SEO Buyer’s Guide Ebook by ServiceCrowd

SEO Buyer's Guide: How to Successfully Outsource SEO By ServiceCrowd .com.au 1

CONTENTS
3
CHAPTER 1
What is SEO and do you actually need it?
11
CHAPTER 2
What is the difference between an SEO Agency
and an SEO Consultant?
16
CHAPTER 3
SEO Costs and Pricing Models
27
CHAPTER 4
4 Golden Rules of Buying SEO
36
CHAPTER 5
How to Prepare an SEO Brief
48
CHAPTER 6
How to Define SEO Goals Beyond Traffic
51
CHAPTER 7
Gaming Google & Taking Short Cuts: is it worth it?
57
CHAPTER 8
How to Choose the Right SEO Company
or Consultant
61
CHAPTER 9
7 Must Have SEO Contract Clauses

About this eBook
This eBook was written and prepared by Daniel Tolliday and Daniel Duckworth from
ServiceCrowd
Daniel Tolliday
Daniel Tolliday has written content for digital marketing agencies
and online brands, including Demand Media and Fairfax Media.
Daniel works with ServiceCrowd as a Content Marketer. He
provides valuable and informative content to educate businesses
about creative services.
Daniel Duckworth
Daniel Duckworth is the founder of ServiceCrowd and is the in-
house SEO and Content Marketing expert.
To learn more about SEO, visit the Web Hub Blog by ServiceCrowd.
To learn more about comparing quotes for local SEO Services visit our SEO
Services page.

What is SEO?
Put simply, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is all about making changes to a website in order to
increase search engine visibility. These changes take place on your own website (on-page optimisation
and content creation) and on other peoples’ websites (contributor content, as well as links pointing to your
website). Links and shares on major social media networks are big factors for increasing the visibility of a
website on search engines.
There’s a lot of SEO sales material that talks about increasing keyword rankings - but SEO goes far
beyond just trying to rank for a few specific keywords.
Today’s SEO is more about the technical aspects of a website. This includes the creation of valuable
content for a targeted audience; in addition to working with the online community to increase the
content’s exposure.
Generally speaking, it is better to produce a greater number of visits from a larger set of “long-tail”
keywords, rather than the highly competitive, commercial keywords.
For example, “What is the difference between an SEO agency and an SEO consultant?” is a long-tail
keyword. This chapter would contain many other combinations of keyword phrases that produce even
more visibility in search engines.
On the other hand, the term “SEO Service” is highly competitive and commercial in intent, so it would be
difficult to write anything meaningful for it. It would also be quite difficult to get people to link to that
content.
So that’s the very basics of SEO.
For the rest of this chapter, I’m going to talk about the kinds of tasks an outsourced SEO campaign will
focus on, the level of commitment required from you, and how to determine whether or not SEO is a good
strategy (and a wise investment) for your business at its current stage.
What Does an SEO Agency or Consultant do?
The next chapter goes into detail about the differences between consultants and agencies. For now, I’m
going to focus on the typical tasks carried out during an outsourced SEO campaign.
1. Research and Strategy

A good campaign requires research into your current website’s structure, your business industry, target
markets, buyer personas and keywords. Ideally, these all inform each other and help to map out building a
website, or the optimisation of a website’s current content.
Researching your industry and its competitors is extremely important. This is mainly because the agency
needs to understand how SEO savvy your competitors are, and how difficult it will be to succeed.
“Credit cards” for example is one of the most competitive industries around.
● Understanding competitor strategies will inform the strategy for your SEO campaign.
● Understanding your products will inform the keyword research.
● Understanding buyer personas will help to categorise keywords and help plan content around the
specific needs of customer types.
2. Produce, Build and Execute
Creating a solid plan with a specific strategy for your audience, means that your SEO team can begin
optimising targeted pages for particular keywords and keyword groups. They can also create links
between relevant pages on your website, create new valuable content aimed at groups of buyers, and
begin building a list of website properties they want to get links from.
These days, content is one of the most integral aspects of SEO.
There are five major types of content used in SEO campaigns. You can expect your SEO team to help you
plan, create and promote any of the following:
1. Press Release Content
The goal of press release content has changed recently, which I wrote about a few weeks back. It used to
be an easy way to get links to a website; but now it’s more about actually trying to get attention from
media publishers, and ultimately getting them to link to your content.
Minimum Resources Needed for Press Release Content:
● Copywriter
● PR person (ideally with lots of media contacts)
2. Regular Blog Content

