Your "SEO Guy" Is Laughing The Whole Way To The Bank

Chances are, most of the people who read these blogs do so because they want knowledge. They're hungry to learn and they're hungry to grow.

So when you hear the "experts" talk about all of the bells and whistles of SEO (search engine optimization), you get excited. You pull out your wallets. Because CLEARLY they know what it's going to take to help your website rank.

In the past week, we've talked to no fewer than FIVE companies who are contracting someone to handle their "SEO". Why did we get the phone calls? Because several of these companies can't seem to find their business online in a very simple Google search. Two more of them had concerns over just what they are getting for their money from their "SEO guy".

Let me start with this. The Silent Partner Marketing is NOT an "SEO" company. Which is why you should read very, very carefully - because we have no skin in the game. We're not here to sell you on "SEO services". Our team designs and executes marketing strategies for businesses. While we do provide many of the services that you need - from videography and photography to social media and writing - the greater value for many businesses is the fact that we can give them an unbiased analysis of what's working and what's not on their SEO/SEM (search engine marketing: i.e. adwords, etc) without having skin in the game.

So why am I writing this? Frankly, I'm sick and tired of seeing companies get screwed over because they don't have all of the information they need to make the right decisions. They're paying hundreds - or in many cases thousands - of dollars a month for "SEO"...but these same companies aren't even generating unique and relevant content.

So let's dive into all of this by starting with a general statement that's going to get some people seriously fired up.

SEO Is Dead

When you do a search on Google - doesn't matter what you're searching for - which would you rather find? A website that used every single SEO trick in the book to game their way to the top? Or would you rather find a website that has exactly what you're looking for - backed by authoritative and reliable content?

I know - it's a rhetorical question. Of course you want a relevant site. Guess what? So does Google. Google doesn't make a dime off of "optimized sites". As a matter of fact, Google found that these "optimized sites" worked AGAINST what they were trying to do. They found that users weren't pleased with the search results they were getting when the top appearing sites weren't filled with the most relevant data...but with junk that had been "gamed" to the top.

How do we know this is the case? Without diving into the specifics of the Penguin, Panda and Hummingbird updates - we can demonstrate it with one simple move that Google made in 2013. The web giant stopped providing information about keyword popularity. Huh? That's right - it was a direct attack on "SEO guys" who were using keyword popularity to stuff metatags on the websites with top keywords.

The other big attack? The idea of "link farming".

Prior to Google's big updates, "link farming" was all the rage. Simply put, you'd get a whole bunch of websites to link back to YOUR website. Google would go "oh, wow - look how many sites are referring to these guys - they must be highly relevant". Google's updates acted as a big "ah ha" moment - and crushed websites that were using these strategies. While there's still a role in back-links to grow your SEO - it's only in STRONG, RELEVANT, QUALITY websites linking back appropriately.

With that being said, the fact of the matter is that SEO in and of itself isn't actually dead. But there's a lot of information you need to know to determine whether your "SEO guy" is the real deal or a wolf in sheep's clothing.

SEO YOU CAN'T IGNORE

What's the type of SEO you should actually be doing?

First of all, you need a well-organized, content-rich site. The site has to be highly relevant with data that your customers are looking for. It needs a strong focus on the user experience, helping the potential customer to navigate the site as easily as possible and find exactly what they're looking for.

The site needs authority. Great information specific about products. Properly optimized pictures. Longevity of the domain. No stuffing of keywords. A very well-ordered site map. No duplicate content across the entire site or off-site. Integration of video. There's lots of stuff you CAN be doing and SHOULD be doing.

But here's a little tip. If you're NOT contributing content to a website on a regular basis, your "SEO guy" should be revamping the back end of your site ONCE - not on a monthly retainer. Unless he/she is PRODUCING unique and relevant content, chances are good that more harm than good is being done.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

Let's face it. SEO is, in many regards, the snake-oil of the web. It's a big industry. "State of Digital" reports that 863 million websites across the world mention the term "SEO". The site reports that 105 people search for "SEO" links on Google - usually "services" or "companies" every second.

The guys that know what they're doing understand this:

Google had about a dozen major updates last year alone and changed the algorithm on average 65 times a month. They completely overhauled HOW Google searches when they launched Hummingbird. Among what Google NOW looks at is this:

• How rich is your content?
• How clean is: your content, your meta tags and your links.
• How quickly does the site load?
• Where and how is the site hosted and served?
• How are the pages laid out?
• How are you moderating comments and dealing with SPAM?
• What does the advertising look like on site and does it load before or after content?
• Are you generating unique and relevant video?
• What is your social media integration like?

And so on and so forth.

Here's what you need to ask when it comes to hiring the next "SEO guy":

1. What's your background like? You'll want to know how long this "expert" has been in business and how they've dealt with Google updates.
2. What are your success stories and failure stories? Most companies that have been doing SEO for some time now were negatively impacted by the updates. That's not a problem. The problem is how they handled it.
3. How will you help me grow? You'll want to know their strategy and structure. If they PROMISE they'll rank you "at the top"...throw a martini in their face and run away. Quickly.
4. What will our communication be like? Find out how they plan on reporting back to you. You'll want to know how often you'll be contacted and how...and what the reports will entail.
5. How long will you be "married" to each other? Is there a contract? Do they want to be around for the long-run or for a quick-stint? Get as much info as you can.

Here are some warnings that you're probably dealing with a scammer.

1. He talks about "gray hat" techniques. Let's be very clear about this. There's good stuff and there's bad stuff. The stuff in the middle? You're playing with fire. If they talk about "gray hat" techniques - run.
2. They offer "bundled SEO solutions". Most of these "bundles" include a ton of back-links and are as cookie-cutter as you get. That's great...if we are doing business in 1990. IF it brings you temporary results, they are only temporary. Chances are, they're going to get your site blacklisted in the long-run.
3. They guarantee you'll be on the first page. Scam. Scam. SCAM. They can't guarantee this. Nobody can. "Entrepreneur" ran a great article in August about this topic and brought up a valuable point: "What happens when a competitor wants the same keyword? Who receives priority?"
4. They claim to have "inside knowledge". Bottom line is this. They don't. They are lying to you. Most of Google's own employees don't even know. That would be like your neighbor who brews beer in his garage telling you he's got Sam Adam's Octoberfest recipe. Chances are, he's been sipping to much of his own potion.
5. They tell you that there's always a chance that if Google changes again, your site could disappear. This means they are trying to game the system. Right now, you're at the casino and you're up $300. Great job. Except you forgot one little detail. The house always wins.

There are lots of questions you should ask as part of the SEO litmus test. But let's make this nice and simple. Focus on quality content. Have an audit done of your website to see how well your SEO on the back end has been handled. Get into video marketing. The keys to success are in your hands. And if you want to learn more about what "quality content" is, you can always feel free to hit us up at The Silent Partner Marketing. Clearly, we don't pull punches.

Do me a favor. Tell me about your experiences. Ask questions. But most importantly - share this blog or re-post it. Don't do it for me - do it for everyone else out there who needs to hear it.

----Kyle Reyes is the President and Creative Director of The Silent Partner Marketing, New England's #1 Marketing Agency. We're a boutique marketing firm focused on helping businesses grow in an age of exploding technology. You can find him on Google+, Facebook and Twitter. He's the Chuck Norris of marketing. It's outrageous - we know. That's kind of the point. Outrageous marketing - extraordinary results.