Search Engines Optimisation and Campaigns

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In the previous article I discussed the industry pirates and cowboys, in no other sector of the industry are these more common than search engine optimisation. To avoid any arguments or mud slinging, I am not claiming to be a SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) guru, I do not know everything there is to know about SEO. We work to best practices and proven results, we do not make unrealistic promises.

Maybe that's why this particular discipline is so bloated with cowboys? We are honest, we never make false promises or hopes. We are confident with our results, but how can anybody guarantee top results for the system which has no official documentation, no direct lines of communication and changed on an hourly rate?

Be cautious with these people, don't get me wrong, there are people who are very good getting results from SEO, they do things in the right way (methods known as whitehat techniques)

But equally there are a lot of people demanding large fees for supposedly guaranteed results, 1st page SERP (search engine ranking positioning). We have in the position several times where close clients have asked for advice for sourcing an external SEO company, one prime example where I was on site with the client during a meeting with proposing SEO company, posing as a member of staff I sat through the meeting, posing a normal member of their staff. The visiting SEO 'experts' guaranteed results, explained some processes (without giving too much away) and openly criticised the website. (I except criticism of my work, and see it as a positive learning step, to better and improve me steps). The whole experience was a real eye opener, despite the blatant lies, fake references and general sales speak, the actual facts they based their approach on was poorly researched and grossly over estimated. The final nail in the coffin was a quote roughly double the actual web development build.

I am sure these people do not represent the entire SEO discipline, I went away from the meeting to search primarily the visiting SEO company, oddly enough for a SEO company they didn't appear anywhere near the magical front page positioning they were promising, even when I localised the search to a specific region. I followed this research up with looking at the people that did consistently appear on top, these all had professional looking websites, protraying grand images of large scale business, but then some only offered a mobile phone number as telephone contact and PO Box address for contact details. Maybe I read into that too much, are these not the same people as the cowboys destroying the creative industry from within?

For those people who do offer a honest and professional SEO service, I praise you, to fight against this kind of competition in such a small market on a daily basis, you truly deserve a medal!!