Search Engine Optimization is a great step you can take to improve your website online visibility. The goal of SEO is to improve your website rankings and help your website to attract more traffic. It is also a great investment- SEO is not cheap, but if done right it can give you high returns. After all- the more traffic you get to your website- the higher potential you have to get more sales. So here is the question that many business owners ask- how do you find the right SEO company? There are so many of them out there and the price ranges are huge. You can spend anywhere from couple hundreds to couple thousands of dollars. Here is a list of the most common mistakes that business owners do when hiring SEO firm. 
 
 

— Most common mistakes when hiring SEO firm —

 
 

1. Having unrealistic expectations- they promise you fast results

 
Yes, it may sounds very promising when you hear how SEO firm can get you to #1 rank right a way. And one of the first questions my potential clients ask is- how fast will I be able to see the results. Having realistic expectations when hiring SEO firm is essential start for this relationship to be successful. If SEO firm promises you fast results or #1 rank- that should be your red flag right a way. No matter how good or how experience SEO consultants are, they can’t guarantee immediate results. They simply can’t control search engines and how they work. Also the sneaky way to get fast results is to use black hat techniques. Those are risky and can hurt your website. I will be discussing those more in mistake #4. What is more, there are so many different factors that influence website position in search results and many of those factors may change frequently. They are things like website speed, providing good content on a regular basis, working with influencers, things that your competitors do, etc. On top of that- search engines change their algorithms, which also may affect your website rankings. Simply put- no SEO can control all of those things and guarantee the reseals. So having realistic expectations and also understanding SEO timeline and goals is very important to avoid disappointment.
 

2. Lack of transparency in SEO process- no timeline, no clear goals

 
This mistake often goes in line with mistake #1 mentioned earlier in this article- having clear expectations. Every SEO analyst have some type of schedule of how things are done and in what order. And it is really no secret- it actually shouldn’t be a secret. You pay money for services and you deserve to know what is included in those services and what you are paying for. Feel free to ask your SEO consultant how they work, and based on your website- what do they suggest and what are the priorities. Also when you receive your monthly report you should be able to see the progress and what has been done so far.
 

3. No signed contract

 
Surprisingly many clients don’t like signed contracts. And that is a very big mistake. In business world, you should have contract for everything. It protects you as a client, but also your consultant. It stipulates your rights, SEO deliverables, assignment of specific rights, payment terms and other important factors. If anything goes wrong, the contract is your legal protection. Having a good contract also helps you to have clear expectations and peace of mind.
 

4. They buy backlinks or use other black hat SEO techniques 

 
Link building is a very important aspect of search engine optimization. The more quality external links you have, the better are your chances to have higher domain authority with search engines. But notice that I am talking about “quality” links. Quality links are those that are relevant and coming from good and trusted sources. There are SEO consultants out there that promise you to get a lot of links and they simply buy them. That can actually hurt your website. In fact, paid links is on e the most risky black hat technique. Link building is a long process and natural links are the best types of links you can get. Black hat techniques are always risky and shouldn’t be relied on. You may be asking- what is black hat SEO? In simple words, SEO consultants have clear policies to follow that are provided by search engines. But there people that try to outsmart search engines and bring organic traffic to websites without following those rules. Some of those black hat techniques beside paid links are: spammy comments, duplicate content, keyword stuffing and many more. Those techniques are usually detected sooner or later and as a result, your website may be penalized or even banned.
 

 

5. They have access to “special tools”

 
The truth is, there are tons of different tools that SEO consultants can use to help out with their results. Although it may be impressing to hear that there is a secret to their success, it’s important to understand that SEO is no longer a secret and that search engines focus on natural and organic traffic. Using any “secret” or “special” tools may backfire at the end. So it is good to consider- what those tools are, what techniques are they using and what exactly do they do. If something doesn’t sound or feel right, trust your gut. There are so many SEO firms out there and there are plenty to choose from. 
 

6. Their packages are one size fits all

 
Every website is different and you simply can’t use the same methods for all websites. Typically SEO analyst should briefly review your website before giving you a quote. If they quote you a price without even looking at your site- I would think they don’t know what they are doing. It’s as if somebody was giving you a quote to build you a house without knowing any details. 
 

7. They have hidden fees- or you don’t know what services are included 

 
This one is my biggest pet peeve. SEO analysis may include several different aspects and it is very important that you understand what is included in services you are paying for. For example many consultants will limit how many keywords they will work with- do you know how many keywords are you covered for? Another example is- is your SEO consultant able to manage your pay-per-click campaigns? If not, how much extra do they charge? What about preparing press release and getting it out? Make sure you read the contract between you and your SEO consultant and don’t be afraid to ask any questions if you are not sure. Having better understanding of any potential additional fees will help you avoid disappointment and frustration.
 

8. Hiring the cheapest providers

 
Although cheap is good, you usually get what you pay for. That rule is no different with SEO consultants. SEO can be very expansive and there is a reason for that. It requires experience and a lot of time. If somebody is willing to spend all that time for almost nothing- I would take a step back and reconsider. Another thing is- if they are lacking experience- they can very easily damage your site reputation and hurt you at the end. And rebuilding your site reputation can be very expensive. Therefore paying little bit extra for your monthly services may save you some time at the end.
 

9. Lack of good communication

 
How is your potential SEO consultant doing with communication? Are they clear and upfront about what they offer? Do they respond back to you in a timely manner? Remember- they are there to offer you consultation when you need it. You can usually get an impression of their personality from the first few conversations. Personally I am all about communication and it bothers me when it takes several days for somebody to respond to my e-mail or to return my phone call. I have business to run and I don’t have time to just wait for somebody to answer.
 

— Summary —

 
Hiring SEO firm or consultant is not an easy decision. But you already invested time and money in building your website. It would be really bad if you hired somebody who just ruins all that work and end up costing you more money. So before you hire an SEO company- make sure you do your research. Check out if they have any reviews online, look at their social media profiles and their website. When interviewing SEO expert, confirm their use of ethical tactics. Remember- no black-hat SEO. If you choose good- you will be happy and your website reputation and rankings will rise bringing you more business.