Orange County has a lot of SEO agencies, so how can you know which one to pick? We suggest you do your research before making a decision because the wrong SEO agency can end up damaging more than your wallet—they can damage your reputation online and your relationship with Google.
However this article isn’t meant to scare you or to shame the companies that bring our industry down. We simply want to arm you with the knowledge you need to make the right investment. The following are three things you should look for in any Orange County SEO agency you decide to work with.
1. They Can Explain How They Will Improve Your Rankings
There are two reasons that an SEO agency would not want to explain how they will improve your rankings:
- They don’t know what they’re doing.
- They’re using methods that are illegal or risky.
A good SEO firm will gladly explain the process to you, so you know exactly what services you are getting for your investment.
2. They Follow Google’s Webmaster Guidelines
Google has a list of webmaster guidelines that clearly explains what we can and can’t do to try to get our websites to move up the search engine rankings. If we refuse to play by Google’s rules, they’ll remove our websites from their search engine in a heartbeat.
This presents a conflict of interest for SEO agencies, because playing by the rules takes more time to see results. By taking shortcuts and using “black hat” techniques, SEO agencies can get better results for their clients and make more money. The problem is that when Google finds out (and they always do, eventually) it’s the client that suffers, not the SEO agency.
Make sure that the SEO agency you choose only uses “white hat” SEO methods and be wary of companies that guarantee top rankings within weeks, instead of months.
3. They Have Proven Results
SEO is one of the most-debated marketing strategies that you’ll find. Everyone thinks they’re an expert on SEO, but very few have the results to prove it.
A good Orange County SEO agency will have case studies that show real-world results from their work. Of course, there are the exceptions where a new agency might in fact know what they’re doing, but they don’t have the case studies to prove it. Then again, they might not. Do you really want to take the risk of being their guinea pig?
Go with an SEO agency that has proven results and you’ll dramatically lower your risk of getting burned.