How Do You Know You Can Trust Your SEO Company And Be Sure In Good Results?

In business, one of the most valuable commodities is trust. Business partnerships are built on a foundation of mutual trust, a shared interest and common goals. For online businesses, being able to trust their SEO company is mission critical for success. So how do you know if you can trust your new online partners?
Don't be afraid to do a little digging

No business enters into any kind of partnership on a whim. There has to be a benefit for both sides – usually financial. Obviously for the SEO company they're getting paid to deliver a service, but for the business they're working with the rewards of good SEO can also boost the company's finances, giving them an excellent ROI. So a good partnership with an SEO company is mutually beneficial, but there's still that knotty problem of building up the trust levels at the beginning. So before you sign any contracts it may be wise to do a little digging first to find out what kind of partner you're getting into bed with.
Track record

The first question to ask is what kind of track record does your prospective SEO company have? Don't be afraid to ask questions – a good SEO company will welcome the opportunity to prove to you just how good they are. It's consistency you're looking for rather than flash in the pan results. If the SEO company you've approached can show a catalogue of continual success by keeping their clients constantly in the high rankings and encouraging both unique and return visitors to their clients' sites, then this is far more desirable than SEO that works for a week and then fades away.

Talk to other local businesses and find out what their experience is of the SEO company you're considering. Do they listen to their clients and develop a two-way dialogue of ideas? Or are they dictatorial in their approach? SEO needs input from both you and your SEO company. If you're not talking then the element of trust is undermined as you start to wonder what they're keeping from you or if they're doing everything they can to promote your business online.
Jack of all trades or master of one?

SEO has been a real Internet bandwagon over the last few years and, like any bandwagon, there have been many companies whose specialities lie elsewhere jumping on board. The result is a plethora of companies who, while they may offer adequate SEO services are really not specialists in the field. While it may seem like a great idea to go to an agency or company that offers everything from SEO right through to web design, SEO is a very complex and continually evolving discipline. So make sure that your SEO companyisn't just a Jack of all trades and master of none, but really understands SEO and can prove that understanding with measurable results.
Do they have the same ethos as you?

While expertise, experience and results may be of primary concern when entering into a business partnership, you also have to ensure that the SEO company you intend to work with shares the same ethos and principles as you. Beware of any SEO company that is open about using ‘black hat' techniques. These are SEO techniques that will not only fail to get you that all-important page one Google listing, but they could also damage your business reputation for a long time to come. It can take a long time to build up a good reputation in business, but only seconds to destroy, so make sure that your SEO company isn't just good for business but is also good for your reputation as well.