Search engine optimization is one of the most misunderstood business strategies. SEO scams are common. There are many scam SEO agencies that usually promise businesses top SEO rankings, yet they have little knowledge of what it actually takes to achieve such a ranking.

I have been in the SEO world for around 15 years. I have worked with and worked for, many different types of SEO agencies (I will not name names), they normally fall into one of the groups below:

• Say they do SEO (but they don’t)
• Do SEO (but unethically)
• Say they offer SEO (but they see it as a line item and not an inclusive strategy.)

Agencies that actually do search engine optimization and know what it is all about are few and far between, and that is why our team was born.

The questions below will assist you in identifying those scam SEO agencies that will take your hard-earned money and offer you little value in return.

Questions You Need to Ask When Selecting an SEO Agency

There are many unethical SEO agencies and professionals who are looking for a quick buck, and they don’t have any interest in growing your business. You should make sure that an agency or a professional has the skill set needed to offer high-value search engine optimization. You should also look out for the following attributes.

1. Do They Have a Comprehensive and Established SEO Process?

We always talk with prospective clients who have received quotes from other agencies. When we start discussing our SEO process, most of those clients are surprised, and they tell us that when they asked other prospective SEO companies about their process, the response was “we don’t give away our secret sauce” or “it is top secret.”

These are BS responses! They either mean that the agency does not have an SEO process or that they have a process built on spam techniques.

2. Do They Send Custom Monthly Reports Showing Strategies and Metrics?

Scam SEO agencies usually show only the end result. They will not give you insights on how the end result was achieved, such as links earned or the value that their marketing strategies have provided.

Why would these agencies not want to show you how amazing they are, and the amazing links they have earned for you? That is because they did not earn anything of value, and they are hiding the spam, which you will only uncover after the rankings and traffic of your site start tanking.

3. Does the SEO Package Include Training?

An introductory SEO training will help you to know your Billings SEO Firm better and the professionals that you will be working with. Training should be part of the overall search engine optimization process. It should only be bypassed if you, as a business, do not want it.

4. Do They Offer a List Of Professionals Who Will Be Working on Your Search Engine Optimization?

It is important to know who will be working on your account and their role in the company.

Many times SEO agencies do not create a client team based on competencies and experience that each professional brings to the table. Instead, they usually create a client team based on the following:

• To keep costs down and profit high
• Who has free time
• They will assign junior people to your account

Neither of these is inherently bad. However, it is your right to know people who will be working on your SEO before you enter the contract.

5. Does the Agency Have Testimonials from Well Established People and Businesses?

When using testimonials in decision making, ensure the agency has:

• A diverse set of recommendations from authoritative individuals.
• Check out the titles and names of people who have provided testimonials. You can look these people up on LinkedIn to confirm they exist.

Remember, anyone can get their friend to write them a review.

6. Do they have a Higher Purpose and a Belief System?

This is definitely the hardest thing to fake, and it can separate the quality agencies from the fly-by-night agencies. It is vital that they know why they are doing what they are doing instead of just blindly offering services.

What does it mean to have a higher purpose or a belief system? Here is a hint: it is not a boilerplate mission statement such as:

• We offer leading digital marketing solutions to businesses on a global level.
• We offer our clients leading digital solutions and customer service.
• We are a top-rated SEO agency that gets you #1 ranking.
• Our custom-built solutions will transform your brand and help you engage with users.
• We are a global digital marketing firm that builds custom SEO solutions that drive bottom-line results.
• What do these statements mean? They make me shake my head in disgust.

So what is a belief statement?

A belief statement defines the culture of a business that must prevail against all challenges and adversity. It should be the backbone from where all strategies are derived from and lead by.

7. Does the agency have a Well Designed Website that is SEO Optimized?

Finally, I am sure you have seen an agency’s website and wondered why it is badly designed and why the content is keyword-stuffed, or why the website has not earned many social shares or links from its content.

