SEO Outsourcing – Warnings to Watch For

They’re always telling you precisely what you should be looking for in an SEO outsourcing partner, but what about the things you should be looking to avoid altogether? In so many instances, it can take just one weak link in the chain to see the whole thing reduced to nothing and given the importance of SEO these days, a weak link is something you can’t afford to allow into the equation.So, in the spirit of making the right decision the first time and every time, here’s a look at some of the things you should be keeping an eye out for and being sure to avoid at all costs:     OTT PromisesFirst and foremost, it’s important to keep a very level head and draw the line as to what’s realistic and what’s pure fantasy. Of course, it sounds hugely compelling and tempting when a provider claims it will deliver you all the riches of the world overnight on a silver platter, but SEO doesn’t allow for this kind of quick-fix success. And nor does any strategy in the world allow an SEO outsourcing firm to guarantee number-one rankings for every client – there’s simply not enough space at the top. As such, be careful with your expectations and don’t be led astray by OTT promises.Lump Sum PaymentsThere’s never any reason why you should enter into a long-term agreement with a provider and have to pay for the whole thing all at once…or even a huge chunk of it, for that matter. It should all be a game of give and take, where you pay month by month in accordance with their satisfaction guarantees, which should of course be established from day one. If they expect you to shell out in a big way before you know what they’re capable of, it’s not worth taking the risk.Where’s the Feedback?Next, one of the most important tools/resources at your disposal when making your decision is the feedback and the testimonials left by past and current clients. And because no SEO provider in the world is likely to list a bunch of negative reports that show them to be anything but trustworthy, a distinct lack of any feedback available for your perusal is usually as good as an admission of guilt. If it’s not there, chances are it’s not worth looking for.No Trial PeriodsAny SEO firm of any sort that’s proud of what it does and confident in its services should be able to offer a trial period during which all new clients can get an idea of what’s on offer. If not, it’s likely that they’d prefer to hook you into a contract before you find out what’s really going on, so don’t bother.Poor WebsitesAnd finally, they may promise you greatness for your site and your campaign, but what about their site? Is it a shining beacon to the industry, or does it look like another generic piece of garbage that ranks on page 10 of Google’s results rankings? Long story short – if they can’t work wonders for themselves, how can they do so for you?