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Publisher's Note
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Top 10 Things to Ask an SEO Consultant Before You Hire One

Many people view SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as voodoo and don't know how to gauge SEO consultants. Just because someone calls themselves a guru doesn't mean that they really are. Many times they're not. They just know more than their unsuspecting prospects. Beware.

Below are my Top 10 Questions to Ask an SEO Consultant Before You Hire One:

1. Why doesn't your website rank higher? I've noticed many SEO consultants have poor or mediocre Alexa ratings or have few other sites pointing to them. Don't accept that old saw, "Well, the cobbler's children go barefoot because he's too busy making shoes for others." If an SEO consultant is worth his or her salt, he or she needs to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

2. Where have you been published? If a guru is really a guru, he or she should have impressive outlets clamoring to publish his or her stuff.

3. Who says nice things about you publicly? Testimonials from people or companies you've heard of go a long way toward establishing credibility. They tell you what companies this person has served and which of those firms will publicly acknowledge his or her good works. This is a critical point.

4. Which three references can I call? Some firms are shy about public testimonials. Some consider their choice of consultants and experts to be a competitive edge; one they don't wish to acknowledge publicly. But privately, a happy client will typically have no problem talking to a company that is considering hiring that SEO person or firm.

5. How long have you been an SEO consultant? The longer the better. You might also consider asking what he or she did before becoming an SEO consultant to see what kind of continuity he or she displays in terms of career choices.

6. Which shows do you speak at? Is he or she repeatedly speaking at Search Engine Strategies or AdTech? What is he or she speaking about? It should be about the exact thing you need done for you.

7. How many sites point to your site? If this SEO guru is such a guru, then other sites (i.e., people) should be pointing to this person's website as a resource. If they're not, ask why not.

8. What's the title of your book or ebook? SEO is a very wonky, "down-in-the-groove" type of discipline. To establish how deep one is, an SEO expert is quite likely to publish a very extensive book or ebook. Read or at least scan these volumes so you have some idea of how "real" this SEO consultant is.

9. What kind of results will I get? This is tough, because it really is impossible to say exactly what will happen to your site after it is optimized. There are just too many uncontrollable variables. Your competitors are probably working right now to improve their search engine standings, which will have a direct impact on you even though you can't measure that right now. Still, you should have some benchmark from which to measure.

10. How do you charge? If the cost of getting your site to come up higher in the search engines seems too cheap, it probably is. Some things can be automated, but many things need the attention of a human expert. No two situations are the same. Don't just go with a provider because he or she is the cheapest. Look for good value. It might well turn out that the most expensive person provides the best value, but be sure to quantify that value as much as possible.

11. Bonus Tip: Ask an SEO Guru Who Has Too Much Work For a Recommendation: Very often you can get a recommendation for a very fine SEO consultant from someone who is so busy and so good that they themselves are overloaded... but they know of others who would be just right for you. LC

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