Sherlock's deduction: choose an SEO contractor and notice the subtleties of the work. Part 1

In an era of rapid development of information technology and automation systems, the choice of an SEO specialist or consulting firm still often depends on the recommendations of friends. This phenomenon is typical for various fields, be it the search for doctors, lawyers or website promotion specialists.

Why is this normal? Specialists from one of the leading IT companies have conducted their research and will help you distinguish a real SEO contractor from unscrupulous performers.

A lot of advertising surrounds us at every step, and sometimes it becomes invisible. It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract attention to your brand and establish yourself in the market. People are starting to wonder: “Who to trust when all the reviews can be both positive and negative, and it is difficult to find objective information?” What if you don’t know SEO specialists and don’t know how to properly invest your budget? This is exactly the moment when it is useful to understand the intricacies of choosing a contractor.

Evidence one: price

The cost of SEO services is always indicated “from...”. This figure is usually only a minimum rate, which does not reflect the real cost of the work.

- Oh, yes, they can offer you a price of 5 thousand, and then ask you to pay many times more. Why? It all depends on the complexity of the topic and the level of competition in your niche.

Many companies focus on the cost of clicks in advertising, which allows them to predict promotion costs. For example, the cost of advertising in large cities such as Moscow can reach several hundred thousand rubles. This is worth considering when planning your budget.

Let's consider the pricing of other agencies.

Argument #1:

“The price is too low, but they promise me good results.”

There are several types of SEO agencies on the market:

• 1. Young companies with excellent specialists, but without much experience. In this case, they often offer attractive prices to gain initial customers and positive reviews.
• 2. Dishonest contractors who promise a lot but actually do nothing. It is important to be careful here and avoid such offers.
• 3. Agencies that charge the same price for all clients, regardless of the complexity of the project. Results may be consistent, but may not always meet expectations.

Argument #2:

“They tell me that only they can promote my site, and the rest cannot.”

This is a clear sign of fraud. Typically, a serious agency will not make such claims without evidence. It is better to look for companies with transparent policies and real results.

Argument #3:

“They promise that I will be in the top 1 in a month or two.”

Guarantees of top positions are another trick of unscrupulous contractors. In SEO work, everything depends on many factors, and no one can guarantee results for sure, especially in such fickle search engines as Google or Yandex.

Evidence two: recommendations and portfolio

Portfolio and recommendations are an important element when choosing a contractor. However, it is worth checking the data provided carefully. SEO agencies often show screenshots of the before and after results of their work.

Things to consider:

• 1. Check the date on the screenshots - if the information is old, it may indicate that the company is not updating its results or customers have left.
• 2. If there are no captions on the screenshots or they were not taken from professional analytical services, this should alert you.
• 3. Often agencies show labels of famous companies, claiming that they have worked with them. In this case, it is better to call these companies and clarify whether they really used these services.

Evidence three: reviews

Many companies post customer reviews on their websites. However, it is worth remembering that reviews can be bought or written yourself, which makes them of little significance. It is important to rely on real results and study the requirements of search engines.

Evidence four: PR and other mass media

Large agencies often have an active presence in the media, participating in conferences and publishing research. However, publicity is not always a sign of quality. Sometimes it's just part of a marketing strategy. Good specialists can work in less visible companies and achieve excellent results without making themselves known on every corner.

Evidence five: office

Digital agencies often work remotely, and the office is not always an indicator of success. But, if you still decide to meet with the contractor in the office, pay attention to a few points:

• 1. A young agency with a small staff can save on office expenses.
• 2. If the office of the old company is small and not updated, this may indicate problems in the business.
• 3. The quality of meetings and office environment can also indicate how seriously the agency takes its clients.

Evidence six: reports

If you receive reports, pay attention to their contents. It is important that reports are not reduced to just screenshots. An ideal report should include a list of work completed, analysis, recommendations and, if possible, references to specific improvements.

In addition, do not forget to monitor the results through other tools so as not to depend only on the contractor’s data.

The seventh and final evidence: your own website

See how the company's website works. It should not only be functional, but also SEO-optimized. If a company offers promotion, but their own site is poorly indexed or is far from the top positions, this is a serious signal about the quality of work.

Professional agencies will definitely invest efforts in developing their own website and will demonstrate high-quality examples of work.

The material was prepared for an information blog. If you have any questions, write to the SEO studio “SEO COMPUTER” with any questions at email info@seo.computer.

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