Marketers – What Are Your Customers Saying About Your Brand?

 

One reason companies frequently give for not taking advantage of Social Media Marketing is that they fear people saying bad things about their company or brand.

Here’s the thing. People are already saying bad things about your brand and may have been doing so for quite some time. You just can’t hear them. Many of these people are your customers… and while they complain about you they are also telling your potential customers. Social Media simply makes those conversations visible – it doesn’t create them. This is a perfect reason for marketers to get involved.

While companies may be slow to use the power of Social Media, their customers are not. Customers have discovered the power of the Internet, Google, blogs, community forums – even online newspapers – and are using them to share their feelings about their experience with your brand. That should cause marketers least a few sleepless nights.

Here’s just one recent example. When a major Canadian telephone company recently announced a new branding and advertising campaign the online newspaper article in Canada’s Globe and Mail generated enormous interest – and over 200 reader comments in a just a few hours. Customers wanted to tell not just the company but other consumers about their negative experiences with the company. Others chimed in with similar stories about their experience with other companies. Their biggest issue?

Poor customer service. And here’s what else marketers should be worried about:

Many customers were very unhappy with their overall experience of several companies.
Most wanted improvements to customer service first – and were unimpressed with news of branding campaigns, marketing messages and PR (which, incidentally included references to great customer service)
Several former customers said they had already taken their business elsewhere. Others were planning to the first chance they got
All had realized the power of Social Media and the viral nature of the Internet as a powerful tool for making their voices heard
Most customers simply wanted someone at the company to listen and put right what they thought was wrong so they could have a better experience
It used to be that one unhappy customer would tell nine other customers. And that was bad news. With the Internet, Social Media, and viral user generated content one unhappy customer can tell several thousands, if not millions of people. They don’t even have to own a blog.

The 19 “New” Rules of social Media Copywriting builds on the fact that successful Social Media Marketing begins with:

engaging with your customers
putting them and their needs first
starting conversations with them and
developing genuine relationships and eventually brand advocates
However, this never takes place in isolation of your customers’ existing experience.

Providing excellent customer service can be the difference between having a long-term relationship with a customer and not having that customer at all. Building a relationship with a customer who has had a bad experience with your brand is difficult and the potential for creating a brand advocate becomes negligible.

So what do you do when people are saying “bad things” about your brand? Can Social Media help you turn the situation around? How do you get started?

I Needed a New Ice Maker

I have always loved to eat ice. I know that there are dentists out there that say this is bad for a person’s teeth, but I only eat ice that is soft. When I moved into my new apartment, the refrigerator did not have an ice maker. I don’t like to eat the cubes that are made in plastic trays, so I knew that I was going to have to buy an ice maker on my own. I looked at a website that had reviews and details on the 10 best ice makers on the market now, and it did not take me long to find the one that I wanted to buy.

It does not take a lot of space on the counter, and it is not ugly either. I saw some that were not nice looking at all, and I automatically disqualified those ones just on that basis. This one is silver, but it can come in different colors. I like the silver though because it matches my stove and fridge. It also makes three different sizes of ice. The setting to go between the three sizes is very easy to change.

I also like that it makes 27 pounds of ice every day. There is no way I could eat that much ice, but I do use ice for other things too. When we go to the beach, I would always stop at the store and buy a couple of bags of ice for the coolers. Now, I don’t have to do that. I am able to bag the ice a couple of days ahead of time and store it in my freezer, and that actually saves me a lot of money. I like that it looks good, it makes good ice, and it makes ice fast. To me, that is all that matters!

The Amazing Secret To Keep Readers Reading Without Mercy

 

Do you know at least 98% of the people who read your sales letter would simply skip it?

What if there’s a way, so you could seduce your prospects and literally FORCE them to read your sales pitch�all without trying much at all? Sounds too good to be true? Well, you’ll discover why this is possible in a while, but first�

Have you ever heard about the “BUCKET BRIGADE”?

Here is Wikipedia’s description if you haven’t heard about it:

“A bucket brigade is a method for transporting items where items are passed from one stationary person to the next. More specifically, it refers to a method of firefighting before the advent of hand pumped fire engines, whereby firefighters would pass buckets to each other to extinguish a blaze. This method generally maximizes THROUGHput.”

