It seems that everyday more and more companies and agencies are offering SEO services, even though many of these companies have little to do with digital marketing in any capacity. Furthermore, there is no shortage of digital programs and online services that offer you ‘professional SEO services’ for less than what a couple of decent directory links should cost.
The point is that when something seems too good to be true, it often is, and we all know we pay for what we get. The problem that I notice time and time again is that clients don’t understand the full breadth of SEO and what monthly SEO services entail. This is further compounded by the fact that few people truly understand the difference between quality and quantity in terms of link building, and many get fooled for ‘great’ services that can end up causing more harm than good.
This last point cannot be expressively stated clear enough. SEO rankings are built upon the Google algorithm, and we are all mercy to its ever-changing laws. While updates give us tips and hints about what new routes to take to increase rankings, at the end of the day you either play the game ethically or get left on the sidelines. Many of these discount SEO services allow you to poorly play the game, at which point do you not only loose, you may get penalized as well and end up further behind than where you originally started.
Remember the old business saying “CHEAP IS EXPENSIVE”. Make sure you hire a professional SEO expert you can trust. If you are unsure about your current SEO provider or are evaluating a few companies, ask them to provide a few months of keyword ranking reports and link building reports so you get a feel for how they work.