Regular blog content is important because other types of content can take a long time to plan and execute.
This fills in the gaps for smaller topics, but still needs to provide value to the reader and ideally have a
logical connection to your products and services.
Minimum Resources Needed for Blog Content:
● Copywriter/blogger
3. Linkbait Content
Linkbait can be a bit cheeky, fun and usually has an X-factor that makes it irresistible for bloggers and
media sites to link to. Coming up with linkbait can be tricky, and the line is a bit blurry between big
content and linkbait - depending on the hook. Either way, it needs to be creative and irresistable, so that
people are compelled into linking to it.
Link Bait Content Examples:
● WUIW’s 100+ Ways to Conserve (water)
● Fake Facebook Conversation Generator
● Will it Blend? Videos
● What are the Odds infographic
Minimum Resources Needed for Linkbait Content:
● Creative copywriter
● Graphic designer
4. Big Content
Big content is well-researched, well-written content that is meaningful and provides the reader with long
term value. It’s the kind of content that people will want to come back to for reference. Big content could
be an extended white paper on a complex industry issue, or an in-depth guide with some video content
and attractive graphics.
Big content is valuable, industry recognised and linked to by media sites. More importantly, it is highly
shareable on social media networks.
Examples of Big Content:
● Wordpress for Small Businesses (interactive flowchart decision maker)

● How Do They Make Money? (simple interactive one-page site with hovercards explaining
revenue for each company
● The Small Business Productivity Series (mindmap of curated links to helpful resources)
Minimum Resources Needed for Big Content:
● Copywriter
● CMS manager
5. Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is the holy grail of content because it’s more than just a blog post, and it’s more than a
really long in-depth guide or ebook.
Evergreen content doesn’t become outdated (it might require ongoing updates) and usually includes some
kind of dynamic data source, ideally from your own business. If it doesn’t have a data source, then it is
likely to have user-generated content that keeps it fresh and up-to-date.
The best evergreen could be some kind of visualised industry report that has regular data added to it in
order to keep it current (hence the name, evergreen) and is particularly valuable to a certain type of
audience.
Given that evergreen content has real value, this makes it very attractive for other websites to link to, and
makes it highly shareable on social media networks.
It’s quite common to see entire new websites built dedicated to an evergreen content idea.
Evergreen Content Examples:
● 4hourpeople (constant source of user generated answers about Tim Ferriss' book and concept of
the 4 Hour Body)
● Grammar Goofs (considered evergreen because grammatical rules rarely change; so it’s always
relevant)
● Openforum (An American Express sponsored business community)
Minimum resources needed for Evergreen Content:
● Copywriter
● Web developer

Depending on your budget, industry and target keywords will determine your content strategy. Most
small businesses will focus on creating regular blog content with some PR. This is the cheapest and can
deliver good results pretty quickly.
3. Pre-launch and Launch of Strategy
This is mostly a technical stage and requires technical SEO people to go through a checklist to ensure all
pages and content are using best practice SEO methods. This includes:
● Making sure the website and content is accessible by search engines
● All pages have unique content, titles and descriptions
● They’re integrating with Google’s Webmaster Tools
● SEO files such as robots.txt (and a sitemap) are present for talking to search engines
● Website analytics such as Google Analytics is set up for measurement and reporting
4. Post Launch Promotion
It’s necessary to promote content in order for it to gain traction and attract links. Building amazing
content without a promotion strategy is bound to be a wasted effort. Promoting the content in
communities, social networks, with bloggers and media publishers, should all be part of the plan. Link
outreach is a big component here, and this is where your SEO team will help to find websites that have a
natural synergy with the content and are willing to link to it.
5. SEO Reporting
SEO reporting is crucial. Most people are interested in the keyword ranking report which indicates the
position of a keyword in the search engine results page (also known as the SERPs).
It’s nice to know how certain keywords are performing - but it doesn’t actually help all that much.
“The success of an SEO campaign is not measured by keyword rankings, but by the number of visits
earned by a keyword group and the goals achieved.”
By goals, I mean things like: watched the demo video, visited at least 5 pages, requested a quote or
bought product X.
This kind of reporting makes it possible to assess the relative success of various content ideas and SEO
strategies. Knowing how many leads and sales generated by different SEO campaigns will help refine
your SEO strategy and increase long-term benefits.