If you noticed, it says maximizes THROUGHput at the end. And why is the reason?

You see in Copywriting terms: This actually involves putting several sentences of lead in copy… or sub-heads… or several visible questions that suckers your readers’ eyes back into the sales letter as they are scanning/scrolling own the page… so he is SO CURIOUS about what’s coming next�he can’t help but to FINISH READING through (paragraph after paragraph) to satisfy his curiosity instantly!

Imagine this: what would you achieve if you can make someone find it hard to sleep, simply because they haven’t finish READING your entire sales letter? And, if you can make them finish reading everything you say in your copy to convince them for the sale… what would happen to your conversions and PROFITS?

Well this is the power of the bucket brigade.

But, what are some examples of the bucket brigade? To satisfy your want for more… here are lists of them you can use in your copy starting today: – Here’s why

– Meanwhile

– Sounds impossible

– And it gets better

– The fact is

– What’s more

– You see

– Think about it

– As if that’s not enough

– As it turns out

– And much, much MORE… You get the IDEA. Something that pulls readers in with a few short, but INTRIGUING words used to bring readers back into the sales letter every few paragraphs. Having used the bucket brigade to turn a boring, same ol’ sales copy as every one else into a ‘cash-dispensing machine’… I’ve never since write copy without using this “secret” strategy ever again. Now that you know how to keep your readers READING without mercy, please keep this “secret” to yourself and have your prospects wondering… how, did you ever kept them staying until the end of the sales letter?

Copyright (c) 2008 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.

4 Useful Internet Marketing Tips

 

Marketing online may seem easy, but it is much harder than you can imagine. Statistics show that 20 percent of the internet marketers are making 80 percent of the income. This leaves only 20 percent of the income for 80 percent of the rest of you.

If you follow the internet marketing tips listed below you can be successful online.

1. When you are choosing which product or service to promote it is important that you choose the product or service that will be able to sell and not the one which you will get the most commission with.

If you promote something that is not wanted but has a high commission rate you run the risk of not selling any products at all. Likewise though, if you sell a product that is wanted with a decent commission you have a higher chance of making money.

2. If you are going to enter into a field it is important that you become an expert in that field. If you become a credible source on a subject on the internet people will begin to trust your opinion and you will be able to sell them the product or service you are selling.

The best way to become a credible source in your field is to write articles on your field and distribute them through a variety of article directories. Another way is to go through forums and help people who ask for it. Both of these ways are great to show that you are knowledgeable in your field and are good ways to get traffic to your site and promote your product.

3. Another good way to promote a product is to provide a testimonial of it. If you have tried the product or service than putting your own testimonial of it on your site is a great way to promote it. If you have not personally tried the product you should find reviews of it and place them on your site.

4. One of the most important internet marketing tips that you should memorize is traffic is key. Traffic is the key to having a successful web site and a failure. You will not see the results that you are looking for without a good stream of traffic to your site.

Search engine optimization is one of the best ways to generate traffic to your site. So that you appear on search engine searches every one of your web sites needs to be optimized for a specific keyword.

If you want to be one of the people in the 20 percent that are making 80 percent of the income than you need to follow these internet marketing tips.

Tips on Finding Search Engine Optimization Experts in Augusta Georgia

Making the right move when choosing the next Search Engine Optimization company to hire has a significant effect on every company and its bank account. The difference between a decrease in Yahoo or Google search rankings and a spike in organic traffic comes down to picking between an excellent and a bad Search Engine Optimization expert or specialist.

 

But with the right SEO partners, most businesses in any industry can increase their company sales and decrease their advertising budget, while improving the user experience. Before signing the dotted line or contract with the new firm, here are some tips every business owner needs to consider.

 

Search Engine Optimization is not magic. Avoid people who say it is an easy task

 

SEO is the process of optimizing a website to help increase traffic by using organic means. It is pretty tricky, which means that it is usually misunderstood. People who assume that they have a unique understanding of Google’s algorithm, or speak about SEO like it is a mythical creature, are often not telling the truth.

