Articles like this is why we ask the question: “Do you know how to get your web site banned from Google and other search engines?”

What?! You Can be Banned from Google?

We can bet that almost 99% of the time, our clients and prospects we meet will answer “No.”  This begs the thought that if you do not know how to get your web site banned, then how can you so easily trust that SEO firm that called you on the phone and said they could guarantee you the #1 spot for ALL your keywords for only $100 per month?! Sure, you may not know how they’re going to do it and you may not care (until you’re banned) but let’s use some logic here.

There are tons of SEO firms out there and many charge a whole lot more than $100 per month with most of them offering no such guarantee! So, logic would suggest that since these firms cannot offer the same guarantee, then there is two possibilities with what the firm in question is offering:

1. They have found the super secret technique that Google, Yahoo, MSN, Bing, and other search engines do not even know about that allows them to guarantee the #1 position.
2. Or, the method that they’re using is likely considered illegal by these search engines and the firm is simply trying to swindle as much money as it can from you before your site gets yanked.

Either way, their guarantee should make you think “this sounds way too good.”

So remember the old rule of thumb, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

How to Find Out if an SEO Company is Legit

This isn’t to say that there couldn’t be an SEO firm out there that could provide that result for such a low amount. It’s simply the thought that it is highly unlikely and should make you want to check out if they can and how they plan on delivering that guaranteed result.

Here’s 3 quick things you can do to check out if the firm is legit:

1. Search Their Company for Feedback

Consider this the same as running a background check on the firm.  If they claim to have any clients, there’s a good chance that one or many of them have posted a review of their service somewhere online.  Pull up your favorite search engine and run a search on their company name.  See what you find.

Do you find a lot of favorable responses to the company? If so, they could be a good one to work with.

OR, Do you find horror stories of how they went over-budget, under delivered, or got a customer’s web site banned? Probably not such a good firm to work with!

2. Ask for References

When choosing any type of service provider we recommend always asking for references.  Preferably, the references should not be clients that recently signed-on as a client, but should be a client they’ve been working with for at least 3 – 5 months.

Why is the time range important?  Simply because it can take 4 – 6 weeks just to get your site listed in the search engines. For any newly applied SEO tactics, they’d need additional time for those to take affect. So this time range gives the search engines ample time to review their web site more than once to ensure it is meeting their terms of use and that it is being placed where the search engine thinks the site should rank.

Do you see a low ranking for this client? That should make you question the firms expertise.

3. Ask for Them to Explain Their Process

We’re not talking about trying to get them to give you their secret formula, but if they will not even explain their process in a broad sense it’s possible that they’re using tactics you wouldn’t want employed on your web site.

A good rule of thumb is that if they do not talk about any of the following, they’re probably not a good firm to hire. These items listed below are at the foundation of SEO:

1. META tags (keywords, phrases, and page descriptions)
2. Frequency of new content (how often it is updated)
3. Traffic-driving techniques (submitting content, site linking, backlinks, etc.)
4. Web analytics tools (also known as site statistics or metrics)
5. Page scores, page ranks, and keyword density analysis

Once you have found a good SEO firm, don’t simply take a back-seat and let them completely drive the show.  It’s important to become educated in even the basic SEO concepts so that you can understand the results that are reflected through the reports and can make informed decisions about areas that need to be improved or focused on.

Our Rule of Thumb: If you do not have the time to take an active role in managing your search engine listings, find and connect to an expert resource who can help manage it internally for you. Without that person, there will always be the possibility that you’re still being taken advantage of even by a firm that knows what they’re doing!

Get Educated Yourself to Improve Your Results

One resource that can help you learn more about SEO and search engine marketing is the local industry association called Search Engine Marketing Charlotte (or SEMCLT for short.)  This group holds numerous seminars and workshops covering topics such as: SEO, search engine marketing, blogging, social media, and more.  Most of their events are free or may have a nominal fee.  To learn more about the, go to http://www.semclt.com.

Horror Stories Anyone?

Do you have an SEO horror story that you would like to share? Post it in the comments below!

• Can an outsider understand my business?
• Can a ghostwriter sound like me or like my business?
• Will it take more time and effort to manage a ghostwriter than it would to do the work myself?

All three questions can be answered in a word. “MAYBE.”

I ghostwrite for financial professionals — primarily advisors, accountants and attorneys. When someone asks me whether they’re a candidate for a ghostwriter, I ask questions of my own:

• Who’s your audience?
• What are your key messages?
• Do you have an editorial calendar?
• What’s the “voice” of your business?
  • Is it edge-y because the business develops cutting edge technologies?
  • Is it reassuring because it’s in health care?
  • Is it frisky because it sells to teens and tweens?

If you can’t answer these questions, you’ve got work to do before you begin your search for the perfect ghost.

Start with an editorial calendar

No matter what kind of product or service you provide, if you’re going to publish anything — from a newsletter to a social media update — you need a plan. Start with key messages and an editorial calendar. If you need help with this or other marketing/public relations tasks,  look for a writer who can provide that expertise.

A ghostwriter should have a working understanding of how search engine optimization (SEO) works, but beware the writer who tries to convince you to write in a stilted style to feed the search bots; this does not serve you well with human readers. If a prospective writer says something like “I  write according to a formula — I’ll put your top three key words in the title and front load the first two sentences with the top ten,” you’re not talking to a ghostwriter, you’re talking to a copywriter. There’s a difference.

Create a pool

Key messages and an editorial calendar in hand, tap your professional circles first. With so many corporate communications departments being downsized, domain experts who write well are a LinkedIn search away. I focus my practice on financial and economic topics because I know them best and don’t require any ramp up time. If someone called asking me to write about biotech I’d decline.

Whether a domain expert can effectively ghost for you is another matter. You’ll need to refine the search by chemistry, mutually-acceptable work styles, pricing, etc.

Audition

A good ghostwriter is in demand. Plan to interview a few potential writing partners and perhaps audition one or two of them.

Already writing a newsletter? Give the writer an earlier version and ask what they’d do differently. Never written one before? Give the writer three news topics and ask how they would propose to learn your voice before delving into the writing process. I use a voice recorder to interview my client on the topics (more on that below).

I will sometimes offer to do an audition piece on spec with the understanding that if the client hires me I’ll bill them for the work, but only if I feel the chemistry is right and there’s no risk on my side that they’ll love my work. If they don’t hire me they can’t use my audition piece in any shape or form.

Getting the voice right

If your business is more than “you” I recommend appointing a spokesperson for whom the ghost writes.  A spokesperson need not be a real person — think Geico gecko. The ghostwriter needs to slip into the spokesperson’s persona so if you don’t want to appoint a spokesperson you don’t need a ghostwriter, you need a copywriter.

I ask my clients to use a digital recorder when working with me; the digital file is easily attached to email. Listening to their recordings, I  glean from their inflection what matters to them most and pick up key words or phrases that they favor. I also find that people say more when speaking than when writing.  Clients may think they have two articles for their newsletter but when they start talking about the subjects I might “hear” three articles and a blog post.

One final note: In a ghostwriting relationship there’s a fair amount of front loading before the ghost can successfully get into a productive rhythm.  Hire someone who already knows your business/industry/profession so they’ll hit their stride more quickly. While a current staff member might be qualified for the job, don’t foist the job on an insider if they’re not the RIGHT person. The right hire will save time and effort.

For more on this topic, here’s my blog.

Good luck.

Tamela Rich, “An MBA Who Writes like an English Major,” lives in Charlotte, NC. Follow her on Twitter @TamelaRich or sign up for her monthly newsletter.