6. Rinse and Repeat
SEO campaigns are really lots of ongoing campaigns that pretty much follow the structure above, with
some variations depending on the goals of the project. This is why I mentioned that there should be a
level of commitment when engaging with an SEO agency or consultant.
So in summary, an SEO agency or consultant will likely carry out any of the following:
● Technical changes to web pages for optimisation
● Planning content
● Creating content
● Promoting content
● Link outreach
● Managing website content via CMS
● Managing blog content via CMS
● SEO reporting
How Committed to SEO Do I Need to Be?
Depending on your goals, there will be different levels of commitment required. If you just want to
optimise the current content for well-researched keywords, then it’s a 3 to 6 month project that will be
relatively cheap.
However, if you’re wanting to increase search engine presence or traffic, leads and sales, then you will
need to be committed to a long term strategy that includes a content plan and a link outreach plan. This is
a 6 to 12 month project depending on the depth of the content, as well as how competitive the industry is.
It’s certainly worth doing the basics like on-site optimisation and keyword research. I also recommend
getting some basic SEO training if you’re not ready for an ongoing campaign. This will ensure your
website stays in shape until you’re ready to use a professional SEO team.
While there are Small Business SEO plans available, the amount of time put into content and link
outreach is minimal and the quality suffers. In some cases, it would be better to invest in working with a
copywriter who can help you produce great content, then eventually move on to an SEO team.
Should SEO be Part of My Web Strategy?
If you’re in the startup phase and a bit strapped for cash, then I don’t recommend starting a full blown
SEO campaign that could take 6 to 12 months to see any returns. Instead, focus on some small budget,
pay-per click (PPC) advertising. This method is much more predictable, measurable and the budget is

easily controlled. There are plenty of agencies out there who can help you create an AdWords campaign
with a good return on investment (ROI).
Once you begin to see that after 12 months of advertising with Google, you have to keep paying them to
get good traffic, you will start to notice the value of investing in a long-term SEO strategy.
At the very least, you should get some keyword research done with a reputable SEO company or
consultant, and do the basics of the onsite work. However, don’t expect this alone to generate lots of
traffic. It’s simply laying the foundation of what is to come.
There are some significant differences between SEO companies and SEO consultants in the way they
work and in how they charge. There are advantages and disadvantages for working with both.
Understanding these differences is the key to making a good decision, while ensuring you meet your SEO
goals on time and on budget.
Once you understand the differences - the advantages and disadvantages of each - you can answer a few
simple questions that will make the decision easy for you.

How SEO Consultants Work
SEO consultants tend to focus on a high level strategy. They help to create a solid long-term SEO plan
around target keywords. Consultants also tend to be a jack of all trades, but masters in none, which means
they can create really effective and creative SEO campaigns, but may not have the resources to execute
them on their own. If they work with some contractors, this is getting closer to the SEO company/agency
model which revolves around a team of people.
To give you an example, a consultant will look for some quick, easy keywords that generate good quality
traffic which is likely to turn into leads. It won’t be a lot of traffic, but it will be quality traffic. Some
consultants also have access to media contacts and other webmasters, making it possible for them to do
some basic link outreach.
However, if a consultant suggests doing any kind of large scale link building involving forums, social
bookmarking, or directories - don’t go there. It’s not going to make much of a difference, and the time
and money could be better spent creating content, or doing some quality link outreach in an attempt to
find partners willing to link to your content.
Advantages of an SEO Consultant
Cheaper
Consultants are usually cheaper than a company because they don’t have a full staff with overheads to
pay. They also charge by the hour, making them really flexible to work with.
Flexibility
Consultants are very flexible in terms of availability. Consultants are unlikely to be handling the same
number of clients as a company, and generally have more time. This means they can come to your office,
and even work alongside your team which makes them a dynamic resource.
Honest Advice
Consultants are not tied to any company or any proprietary software which means they can give you
really good strategic advice about SEO tools that will help your SEO goals. Typically, they will also
provide training on how to use these tools.

