strategy for implementing, monitoring, and reporting web metrics affecting your domain.  Google Analytics is the industry standard, and at the minimum, it should be utilized in bi weekly reports. It's important for you to set realistic benchmarks...and your SEO should be able to help you understnad the difference between realistic results, and cloud talk.

6. "Can you name ten search marketing celebrities?"

This may seem like an off beat question....but it's actually VERY relevant. The search marketing industry is a close knit group of professionals...and they don't take kindly to people who tarnish their name.  In the physical world, you are what you eat...in the search marketing world...you are what you read.  Constant learning is a natural part of a professional SEO's job, which means they should be well read on the latest search industry news and be up to date on the latest information as cited by the search marketing industry A-Listers.  With a little due diligence, you can figure out who the key players are for yourself....and it's something your prospective SEO agecny should affirm.

Of course, the tride and true method to learn about your prospective web agency is from the search engines themselves.  Google the company's brand...look for your SEO's name, and ask if your potential SEO uses a standard avatar everywhere.  Most professional SEO's have extensive social media presence...and it's pretty easy to tell who's involved and who isn't.  Twitter page hasn't been updated in weeks? No friends on linked in or facebook? No company presence in the SERPs? no reviews?  If it seems suspicious...at all...it is....and you should keep looking.

Ultimately, you have to trust your gut when making this sort of decision.  It's not easy...and it is very much a commitment.  To refer back to the dating example I made earlier...if it feels right...and the feeling is mutual....that's a pretty solid indicator you're on the right track.  Trust is the key component of any relationship, and in the marketing world, trust takes time to establish.  From day one, your SEO agency should provide a full service solution for your needs...and be able to work with you...not for you. Remember, you're entrusting your brand to a digital lobbyist...make sure it's who you want on the grind helping to build a prolific web presence for your company.