 

Want to know more about Black Hat SEO? Visit this site to find out more.

 

Instead, an excellent SEO requires a profound understanding of how Google or other search engines work, attention to small details and constant modification since search engine algorithms change regularly; usually on a weekly basis.

 

Not only that, shortcuts like stuffing content with keywords, cloaking and purchasing backlinks can lead to search engines demoting the website. These methods are called Black Hat SEO. They violate every rule and regulations that search engines are implementing.

 

Once Google bots discover that the website is using Black Hat techniques to increase their traffic, they will demote the website in their SERP or Search Engine Result Page. It will decrease the site’s organic traffic. SEO “experts” who claim to have insider knowledge could be using Black Hat techniques, for which the website will ultimately pay the price.

 

Be specific about the goals and look for a firm that can meet those goals

 

Whatever you do, avoid hiring an SEO company with the goal of only “increasing the organic traffic to your site.” For starters, there are a lot of different types of organic traffic. It means that increasing the traffic of the website doesn’t automatically translate to an increase in revenue.

 

Ranking high on Google for a particular keyword does not do your business or company any good if the keyword is not relevant to the product you are selling or services you are offering. To avoid uncertainty, your team or company needs to outline what you are hoping to accomplish using SEO.

 

Does the company look to increase product or service sales by ranking for a specific keyword? Does the company struggle to minimize the website’s bounce rate or maximize its conversion rate? If the business is looking to increase the advertising revenue, do they want to have a broad audience or a small audience, but spends a lot of time on, on average, on the website?

 

Are the company looking for help in building their social media following, creating sponsored content, or other forms of services that go beyond Search Engine Optimization? No matter which firm a company chooses, they need to make sure that they are clear on the kind of results they are looking for and what types of services it will require.

 

To know more about this subject, check out sites like https://www.georgiaseoexplosion.comfor more information.

 

Do not just go to Google and start searching “the best SEO” in your area. Instead, try looking for recommendations from people you know

 

Why is it a bad idea to choose an SEO company based on its ranking on Google? The answer is, most reputable SEO specialists are too busy optimizing their client’s website; they do not have time to optimize their own sites. The best company usually has a lot of long-term clients who have referred people from their professional circles to avail of the same services.

 

Only firms that need new customers will bother to spend a lot of time optimizing their own website to attract new clients. Not only that, don’t assume that any lists are impartial. Usually, the companies listed on that list have paid a considerable sum of money for a premium spot on these lists.

 

Good SEO firms already have a lot of clients to bother paying for a premium spot on these lists. It does not mean that there is no credible list found on the Internet. It means that the best way to find qualified SEO firms is to do it the old-fashioned way: through recommendations or by word-of-mouth.

 

Instead of using search engines, ask people you know – family members, friends, colleagues, or people in your professional circle that are not a direct competition – about firms they can recommend. It would also be a big help to ask other companies in your industry for any recommendation since they will already have experience dealing with these firms.

 

Choose a Search Engine Optimization company that effectively communicates with its clients

 

Though businesses should have access to the software or tools they are using to measure key performance indicators – Google Search Console, SEMrush, Google Analytics – there is a big chance that you do not have time to spend analyzing all the information.

 

Because of this, companies need to hire an SEO expert or a team that can work for you in terms of fostering trust and communication. Keep in mind that Search Engine Optimization is a process; it means you will work with them for years to come. Even if the company only plans on working with a third-party company temporarily, meeting the traffic goals using organic means will take a lot of time, constructive work relationships and patience.

 

Benefits of SEO for Small Businesses in Miami

When it comes to small businesses, you have to find various and creative ways to survive in a competitive market. It does not matter if you operate online or in a brick-and-mortar store, because you have to boost your presence to reach more people and convert them into customers.

Lack of online presence is directly connected with fewer sales and less income in general. Therefore, as soon as you publish your official website, which is also a necessity nowadays, you should optimize it properly.

The best way to do it is by checking Miami SEO experts that will help you handle optimization so that you can think about other things when it comes to boosting your business to the next level.

