subject: Are You Being Tricked By Your SEO Staff? [print this page] Are You Being Tricked By Your SEO Staff? Are You Being Tricked By Your SEO Staff?
Search engine optimization is quite a trickey subject. Even though SEO practitioners want to give their clients good results, ensuring the No. 1 position is still next to impossible. It is also not that easy to determine whether the tactics and strategies that they will be using will really ensure that a website will reach the first page of results for certain keywords.
That's why people in the SEO industry often feel complained to explain why things don't always turn out as expected. In some cases, their explanations are legitimate. But there are practitioners that just make plain excuses for their failure. If you don't know much about SEO, do some basic research to get value for money. Below are justifications that should set off alarm bells:
The Search Engine Changed their Algorithm
Just to make things clear, search engines do change their algorithm. But it is not as often as some would want you to think. Besides, since they are supposedly the "experts", shouldn't expect these and make adjustments to preserve your current standing. These algorithms are supposed to be a secret but obviously, a number of individuals have discovered how it works through trial-and-error.
Don't buy this line instantly. Try to look at competitor websites. If the search engine did change their algorithms, there should be a drastic difference not only in your business but on others as well.
The Competitor is a Brand/ Authority Website
It is definitely difficult to dislodge a big brand from the search engine. There is evidence to prove that popular brand names can get away with a lot of TOS violations. Whenever your SEO staff offer this excuse and are willing to present evidence to prove it, they are usually telling the truth. One way to get around this is to select less competitive keywords. Try to rank for several promising keywords. Don't put your eggs in one basket because your site will be very vulnerable to even slight changes.
Manual SERP Edit Excuse
Whenever your site drops further in the search engine results page (SERP), SEO practitioners like to place blame on the manual edit. There is certainly a Google Spam Team that evaluates websites according to its relevance. Those posting poor information may be banned or penalized.
Try to undo some of the latest strategies you've implemented. If things return to normal, it was more than likely an algorithmic problem. If things don't improve, you're probably been penalised manually. Request that your SEO team submit a reconsideration request to Google.
