Have you tried to field quotes from SEO services providers lately? How did it go? Do you feel like you would rather have bamboo shoots hammered under your fingernails? Did you think that there is no way that this is a real industry considering the variety of claims, pricing structures and “information” that is out there?

Well, you’re not alone. Trying to decipher what SEO actually is, let alone how it is priced, delivered and maintained is enough to make your eyes cross. It’s this very situation that makes being an SEO provider so frustrating. I know what we do to help our clients obtain results. I also know that it does not happen overnight, it requires diligent work on both our side and the client side and it is a process that requires a partnering mentality. I also see a marketplace just chock full of ridiculous claims, snake oil salesman techniques and poor customer service levels. I have to fight this battle daily to simply get folks to feel like I am not “one of those”.

OK, so who cares that I have these issues? No one really but it is important for SEO buyers to know that they are going to encounter a little of everything in the marketplace. I had someone tell me this joke one time while we were talking about SEO services; Q – What’s the difference between an SEO salesman and a used car salesman? A- The used car salesman KNOWS when he is lying. Ouch. I could, however, see his point. Many SEO “sales reps” are under educated and don’t talk about what is truly important in any search marketing campaign: results. Results come from taking the technique of SEO and then APPLYING it to the business of a client. The act of performing SEO without a true understanding of the business need and application is a waste of valuable client time and money.

For a small business or anyone who is new to this thing called search engine optimization (SEO) here is my first piece of advice. Go to, actually read and try to understand the Google Webmaster Guidelines. This is the best starting point to help identify some of the potentially dangerous or just plain untrue practices and claims made by SEO providers (like the infamous “guarantee” of rankings – if you hear or read that anywhere just turn tail and run away as fast as possible, you’ll thank me later). It’s a good primer on the subject and provides strong foundational information to be armed with in the SEO marketplace. Ethical SEO providers adhere to these standards. It is because of these standards that SEO is a more involved and difficult task thus making it harder for someone to just add it to their list of marketing duties (thus the need for outsourced ethical experts). These standards are in place so Google can actually provide what you are looking for when you perform a search. Relevant, real and authoritative organic search results are what drives Google’s paid ad model. I want to believe that they are doing their best to provide the best answer to the questions I entrust to them.

Having said all that, it takes time, real thought, planning, technique and continual education to truly do SEO well so that real results are obtained. Real results, by the way, are not just ranking for some obscure keywords or key phrases. It is measured in bottom line impact of your SEO investment in hard dollars, increased lead volume or some other metric that YOU deem to be the most important to you. Don’t let someone convince you that rankings are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Rankings can generate traffic but there are other issues like usability, calls to action and more that will create results. All of these elements are important in a complete and thorough SEO campaign.

There is a lot more to address about this issue, including what is a fair price to be paid for SEO services in the current marketplace. I’ll save these for another day.

SMB Takeaway: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not what many folks would like you to believe. Exercise extreme caution when choosing a vendor and at a bare minimum read and understand Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. This will arm you with enough information to protect yourself from some of the ridiculous claims in the SEO marketplace. Consider these guidelines as your can of mace to keep the predators away long enough for you to get to safety.

Thanks and have a great day!