Search engine optimization is the first and crucial step you have to take towards your goal. That is the main reason why we wish to present your reasons why you should optimize your online presence.

What Is Search Engine Optimization?

SEO is a combination of various techniques and processes in which you should implement specific tactics with an idea to reach higher rankings on search engine results.

It means that you are creating content so that your potential customers can find you by searching relevant keywords through search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yandex depending on your target audience.

It is also one of the most cost-effective strategies to increase website traffic to boost search engine rankings, which will help you connect with customers organically.

Remember that search engine results tend to depend on authority and relevance. At the same time, Google has implemented new algorithms with an idea to improve the search results and to present useful content to people that are searching through it.

You should click here to learn more about search engine optimization in general.

Therefore, you have to follow specific regulations that will help you maintain your rankings. The best way to do it is to combine and balance quality and quantity. Search engines tend to rely on specific attributes, which help them organize information to potential visitors.

We are talking about qualities that include website speed, keywords, and mobile responsiveness. However, you should know that you should consider other factors as well that will help you rank better than before.

Finally, if you optimize your website and online presence, you will reach higher rankings on search engine results, which will make you more visible to target customers.

Importance of SEO for Small Businesses

Optimization is an essential strategy that will allow you to create a user-friendly website, which will ultimately affect the number of visitors as well as potential customers that you can convert afterward.

If you wish to do it, you have to conduct market research and to find target vocabulary and interests. Both offline and online businesses can get numerous benefits by implementing optimization.

For instance, it is excellent for E-Commerce businesses because it can help them gain more leads and convert them into customers that will return each time they need something from you.

On the other hand, brick-and-mortar businesses tend to rely on local SEO to reach people from their area much more comfortable than before.

Check out this site: https://neilpatel.com/what-is-seo/ to learn everything about optimization strategies you should implement to reach more customers than before.

Online presence is an essential part of online marketing, which means that optimization will allow you to reach organic visitors without paying hefty fees for ads similarly as before. Of course, it is essential to know your audience so that you can optimize your content for them.

1.   Keywords

The most crucial part of optimization is finding target keywords that will connect you faster with users that are typing similar phrases on Google to find businesses like you. That way, you will become more transparent and boost the number of visitors.

The idea is to conduct market research in which you can determine the best keyword you can use to make your business stay ahead of competitors.

Keywords include placing main ones as well as properphrasing, which is connected to the type of your business as well as the location you are in.

Even though back in the day optimization relied on repeating keywords to make content more reachable, nowadays, you have to implement the following specific rules.

Too much repetition will affect the readability of your content, and the overall information will not be appealing to both readers and search engine crawlers.

2.   Reach Target Audience

You will not be able to market your business without knowing your customers thoroughly successfully. Therefore, you should conduct keyword research to identify the phrases people tend to search based on your industry niche.

This particular strategy will direct traffic towards your website, so when you optimize your website, people that are searching for something related to your industry will find you easier than before.

Keep in mind that content is everything, so you should implement informative blog posts and articles as well as other forms such as video guides, infographics and many more, which will ultimately help people learn new things.

Combining informative and relevant content to your industry niche with properly searching keywords is the easiest way to reach new people organically.

 

 

Kibo Code Review by Aidan Booth and Steve Clayton

If you wish to start earning money by using E-Commerce business model and specific strategy that will help you along the way, you should consider Kibo Code as the efficient model created by Steve Clayton and Aidan Booth.

An eight-week period will provide you information on how to make money with ease by using a specific style that Steve and Aidan created. According to their portfolios, they used the same model to make millions of dollars, which is the main reason for its popularity.

Remember that you can check out Kibo Code review by Aidan Booth on link we shared with you, so that you can understand everything we are saying in here.

You can rest assured because this particular form of E-Commerce promotion does not require Facebook, Amazon, inventory, talking to customers and overstocking expensive products. Therefore, the initial investment is minimal, while the return is amazing.

Systematic Guide: How Does the System Work?

It is vital to start by creating a generic domain name, but we recommend you to find a high-quality solution that will allow you to share anything you need. As soon as you do it, you will get instructions on how to create a simple store with high-converting products.

