Marketing Advice That Matters
Not every business has the time or expertise to perform SEO tactics. Hence, hiring an SEO expert Houston is a good idea.
However, not all SEO agencies are the same and you need to be careful when selecting your SEO partner. Here are five warning signs that you need to look for when hiring an SEO expert.
1. A Promise of Overnight Results
Ranking on the top of search engine results page (SERP) is an extensive process and there is no magic trick to get overnight results. Just like technology, search engines are also changing. Focusing on keywords is not going to get you higher rankings in a day or two.
According to leading SEO experts in Houston, it will take at least 4 to 6 months to see the results. Also, SEO results grow over time. Whatever results you are getting after 6 months will be lesser than what you will get after 12 months. If the SEO expert promises you overnight increase in ranking, it is a warning sign that indicates he/she is not the right SEO partner for your business.
2. Indulge in Buying of Backlinks
Backlinks play a crucial role in putting your website on the top of SERP. But that does not mean buying backlinks can propel your website ahead of competitors. There are many reasons why buying backlinks is not a good idea.
Buying backlinks are against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. It doesn’t matter you are using private blog networks or using your outreach, buying backlinks are still not recommended. If the SEO expert indulges in buying of backlinks and Google catches you, the search engine will take a manual action against your website which may lead to losing all organic search traffic overnight.
3. Stress for Long Contracts
SEO results do take time but long-term contracts with SEO agencies have many demerits. Some agencies do many things to look good and impress their clients. During the initial period, you will have all their attention but their efforts and SEO success fizzle out with time.
After 3-4 months, the high-level communication and love they showed to you disappears. You may have to wait for days or a week to get answers to your questions. According to an SEO expert in Houston, some agencies ask their clients to pay more to get better results.
Some agencies may also demand an exorbitant fee from clients who want to exit the SEO contract early. Hence, you should avoid signing long-term contracts with SEO agencies. If the SEO expert is unwilling to sign a short-contract, it is a warning sign that indicates trouble for you ahead.
4. Don’t Agree on Sharing of Data
Gone are the days when it was difficult to get a complete picture of SEO success. Today, there are a variety of tools and metrics that tell you the story of success or failure. A good SEO agency which has used the right SEO strategies and achieved success for your website will share the data with you for analysis.
There are several WordPress widgets, analytics tools that tell you about channels which are bringing in visitors and the way they are interacting with your website. If the SEO expert only gives you a verbal assurance of website success but does not provide you data to back up his/her claims, he/she might be hiding something from you.
5. No Focus on Customization of SEO Tactics
Just like people, businesses and their websites come in all shapes and sizes. They have different ages, backgrounds, markets, motivations, histories, and resources at hand. In simple words, what worked for one client may not work for others.
A good SEO expert in Houston will conduct a deep study to understand different elements that affect your site’s SEO. For example, the SEO expert would conduct a market study, learn about business priorities, understand the competitive landscape and then draw a customized SEO approach to achieve success. Remember an SEO expert who relies on one-size-fits-all best SEO practices is a warning sign that you should not ignore.
These are five warning signs that you should not ignore when hiring an SEO expert for your website. Do you’ve any questions? Please feel free to comment.