You have probably asked the agency about that, and you have got a reply such as, “we focus on our clients, and we do not have the time to do SEO on our site.” This is a BS statement!

The easiest way to know whether an agency will be a great partner is to examine how they take care of their own website.

Things to consider include:

• Is their website well designed?
• Does the website have content that has earned links and social shares?
• Is the website experience well thought out?
• Does the agency have a blog where they publish in-depth content and not just thin 500 words articles?
• Do they stuff keywords in their title tags and content? This spam tactic is even common with some “reputable SEO companies.”
• Are their title tags and content optimized for both search engines and real users?

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is exactly what it sounds like. It is optimizing your website and brand for the best rankings in search engines. SEO is measured repeatedly and sends positive signals to search engines like Google.

The mathematical formula used by Google scores websites according to quality and optimizing for search is key to catching rankings through this algorithm. Websites must offer the information users are seeking.

Algorithms score for website quality, links to your website from other sites, and the trust that people place in your site. The key to scoring higher than other similar sites is scoring higher in each of the categories.

When your website scores the highest in quality, authority (links and searches), and the trust that users will find what they want when they visit your website.

Each of the categories has subcategories, and all of the scores are added up within Google’s algorithm. You can study your website’s score in different categories and make improvements in each area. The best SEO has the highest score in as many categories as possible.

It is true that some categories have more pull than other categories, but the biggest areas of focus are in three areas. These are quality, trust, and authority. A website is considered to have a better quality when it offers something unique or provides better information than others in the same niche. Quality pays attention to content. If your website sells a particular product that is also sold by other websites, your site has to offer a better description of the pages and products.

It will not matter if your product looks or genuinely is better than the others if the content that describes it does not outshine the content used by similar websites. People want content that stands above the others.

You can offer better content by offering more variety, detail, and instructions for care. Is your product guaranteed to last longer? Is it useable for a specific area, or can it be used in a variety of ways? Is your product seasonal? Does it come in a variety of styles and sizes? Can it be personalized? All of these are information users want to know, and the answers can make the difference between being noticed and being overlooked.

To inspire high scores for quality, you can get users involved by asking them to contribute their thoughts and reviews of your product and the information you provide. Use marketing strategies such as celebrity or expert endorsements. If someone that is popular and respected likes your website, it is safer for algorithms to assume your site has quality. Add something unique for searchers and customers, and the quality area of your SEO will reflect your contributions.

Another main area of SEO is trust. Trustworthiness is based on good reviews, original information, and quality links. If your website gets bad reviews from visitors, uses content taken from other websites, or does not have links from other trusted sites, your website will be penalized and given lower scores. Google wants to offer the best information and links to searchers, and if your website does not measure up, the result will be lower rankings in the search results. Be sure to show trustworthiness to Google’s algorithm by obtaining links from high ranking sites, news articles, customers, and partners. When visitors and customers brag about what you have to offer, Google pays attention. When your website uses unique content, Google’s algorithm will trust you more. When you have great back-links, Google recognizes your credibility.

The third main area of SEO is authority. The more popular your website is, the more Google wants to feature it in search results. If people love the products and information you offer and show it by visiting and reviewing it positively. Offer those signals that show your popularity.

Your authority gets higher points from having a fan base. Social networking is a popular way to build up your fan base. When people post about your website and products in messages and pages, comment, and post photos of themselves wearing or using your product, you will obtain visitors from social networks and raise your ranking in Google’s algorithm. Encourage those on social networks to comment about you and link to you. This proves your popularity and trustworthiness, which results in higher points in the authority area of your SEO.

In the simplest of terms, search engine optimization is a means of proving that you have the best website based on the quality, trust, and authority you offer. When you continue to offer excellent SEO, search engines will rank your links higher and display your site and information higher on the first page of search results. Since searchers start visiting websites at the top of the list, your website will receive more visitors, and you will continue to see more in profits.