The best thing about this particular step is the possibility to implement it while engaging a program. Through it, you will learn how to determine which products are profitable by using their own software that will create a selection based on your preferences.

The idea is to avoid focusing on niche market, and to understand that each niche comes with profitable products that you can use to improve your overall income. As soon as you determine the best products for your particular needs, you should load the website with these listings.

The program will also help you understand how to promote these listings by using untapped and underrated methods that are highly efficient.

As soon as someone decides to buy something from you, you will be able to order from other suppliers and send it to the customer directly, which reduces the need for your own storage space and stock. You can see that upfront costs are minimal as well.

Finally, you will learn how to optimize and maintain only profitable products on your E-Commerce website, which means that you have to eliminate the ones that are not profitable, and choose others instead.

When you become a customer of this particular program, you will get software, training, product pages, storefront as well as ID tools, product databases, coaching, control center, support as well as community with previous buyers so that you can connect with each other.

By clicking here, you will be able to learn about E-Commerce marketing tips that will help you improve your revenue.

Pros and Cons of Kibo Code

Choosing this particular program will provide you with relevant information that will help you earn hundreds of dollars weekly, and the cash flow will start a few days after you enroll.

They also have presumption that you can pick appropriate items to maximize your sales, which will ultimately affect your overall budget.

Of course, you have to make initial investment by enrolling a program that could be expensive for some people, but it will ultimately help you improve your knowledge on E-Commerce trends so that you can create a successful business as time goes by.

Have in mind that even if you do not want to use their program, it can be valuable to learn a different approach so that you can create a unique perspective that will allow you to boost your business in timely manner.

 

5 Messenger Bot Secrets For Digital Marketers That Everyone Must Know

It was so easy being involved in marketing before. There were a few methods that everyone could learn in school. Today, it’s a field that no one is a complete expert. Marketers are now focusing on different branches of it. See the history of marketing here.

Some are experts in one field while others in something else. They work together to make a perfect final product. In this case, when talking about messenger bots, it takes even more people from different fields to work together. Programmers, industry specialists, and marketers all need to work together to make the best of the situation.

When it comes to the marketing problems that everyone in the business encounters, and especially if you’re a part of it, you need to be aware of these 5 most important issues. Having them in mind and solving them will help you become a bigger expert and get the respect of your clients. Read on and find out more about it!

1. Learn how to program them fast

The chatbots are final products made by programmers. They are ready for use once you purchase them as software. If you’re into the marketing business, you need to know which ones’ are the best both for you and your clients.

When you talk to one, you need to know what you are going to offer as a solution. The clients want a final product. They don’t want to know how you’re going to do it and what you’re going to use. They just want the thing to function and give them the expected help and profit. Learn more about bots on the link: https://www.inc.com/amanda-pressner-kreuser/wtf-are-chatbots-6-things-you-need-to-know-right-now.html.

That’s why you need to know which ones’ are the best and learn to program them fast. Sure, you can hire someone else to do it for you, but this is not that hard and you’ll save both money and time in waiting for this other person to do it.

Once you learn how to do it properly, you’ll become faster and faster until you achieve perfection. When the client asks you to do a great job, you can be sure that nothing will go wrong and you’ll have a profit from the job too.

2. What are the most common questions?

When you’re going to program the bot, you need to be aware of what people coming to your client’s page will ask them. There are certain questions that everyone will ask. You, as a marketer, need to do the research and find out what are they.

If you’re working for a company selling shoes, you can’t spend time on making up answers for how much money the company spends on health insurance for their workers. You need to focus on the important things for both your client and their customers.

Research the most common question everyone asks the bot. Then, focus on the more complex things. The most important and most common things visitors ask the chatbots are standard greetings like hey and hi, but also things like are you a robot, what is your name, and where do you live.

You can’t answer with arrogance, you must come up with both polite and engaging answers. The job of the bot is to be helpful and make people press the buy button.

3. Facebook messenger is the best

Always make sure the chatbot has Facebook integration. More than 2 billion people are using this app and chances are the biggest that your visitors will have a profile there. If you make them register, they’ll lose interest. If you let them talk to you without registering, you’re leaving out vital information about them that can be later used for marketing purposes.

