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Search Marketing Firm Selection: 8 Critical Factors — Part 2by Paul Wilson, Vice President, iProspect |
5. Client ReferencesAgain, while there are many factors to consider when selecting a search marketing firm, the eight that I have provided should aid your due diligence efforts, and set you on the right path.
Nothing can give you insight into working with a search engine marketing firm like client references. As you interview potential partners, be sure to request to speak to clients who have worked with the firm for several years, and/or that have large, multi-service campaigns. Such references should prove invaluable during your assessment process.
6. Ability to Dominate the Page
Isolating natural search optimization and paid media doesn’t make sense anymore. With the advent of Google Universal, natural search results are now supplemented with content from News, Video, and Image results (among other channels). Today, marketers need to look at online visibility holistically. In essence, they need a “dominate the page” search strategy that incorporates user generated content. Given that reality, it is important to find out if a search marketing vendor has experience in integrating natural search optimization with paid search advertising, as well as experience incorporating other channels into the mix, like social media.
7. Don’t Accept Guarantees
One hundred qualified leads per day! Two hundred percent return on investment! Sure, these promises sound enticing, but the major search engines warn against accepting such guarantees for a reason. If anything, such guarantees are nothing short of a red flag. Why? Chances are that you are in a complicated and ever-changing business with stiff competition. As such, change is inevitable. What if a competitor suddenly obtains a large paid search budget? What if one or more of the major engines significantly changes their algorithm or their business model? What happens to those tempting guarantees then? As you interview potential search partners, remember that credible vendors don’t offer any type of guarantee.
8. Look at Their Results!
Clearly, many search marketing organizations “talk the talk,” but how many of them actually “walk the walk”? Ask your potential search partner to show you how they stack up against their competitors for optimizing their own sites. The results should be telling: if they’re impressive, it lends credence to their recommendations; if they fall short, how can they counsel you if they can’t optimize their own site?
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