A smart consultant will utilise an affiliate program for the software they recommend (they get a kick back
if you buy the software) and a good consultant will tell you that they do this, and assure you that it’s the
right software - if they happen to have an affiliate relationship.
Disadvantages of an SEO Consultant
Lack of Resources
A consultant is just one person and can never possess the same level of skill as a balanced SEO company.
This means that they can help you learn about SEO and train your staff, help you build a brilliant strategy
and teach you how to use tools, but they will have trouble putting an SEO plan into action (especially if it
needs lots of content).
Dependence on You
Due to the nature of consulting, there will be a lot of back and forth between you (or your team) and the
consultant, which means time management becomes an important issue. In some cases, I’ve seen
consultants do brilliant work with a business, but the business hasn’t been about to manage their time well
and implement the suggested strategies which ends up bringing little value for the business.
How SEO Companies and SEO Agencies Work
Companies are self-sufficient organisations with plenty of good resources and skills available. They’re
even able to provide a dedicated project manager. Companies are ideal for tapping into rare skills and
operating long-term SEO campaigns where reporting, evaluating and improving strategies efficiently is
important.
For example, an SEO company will assign you a project manager who will spend time getting to
understand your business; in addition to your products, services and target markets. You will have one
point of contact, making it easy to review campaign strategies and reports together. The project manager
will then work with various resources (such as a web developer, graphic designer, or a copywriter) to
execute an SEO campaign.
However similar to a consultant, if they start suggesting any kind of large scale link building, don’t go
there. I delve into this more in Chapter 6, Gaming Google & Taking Short Cuts: is it worth it?

Advantages of SEO Companies
Specialised Teams of Experts
A team of experts is going to produce better content and stay on top of project management much better
than a person doing it alone. When it comes to long term SEO campaigns; in most cases, it’s better to
work with a company who is capable of delivering on technical SEO, great content for SEO, and on
ethical link building strategies.
Efficient and Effective Processes
Companies that have been in action for a while develop really efficient processes for project management
and workflows, making them capable of producing excellent quality work at competitive rates. A lot of
SEO companies and agencies will often outsource some processes to developing countries, in an effort to
reduce their overheads and charge a cheaper price. If they outsource everything, they are not really worth
working with.
Stability
A reputable company is not going to go out of business or go on a holiday. Consultants can come and go,
and yes you can get the next consultant up to speed; but it’s not the same as having a dedicated team
working on the project.
When a company collects data, produces reports and improves strategies, the work you are paying for
after 12 months has a lot more value than the work you were paying for at the start.
Disadvantages of SEO Companies
SEO Companies are More Expensive
SEO companies need to pay rent, salaries, tax, superannuation, ASIC and lots of software expenses.
Additionally, the company needs to maintain a healthy profit margin. This makes companies (unless
they’re really efficient, without compromising quality) more expensive than consultants. Of course, it
does depend on the consultant and their level of experience.
SEO Companies can be Inflexible

Good businesses optimise processes and minimise expenses. This means that if you wanted to try
something really unique and different, they wouldn’t be able to do it. For example, if you wanted to do an
integrated digital campaign that tied AdWords, SEO, Content and Social Media together, they are
unlikely to adapt their resources and processes for you. On the other hand, a consultant could train you or
your team to help carry out some of the project deliverables.
Lots of Clients Means Less Attention
Companies want to bring on as many clients with big budgets as they can. This is because it provides
them with stable income and means that they have a stable business. It also means that clients with
smaller budgets inevitably get less attention than the clients with bigger budgets. A good consultant will
dedicate a lot of time to you because they depend on fewer clients for their income.