With Facebook, you get everything in place. The syncing is easy and your clients will have no problem doing it. They probably already did it previously somewhere else and they know it’s harmless, so using this app for the job is the best option you have.

Take some messenger courses for chatbots and see some of the secrets behind why is it so great to have this kind of thing placed on the website.

4. Choose the right type of bot

Just like mentioned previously, choosing the bot that’s made for a certain business is half of the job done right. You don’t need a specialized bot for healthcare if you’re selling shoes.

The reason we say this is that programmers and app designers collaborate with experts from different fields to create them. The bots are made specifically for a business involved in different areas. This means you should offer a product that was made for one type of company if your client is involved in something completely different.

Always have a line of different options for whenever you need to work with a client who’s into something else. Be prepared for the situation and choose bots for the right occasion. Don’t use one for everything, this is going to get you in a lot of trouble, time-spending, and money-consuming activities.

5. Provide more languages

One of the common questions that visitors ask the chatbots is whether they speak different languages. It seems like people have deep connections with their origin and they are overwhelmed when they found out that even machines speak their language.

Having a bot programmed this way can make people more satisfied, and when they are happy it means that they are going to spend more money on products being sold on the page. This is why having more language options is highly important.

The Importance Of SEO And Digital Marketing In Your Business

Things have changed since the last century in every segment of life. The business world suffered so many positive and negative changes that no one can recognize what happened to it since 1999. See some of the changes that happened on this link.

One of the positive sides is the rise of the internet and digital marketing. In this article, we’re going to talk about this and the importance of SEO as one of the major issues of it. Read on and learn more!

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization is the term standing behind it. It’s basically a part of the digital marketing that is suited to bring lots of new visitors to the web pages of companies and make them rank higher on the search engines.

It is basically a special way of web page set up in many different sectors. Starting from the interface and up to the server’s performance. The main focus is still on the words and managing to create content which will be recognized by Google and other search engine bots as important.

Who does this?

There are professional companies highly skilled in this marketing field. What they do is take over the work of the website and fix all the tiny errors you previously made. If you’re starting anew, then they’ll manage to create a page that will be perfect from the very start.

Before getting on with the hiring process you need to do some research first. Find out which one is the best. Read some reviews and articles about it. For example, Check Out 5 Best Things, an article in which they talk about the best Sacramento companies. Find some other articles like this and read more about the place you live in.

How does it help the business?

Optimizing your page means getting it higher on the results page when someone searches for something connected to your line of work. For example, if a person tries to search for shoe stores, and you’re selling this kind of product online, the engine will recognize your good work and will suggest your company to this person.

People are usually not interested in scrolling too much. They like to click the first result that will come out. Somehow, they think this one’s the most relevant. They say if you’re located on page 2 on Google, be sure that no one will open your site through it.

On the other hand, there are so many people looking for information online today. Around 5.6 searches happen only on the search engine we mentioned every day. Everyone’s looking for info online and this is only going to go up since there’s no other way even in the distant sight.

With 3.3 billion smartphones, this is happening on the go most of the time. More than half of the people are doing this on their phones, and less are doing it from desktop computers. That means your site must be tailored for both desktop and mobile users. See some more stats about this here: https://seotribunal.com/blog/google-stats-and-facts/.

Some companies who managed to make a perfect switch from an ordinary page to a search engine optimized one, claim they have got over 500% profit more than they were getting previously. All those people who were previously going to someplace else are now visiting their page which makes them buy from this store rather than someone else’s.

Conclusion

Before you do anything you need to realize that you can’t build a serious company without having a top-notch website. If you look at the giant corporations making billions in revenue, you’ll see that all of them have amazing websites offering their good there too. They have tons of retail stores all over the world, but they are still paying so much attention to this part.

The reason for this is that they know the world is turning to online trade more and more. Not being a part of this trend-train will leave you behind and eventually your company will lose the pace with the rest.

It’s important to catch-up now before it’s too late. Optimize your site and offer your goods to the internet world.

How to hire the right SEO expert in Spokane?

