We'll look at some of the important questions you should be asking your search engine optimization consultant before launching your SEO campaign.
Should I be optimizing multimedia features on my website?
Traditionally, the biggest value in SEO has been optimizing written content based on specifically targeted high-value keyword phrases. This value is as true as ever, but at the same time, to get the most significant exposure online, it's also becoming increasingly important to cover multimedia with your search optimization plan. This means that paying extra attention to images and videos within your site needs to be part of the overall strategy. Be sure to ask your search engine optimization consultant how they'll go about this.
What is your link building policy?
One way to tell who the best search engine consultants are is to gauge their policy on link building. Specifically, it's well known that you can launch and all out backlink "assault," getting even hundreds of incoming links to your site in just days. This might have incredible short term results for your site's traffic, but in the end, it will significantly damage your site's credibility with the search engines. Professional SEOs know very well that it's important to focus on a slow but steady link profile strategy-only a couple of highly relevant, natural links at a time. And also, a well rounded link profile will include some outgoing links from your site too. Don't settle for a short term link policy that will ultimately hurt your site in the long run.
Will SEO be part of an overall SEM campaign?
It's important to understand the difference between SEO and SEM (and to ensure it's clear that your consultant does too). SEO is search engine optimization-it's all organic and only goes after the "free listings" portion of the search engine results. On the other hand, SEM, which stands for search engine marketing, is more about the overall approach to building traffic. SEM does usually utilize some SEO, but it also works heavily with Pay Per Click (PPC) and other online marketing techniques. Both SEO & SEM are good, but you'll definitely want to be working with an expert that understands the pros and cons of each and how they fit together as part of the overall puzzle.
