Agency Hunting: 3 Black Hat SEO Tricks To Beware

SEO agencies are manifold and shrouded in a sense of mystery, as industry definitions subtly shift according to algorithmic changes; though most black hat SEO’s loathe to admit, they are equally subjected to the terrors of Penguin, Panda and now Hummingbird, an effective Google trifecta affecting ranking, exposure and reputation. So you’ve come to the point where you need the advice of the experts, covering the easy, entry level stuff yourself the best you could between working all day and dragging the office home with you - there just aren’t enough hours available to truly get the best out of your online presence without a shred of assistance. And that’s okay, asking the right questions and hiring an experienced digital company, like Search Factory, will place you yards ahead of your competitors eventually, there’s no doubt about it. Take advantage of our cheat sheet and save money, stress and countless hours of frustration bound by hopeless professional relationships.

Don’t Be Fooled. There’s no such thing as a free ride and the online realm doesn’t pose an exception to this rule; sure the company championing a bulk stack of backlinks to push up rankings can probably deliver on its surface promises; they CAN get 1000 cheap and nasty links, you won’t have to lift a digit and it won’t cost you much, at least straight away. But it will damage your ranking, reputation and any social traction you’ve managed to drum up independently, associating your website and business with a seedy underground of horrible content and less than savoury subjects. And the long term monetary cost? A backlinking audit and a long term solution to combat the damage that one decision caused will set you back months in ranking higher, attracting a higher expenditure in the long term, especially if you set up an independent assessment before signing up to another SEO provider.

Repeat: Backlinking is not easy. Backlinking is not cheap. Natural backlinks are key to success.

Showing up to a SEO meet and greet without a record of work is like showing up to a dawn shoot-out without a gun. You’ll lose, each and every time. You are pouring irreplaceable capital into the survival of your business online, you need to see proof, and you need to demand credentials, despite how much you may like the salesperson. Sales people sell ideas, play on emotions and represent their companies from the best possible angle; a portfolio or body of work provides a true representation of where an agency has been, where they aim to go and whether or not they’re confident in tweaking your industry to suit the specific needs of SEO algorithms.

Repeat: The proof is in the pages.

This tactic indicates two things, the SEO specialist or salesmen didn’t do his research and he or she prefer to bambozzle possible clients with seemingly relevant questions packed with jargon and confusing terms, to create a need for their service and counsel. If they had research your company at all, they’d be well aware of how the internet disseminates organisations like yours, including any limitations and benefits. They are there to tell YOU how their services will benefit your bottom line, jargon not required. And don’t by a question similar to the first in the above series, they are in front of you to illuminate what can be done, how it can be done and any time constraints or road blocks. Don’t do their homework for them!

Repeat: Don’t be distracted by jargon, turn questions back on the sales representatives and SEO consultants.

Do you have any tips to share with your fellow readers? Run into any issues with agencies or weathered bad experiences, only to come back stronger? Let us know in the comments below!