Have you just hit a wall in your business? Perhaps, your company is a startup and it needs an immediate boost or you have come across some difficulties on your way to success. The reason behind this stagnation is not as important, as finding an appropriate solution.

The solution is called SEO, something that companies didn’t need a decade ago, but they certainly need it now. The old marketing strategies that you know are being replaced by SEO services which guarantee you online success. Applyingit means using suitable keywords which lead to higher ranks on search engines, reaching a wide audience, offering better customer experience,a simple yet highly functional website and much more.

SEO services are offered by countless experts and companies on the market. They are easy to find, but how to choose the best one for your business. Read the following tips to find out.

Learn the basics of SEO

It doesn’t mean that if you are not in charge of search engine optimization, that you shouldn’t know anything about it. On the contrary, the information you learn will help you understand the services that the consultant is providing.  You can google the word SEO and find plenty of guides on this topic or you can watch free tutorials on YouTube.

Another important thing that you should understand is the use of keywords, as they are actually the main pillars. People use these words to find the website they are looking for. You should make a list of all the potential keywords that people might use when they search for websites in your business field.

In addition, you shouldn’t mix up SEO with SEM. The latter is search engine marketing, which uses paid advertisement to make your website popular. However, the former is organic type of promotion, which encompasses more than just marketing.

Looking for potential candidates

The best way to find potential candidates is to ask people who have already hired SEO experts to share their experience.  However, if you don’t have such people in your surroundings, you can ask the SEO consultants for references.  Reliable consultants would have references from previous clients and would gladly share them with you.

You can contact these people and find out more about their experience. The best way to contact them is by phone, as you can ask more questions and get more answers. Beware of experts who don’t have references, unless they are new in this line of business.

Another efficient way in which you can locate potential candidates is by attending marketing seminars and conferences. On these types of events, you’ll find plenty of SEO consultants and companies, so you can ask questions to each one of them and gather useful information.

Evaluate the candidates

After composing a short list of candidates, you should start the process of elimination. Only take into consideration consultants who are currently working in this field. Search engine optimization is prone to constant changes, so if the candidates haven’t worked in this industry for a while, it’s very likely that they aren’t up to date with the latest trends and techniques.

Eliminate candidates who don’t have any or little experience. It’s crucial for their experience to be with the kind of website that you have. If your business is working on a local level, you need an expert in local SEO. Additionally, you should be provided with a portfolio of all their previous work, but bear in mind that they should be able to explain everything in there in details.

Upon meeting the consultants, don’t forget to ask them questions regarding their work and your future collaboration.  Ask them what type of a strategy they have in mind for your business, how often are they going to provide you with updates and what’s the minimum contract you can sign. Click here to find out more useful questions to ask SEO consultants.

Always pick a person who’s easy to communicate with, as you’ll be in touch about future problems, changes and suggestions. You’ll need somebody who is knowledgeable but able to explain everything in a simple way.

Plan your budget

It’s essential to calculate your budget and see how much money you can spare on SEO services. The price range of these services is huge.  There are some consultants who charge even up to $400 per hour while some charge $100 dollars for whole month.

Never go with the cheapest offer, it’ll make things more complicated than they already are. The price depends on the years of experience, the country where you come from, the quality of service etc. However, firstly you should decide what type of service you need.

You might need one-time SEO, which will optimize your website and explain the procedure. Or you just need an audit, which means detection of problems but not resolving them. Perhaps what you need is a local or national SEO, depending on the audience you want to reach.

If your business operates locally, you need the local type. However, if you plan your company to operate on a national level, you need the national type. These services are usually paid on a monthly level. Finally, you can always choose service charged by the hour, which is convenient for occasional help.

Wrap up

Hiring the right search engine optimization expert is not as simple as it seems.

You should start from yourself and learn the basics of this field.  You then need to select a candidate which has excellent knowledge, experience in your industry, good communication skills and a solid portfolio.

Remember: Before selecting an expert, make sure you know the type of service you need. A business without good SEO, falls behind the competition.

Don’t be tricked by extremely cheap offers, choose medium-priced ones, but always check the reliability of the consultant.

Invest as much as you can, as it will definitely pay off in the long run. You just need to be patient!