Domain Names for Sale, Parking optimization, My Portfolio

6 Tips for Choosing an SEO Company
January 2004

Cheap Registras Signs of Scams
First we will start off with the low hanging fruit. I do not recommend anything in the Black Hat SEO directory...its bad stuff!

If you have great domain names for sale, we're interested. Tell Us About Your Portfolio »

Name Com Anyone who guarantees a ranking prior to seeing your site is probably either overcharging or selling something not worth owning.

(Web Address) Choose your domain name (web address) priced domain bundles to get either Domain Parking, proof DNS service, Plus service (which comes with web and

Godaddy Anyone who is only changing meta tags is scamming you.

But don't despair. You can get help, it even has a name Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and there are plenty of consultants and companies offering SEO services, the only problem is sorting the wheat from the chaff. Luckily for you, you are just about to read The Six Golden Rules for Choosing an SEO consultant.

Parked Com Anyone who is creating doorway pages which are held on another server may later leverage this traffic to obtain more money from you, you should usually want the SEO changes that you are paying for to occur on your site..

The BuyDomains domain name portfolio includes 800, 000 of the world's finest domains. With the depth, quality and selection available at BuyDomains.com you are bound to find more than one domain name that will drive traffic and build your brand. BuyDomains has been the world's leading domain market since 1999 due to the quality of our exclusive domain name collection and our dedication to customer service. Our growing portfolio of domain names is the world's largest single premium domain collection.

Domain Porfolios Signs of Quality
Good SEOs should have some defining characteristic that catches your eyes. In some way you should see that the person is legitimate not only from their site, but from the sites of others.

A domain name can make or break an online venture. A domain name is a company's identity online. It is your brand, your personality, your trademark. So, choosing the right domain isn't easy. BuyDomains. "Today .COM and .NET names have established recognition and can identify your company on the Internet forever. For this reason, they have considerable resale value and serve as excellent investments.

Domains For Sale Certainly some of the largest SEO experts have reputations that do not require them to do much self promotion, but their names should still come up every once in a while.

Domain Optimizing Good spots to find possible SEOs would be

Domain Resellers In SEO forums
in articles on sites such as Clikz, ISEDB, SearchGuild, SearchDay
ones recommended by friends
ones recommended by other websites which appear to be honest links
I feel that anyone I was about to work with should be willing to teach me something free. If you find no useful information on their website and they do not actively participate in SEO forums you should ask yourself "Why should I choose this person over someone who overtly displays knowledge?"

Namepros The Value of an SEO
Different people have different goals and different values. Thinking from a logical perspective you must realize the lowest price SEO is not the cheapest.

Domain Parking The best SEOs probably do much more than SEO. Either through personal knowledge or social networking an SEO worth their price should be able to advise you on other aspects of your site.

Cheap Registras An SEO who only knows SEO and has no social network built up is probably not a very good SEO.

Name Com Signing an SEO contract
The reputation of an SEO is just about all they have. A good SEO will most likely have at least a few great testimonials and sound like they know what they are talking about.

Godaddy Search engines are constantly changing their algorithms. Many top SEO professionals will not sign contracts. When you are buying an SEO you are paying for their knowledge, effort, and guidance. Generally speaking, if you hire a good one then you should see great results.

Parked Com Some companies who would not even give me access to their servers wanted me to sign a contract for a $300 agreement. I am enjoying decent rankings today, and I probably do not need to tell you that I never worked for them. If you find yourself trying to do something similar you will eventually find a bad SEO, but it's rather uncommon for a good SEO to sign a contract for a one time $300 fee.

Domain Porfolios A Good Price to Pay for an SEO
The single most important determining element in the price for SEO is the marketplace in which you compete. I could work on a Prozac website, but it is extremely competitive. I could work on a diamond website, but it is extremely competitive. I could work on a casino site, but it is extremely competitive. These categories should cost you thousands and thousands of dollars and a regular upkeep fee.

Domains For Sale Most websites do not compete in such a competitive environment as the above listed sites. For a simple local sandwich shop a price starting around $1000 could sound reasonable. If you are in a high margin or competitive arena then you can expect to pay more. Extremely competitive markets will most likely require an ongoing fee.

Domain Optimizing There is a broad spectrum of opportunities on the web, and a good SEO gets to see many of them. Most SEO's worth hiring will typically want to see your site before they quote you a price.

Domain Resellers While price is not a function of quality, being exceptionally cheap when buying an SEO is bad for a couple reasons.

Namepros If you are spending way less than a thousand dollars you are limiting the SEO in how much they can do. If you pay me more then I am not worried about how I am going to eat...I can focus on your site.
If you are spending way less than a thousand dollars you greatly increase your chances of finding a person who is willing to take your money for doing nothing.
A good SEO can build websites around his hobbies which have ads such as Google AdWords on them. He also can promote lead generation and the sales of any product or services under the sun. If you are not willing to pay much, most likely the best SEO's would be better off building their own sites. I read about a half dozen books a month, and am teaching myself about many of my various hobbies.
If you know you want to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on SEO then you may want to consult MarketingSherpa's Buyers Guide to SEO.
The Self Serve SEO Option
I tried to put a decent amount of information in my "Self Serve SEO" section of this website to help people learn. In addition SEO forums are an excellent spot to find free help.

Domain Parking As search engine algorithms advance it will be harder to succeed with SEO alone. Whether you call it branding, usability, or a unique value proposition, you should look for ways beyond SEO which add value to your site.

Cheap Registras I also offer phone consultation for anyone who wants to perform their own SEO, but just needs a few tips to help send them in the right direction. Frequently I am rather busy, but I can also help point you in the right direction if you can't find an SEO.

Name Com - by Aaron Wall, owner of Search Marketing Info

Godaddy If you like this newsletter please tell a friend to signup mailto:

Parked Com Need Free Content? feel free to copy this article and place it on your web site! All I ask is that you leave it as with the link back to my site.
- Aaron Wall http://www.search-marketing.info

[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]