Google Releases Its Own Recommendations for Hiring a SEO Consultant
Seems a little late to the game, doesn’t it? SEO’s been around as a practice since 2000. It’s had a reasonably popular reputation since 2008 or so.
You can actually see the video on YouTube here:
Here’s some of the main highlights of the video if you prefer to read instead of watch:
SEO is not “black magic.” It’s a legit practice. Some shady SEO companies certainly treat it like black magic. But Google says it’s definitely a legitimate thing.
You can’t use quick tricks to rank number one in just a few short weeks. You could have done that 12-15 years ago. But SEO isn’t that easy anymore.
Successful SEO helps your site put its best foot forward so it ranks appropriately. No surprises here. Searchers want the best websites at the top of Google’s rankings. This demand forces Google to continue to improve its algorithm so that happens.
Good SEOs ensure you give your online customers a good experience. This certainly follows from the previous point. Spammy tactics, shortcuts, and fast results are not promised by good SEOs.
It takes 4-12 months to rank.Good SEOs need time to implement improvements. And they need some more time for Google to pick up on those and rank your website accordingly.
The best thing you can do is to get a SEO who correlates their recommendation to a documented statement from Google. Google has great resources for this. You’re better off Googling the specific recommendation. But, a couple resources include Google’s Webmaster Search Console and the Official Google Webmaster Central Blog.
In most cases, doing what’s good for SEO is good for your customers (and vice-versa). Again, this relates to points made earlier. Users want websites where they can learn what they want fast and either order it, or save your site and come back to it later to learn more, until they are ready to order.
Conduct a two-way interview with your SEO. There’s several aspects to this. First, try to make sure the SEO is genuinely interested in your business. Check their references. Ask for a search audit (which will cost you money). Finally, make your decision to hire (or not hire) the SEO.
So that’s how Google says to hire a SEO. It’s good, commonsense, practical advice that helps you make a great decision you won’t regret.