web hosting

Locate the Perfect SEO Expert

Having a fantastic web site available on the web will do nothing for one’s business if no one can find it.  Once built, an essential part of having a web site is optimizing it so that search engines can easily locate it.  This requires a bit of expertise with regard to keywords and phrases, good content copy that reflects the chosen keywords and even knowing which page URLs will work or not with search engine spidering.

Don’t do it yourself

Instead of attempting to do this on one’s own, it is prudent and recommended to seek out and hire an SEO consultant.  A professional SEO consultant will be able to determine which services are needed to make one’s business web site optimized for search engines and how to incorporate SEO marketing.

There are dozens of specific tasks and elements that go into good SEO and going the “do-it-yourself” route may end with one’s web site not showing at all in the major search engines.

Check their previous work

The first thing to ask for when looking for the perfect SEO expert is previous examples of SEO content as well as web sites they have helped optimize in the past.  Check the rankings of these web sites with the major search engines – Google and Yahoo are perfect examples – and use the Alexa web site to view overall rankings.  Alexa is a free web traffic metric analyzer that will give one a good overview of how well a web site or company is doing over time.

A good showing with increased rankings over time is an indication of how effective an SEO consultant can be.  Rankings that are dropping or maintaining an unchanged level would indicate locating another SEO expert would be in order.

Look at rates

Check the rates of the SEO consultants one is considering.  Very low rates can mean the person in question is just starting out and is trying to build up their portfolio.  Very high rates but with a less than stellar portfolio can also indicate a novice in the SEO field or one that isn’t terribly good at what they do.

Alternatively, as the world economy has taken a beating lately, many professionals have dropped their rates accordingly.  This is an important factor to keep in mind when researching rates.  Check to see if the SEO professional in question has recently dropped their hourly or project rates – one may get a bargain out of this.

Cheaper isn’t better

Don’t attempt to take the cheapest route.  While initially it may seem like a good idea and cost effective, a low rate SEO consultant can mean poor work produced for one’s business web site.  This, in turn, will mean ineffective search engine optimization, low rankings (if at all) within the major search engines and pretty much a loss of money overall.

Careful research should be done when looking to hire an SEO consultant.  Look at their previous results, experience and rates.  Remember that great search engine optimization can mean more customers and hiring a professional to do it correctly can only bring about a return on one’s investment.

Outsourcing Articles for SEO

njoying success online is great but promoting your website is never the easiest thing to do.  We have all heard that SEO works wonder but not everyone is willing to put in the time intensive labor.  One of the best ways to optimize your site for the search engines is quality articles related to your market or topic.  If you do not have the writers in-house who can produce the content, you should strongly consider outsourcing.

Content is King

More webmasters have come to discover that articles are an excellent way to obtain the relative one-way links and linkable content a website needs to generate search engine traffic.  The internet has opened up many doors for the freelance market.  What this means is that you can contract out some work at around $20 per 400 to 500 word article and possibly less when purchasing them in bulk.  If your site is bringing in steady revenue, this could be a rewarding trade off.

The greatest advantage of outsourcing articles is that you have the luxury to order content as it is required.  There is no need to worry about employing additional staff or equipment.  Simply hire a professional freelance writer and they handle the content while you focus on other important aspects.  In many cases, freelancers are represented by firms, providing you with access to even more resources and varying levels of expertise.

What Should You Pay?

When it comes to outsourcing articles, you will find that prices vary greatly, and so do the qualifications.  The truth is that many freelance writers will take on a tremendous amount of work all at once.  While this allows them to maximum their earnings it also impacts turn-around time, meaning your assignment could get put on the back burner.  Realizing this, it is a good rule of thumb to anticipate a short turn-round time at a higher price and longer turn-around at a lower price.  Try to play your cards right in the middle by not going too high or too low on the price.  Instead, take what the contractor has to say into consider and view samples of their past work.  From there, you can determine if the writer is able to meet your needs and then discuss the price.

What Qualifications Should You Look For?

Price will always be a factor but qualifications is quite possibly the most important aspect of all.  Some writers could be more effective at crafting catchy headlines while some may excel at writing the specific content.  In fact, many writers may not fully understand the ever changing SEO tactics or LSI considerations. You will also find writers who are well versed with technical subjects and others who specialize in a wide range of genres.  The key is finding one who is able to convey the tone of your website while still factoring in search engine optimization techniques.

In the end, outsourcing your articles will require that you communicate the messages you want expressed to a writer.  However, the bright side is that when you get the right individual or team on your side, you can dramatically boost productivity and ensure that your website remains appealing in the eyes of your readers and the search engines.