SEO Pricing Overview
Unlike pay-per-click advertising (PPC), SEO is an investment in your business that will continue to grow
over time.
In the previous chapter, we discussed the difference between SEO agencies and SEO consultants -
now let’s look at how much SEO costs.
Pricing for SEO varies greatly and it will generally depend on the type of service you require. In my
experience working in the SEO industry, I’ve noticed that there are four main types of pricing models:
1. A monthly package (ongoing monthly project deliverables)
2. Project based pricing (an agreed fixed price for a set of project deliverables)
3. Cost per hour consultation (usually involving an SEO consultant or strategist)
4. A monthly retainer (where you pay a fixed amount each month for use of resources)
Let’s take a closer look at some of these pricing models before I explain how much SEO actually costs,
and the pricing differences between SEO agencies and consultants. I will also show you how to get the
most out of your SEO campaign with an increased return on investment (ROI).
Types of SEO Pricing Explained
The main purpose of having different types of pricing is to ensure all businesses can be catered to.
There’s no “one size fits all”. Both large and small businesses will have varying degrees of requirements,
goals and budgets.
1. SEO Package Pricing
SEO Packages are the most common; especially for the small business market.
An SEO package is usually a predefined set of project deliverables to be completed on a monthly basis.
Before the recurring monthly tasks begin, there is some onsite work that needs to be done. This can
include any of the following:
● Page optimisation
● Sitemap creation
● Rich snippets (such as authorship)
● Broken link checking
Here is an example of some recurring tasks that often appear in SEO Packages:

SEO Package 1
(10 Keywords)
SEO Package 2
(20 Keywords)
SEO Package 3
(30 Keywords)
3 Blog Posts 5 Blog Posts 7 Blog Posts
1 Interview with Business 2 Interviews with Business 3 Interviews with Business
1 Review of Business 3 Reviews of Business 5 Reviews of Business
2 Placements of Content for
Links
Links
Links
50 Social Bookmarks 150 Social Bookmarks 200 Social Bookmarks
1 Press Release
1 Promotional Video Created 2 Promotional Videos Created
3 Video Placements for Links 6 Video Placements for Links
You will notice that the package includes both content for your own website, as well as content intended
for other websites. Creating content to be distributed on other websites is the most cost effective way to
generate links that point back to your own website. This is a big factor for keyword rankings.
It’s important to point out here that packages are pretty inflexible. The links generated from these kinds of
packages certainly have some value, but are not the same as spending time doing link outreach. This
involves finding websites that have a natural synergy with yours, and will link to your website or content.
This kind of work is really only done with the other types of SEO pricing, which is explained below.
Packages can be tailored to suit the requirements of your business, and the price depends on specific
tasks. For example, if you need regular sales copywriting, in addition to social media promotion, web
development and SEO for 5 competitive keywords - you could be looking at paying well over $1000 per
month.
SEO Package Summary:
● SEO packages are designed for small businesses
● SEO packages use pre-defined deliverables
● SEO package deliverables are recurring tasks
● SEO packages are the most inflexible pricing model
SEO Package Typical Cost: Approximately $600 - $3,000 per month

2. SEO Project Based Pricing
An SEO project is a campaign designed around specific goals and the cost will depend on the project’s
deliverables. Project based pricing is often used in place of packages because they don’t require ongoing
commitments and allow the client to decide if they want to continue with a second project, based on the
results of the first.
Here’s an example of what an SEO project based on deliverables might look like:
Item Resource Time
Keyword research report Web analyst 1 day
SEO audit of website Technical SEO 2 days
Technical onsite fixes Technical SEO 3 days
10 blog posts Copywriter 10 days
1 infographic Graphic designer & copywriter 5 days
10 editorial backlinks SEO manager 5 - 10 days
The deliverables described above are similar to those in an SEO package, but the difference is that they
are centred around mutually agreed goals including:
● Keyword X on first page of Google
● 2000 new visits per month
● Backlinks from media sites
● 15 web form enquiries
When project goals are more aligned with project deliverables, the agency or consultant is made more
accountable for the project.
For example, gaining 10 links from social bookmarking websites is pretty easy, and doesn’t provide too
much value.
However, since the goals include “2000 new visits” and “15 web form enquiries”, the agency or
consultant needs to provide links that have a lot of value (such as links from news and media websites)
and which are likely to deliver traffic that is actually interested in the products or services offered.

