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Key Phrases
More key phrases are not necessarily better.
Optimizing a site for 40 phrases is not entirely realistic. Find
out how many words a company likes to customize a site to include.
Also find out the difference between a key word and a key phrase.
Many companies will use the terms interchangeably while referring
to the set of words a user types in for a search. Others might
consider a key word to mean exactly one word, and if users type
in a phrase, such as 'deep discount books,' that phrase would
be considered three words. So ask for specifics.
Once it's determined what a phrase consists
of, be sure to specify the exact phrase to be optimized. Most
companies will do a given phrase in all lowercase and plural,
so that spiders won't label it as case or singular sensitive.
But initial caps, all caps, single phrasing, and key phrases in
quotes can sometimes be recommended for more specific targeting.
Ask if a company likes to customize for case sensitive wording,
and clarify if those case sensitive phrasings are considered multiple
key phrases in the contract's key-phrase count. There's nothing
wrong with that if it's what you want. But you might be paying
more for those extra words, or might believe you are getting more
words in a contract then you really are.
Guarantees
The bottom line is that there are no guarantees.
No one can 100% guarantee a top 10 spot on any engine unless one
of the chosen key phrases is the company name or web address.
Search engine marketing is much like other types of advertising
and marketing, it's a trial and error system. And the search engines
are ultimately in control. Not the companies customizing pages.
A company can only guarantee that they'll give you something back
if they can't achieve promised positions.
Pricing
There are several different pricing options
to consider. You can pay per click through, which means that if
a user clicks through to your site from a link, it can be tracked
and then the search engine company will bill you for each click.
That way you can be sure to only pay for actual traffic results,
although there are no guarantees that the visitors are buying
anything. The typical price is around 25 cents per click through,
so if the company does their job (and they will) it can get expensive.
But it's also a great way to pay only for exactly what you get
- namely traffic.
Another more popular pricing structure is
the package deal. These companies can often be more affordable
than pay-per-click and they usually provide search engine optimization
and maintenance needs in one convenient package. It can sometimes
be tricky to break down what a company is offering within a package,
but a phone call should clear any confusion up. Be sure and ask
if they are working to get you a specific quota of results, or
if they are performing set customization tasks to be agreed upon
beforehand. As with any contract, the trick is making sure you
know exactly what comes with a package for the price. Find out
how many phrases and engines. Discuss their plans for creating
doorways and customizing sub-pages. If they offer it, be sure
to find out what constitutes successful 'maintenance,' since a
company can't actually promise to maintain your exact rankings.
Another payment option is the pay per listing
service. These search engine companies are working to meet a quota
of listings and you pay a certain predetermined price for each
ranking; say $100 for a top 10, $75 for a top 20 and $50 for a
top 30. Ceilings are usually built in on these deals because the
search engine company lets you choose a set contract price not
to be exceeded regardless of results. Then it is their problem
to make sure your site listings match the pre- determined contract
price quota. If for some reason the company can't deliver, they
usually guarantee a refund. Customization on these types of contracts
can often be more personalized because the SEO company will do
research to determine how much customization will be needed to
yield the results your contract price demands. Duration of these
contracts, and all the contracts, is usually 2-3 months, which
is the ideal time frame for good results.
The following is a question check list for
all search engine marketing companies:
- How many and which engines do you target?
-Does it cost more for directories like Yahoo and Open Directory?
-How many phrases come with the contract?
-What do you consider a key phrase? Do you work with case sensitive
phrases?
-Do you research phrases?
-Exactly what phrases will the site be customized towards?
-Will you be customizing sub-pages and/or making doorways?
-Does your company have design experience?
-What are the specifics of the maintenance contract?
-Where will you store the pages you create? Can I keep them on
my server?
Important: Ask a company about their policy
on cloaking pages and creating doorway pages. Both services are
falling under new suspicion by the engines, so you want to be
sure the company understands the risks involved and the delicacy
of using these techniques. A good company will be informed about
the trends and will have a policy on these issues.
Just remember to do research when choosing
a search engine marketing company. Most are reputable and many
will work with you to provide exactly what you need and want for
your site.
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