5 Must-Ask Questions When Hiring an SEO Professional

 

Hiring a professional to manage your online presence is a smart idea but at the same time, it can seem a bit daunting. These days it seems as if everyone is a self-proclaimed “expert”, so it is important to ask the right questions to make sure you are working with a true professional.

 

Question 1: Do they guarantee your website will rank number one on Google?

If they do, run the other way. A true SEO expert should clearly explain that it is impossible to make such a guarantee.

Question 2: Do they want you to pay in full before starting any work?

It takes time to build momentum online, and SEO needs to be done on a consistent, ongoing basis. It is better to pay monthly so that the vendor has a financial reason to continue to perform.

Question 3: Are they producing online content on your behalf?

In addition to their behind the scenes work, SEO vendors often offer to post blogs, engage on social media, or help increase the number of online patient reviews. All of these help to create a well-rounded SEO strategy, but it is essential that you retain the rights to all the content when it is published.

Question 4: Do they use blackhat tactics?

Blackhat tactics are essentially shortcuts some SEO vendors will employ in order to achieve higher rankings. These methods put your online marketing at high risk. The days of gaming the system are over, and search engines harshly penalize any unethical activity. Unfortunately, even if you sever ties with the vendor, you will be the one punished, not the vendor.

Question 5: Do they have experience in the dental industry?

Dentists have a unique relationship with their patients, and it takes a dental industry expert to leverage these relationships online. Having experience in healthcare marketing just won’t cut it in dentistry. Trusted dental industry professionals such as Sesame have an intimate knowledge not only of how to create winning online strategies for their clients, but they have a clear understanding of the dentist-patient relationship.

Asking the right questions can take the guesswork out of hiring an external vendor to manage your dental practice SEO. If you can find a partner that you trust, you will feel confident in building a solid online foundation, one that will continue to pay off in the years to come.

by Naomi Cooper – President, Minoa Marketing & Chief Marketing Consultant, Pride Institute

Naomi Cooper is President & Founder of Minoa Marketing and Chief Marketing Consultant for Pride Institute. She is a respected dental marketing strategist, consultant, author, speaker and industry opinion leader. Naomi teaches Pride’s groundbreaking marketing courses and works with individual dentists to craft and implement a customized modern marketing plan. She also consults for leading companies across the dental industry, developing a cohesive marketing approach and creating momentum for their marketing efforts aimed at the dental profession and the dental consumer. Naomi holds a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA and a Certificate in Business Management. She can be reached via email at naomi@minoamarketing.com, and she blogs regularly at www.minoamarketing.com. For regular updates from Naomi, including dental marketing & social media tips & tricks, follow her on Twitter (@naomi_cooper) or “Like” Naomi Cooper – Minoa Marketing on Facebook at www.fb.com/minoamarketing.