SEO Project Summary
● SEO projects revolve around mutually agreed deliverables
● SEO projects are accountable to predicted goals
SEO Project Pricing, Typical Cost: Approximately $1,000 - $5,000 per project
3. Cost Per Hour SEO Consulting
An SEO consultant is the most flexible offering. This is because it is mostly about collaboratively
devising an SEO strategy, rather than being about the delivery of outcomes. The cost per hour method is
especially useful for those who need training within a specific area of SEO, or who only have a small
project to complete.
Additionally, SEO consultants who work for themselves will usually just charge by the hour, instead of
per day as some agencies do.
The main purpose of the SEO consultant is to devise a strategy to target areas that require improvement.
For example, your business might need a boost in ranking for local keywords, or you might need an
online marketing plan created.
Some people are skeptical about “strategy” consultants, believing that only very little value can be
delivered.
Here is an example of how an SEO consultant can provide valuable strategic advice.
SEO Consultant Strategy Example - The Software Company
Imagine a software company who is launching a new software product and plans to make their money
from licence fees, custom development and consulting in the industry that the software serves.
The SEO consultant will begin to plan ways to optimise the software company’s website for keywords
that will produce clients who are interested in consulting, as well as in the software itself.
While the consultant does some keyword research, they discover that keywords around consulting are
very competitive. One of the big problems here is that it is difficult to get anyone to link to a webpage that
targets “Industry X Consulting” because it is commercial in nature, and doesn’t contain interesting
content.

The SEO consultant suggests that instead of trying to compete with other consultants in the industry, the
software company should partner with them and sell their software licences through them (a distribution
channel).
The software company decides to try the strategy, and the SEO consultant designs a plan around building
a directory of consultants in the industry targeting the keyword “Industry X Consultants”.
Collaboratively, the two build a directory of consultants and offer listings in the directory for free. It gets
some momentum and industry blogs and communities begin to promote the directory. The directory starts
ranking #1 for the target keyword phrase and it starts generating lots of traffic.
The software company now has a big list of consulting partners that it is helping to send new clients to. In
return, the consultants recommend the software.
This is an example of a consultant being flexible with strategy - which is impossible with a standardised
SEO package.
SEO Consultant Summary
● SEO consultants are mostly focused on strategy
● SEO consultants can work in your office
● SEO consultants can train staff
SEO Consultant Typical Rates: Approximately $150-$400 per hour
4. Monthly Retainer SEO Pricing
Retainers are designed to be flexible and are based on the use of resources as they are needed.
For example, a retainer can simply specify the number of days per month (i.e., 10) and the resources used
each month might change depending on the goals.
Resources used in a retainer arrangement may involve the following:
● SEO manager to track the effectiveness of your campaign (4 days per month)
● Copywriter to create blog content (10 days per month)
● Technical SEO expert to audit website pages (1 day per month)
In the following months, the technical SEO expert may not be required - but instead - a social media
expert is needed to help with reputation management.

This makes the monthly retainer simple and flexible.
You have the option of being able to add and remove resources as you go, to help you achieve the goals
of your business.
Monthly Retainer Summary
● Retainers are priced and based on the number of days you book resources
● Retainers are flexible and allow different resources to be allocated as needed
SEO Monthly Retainer Typical Costs: Approximately $2,000 - $20,000 per month
How Much Does SEO Actually Cost?
We might as well ask how long a piece of string is. The amount that you should expect to pay for SEO
services depends upon the amount of money you wish to make as a return from your investment (ROI). If
you’re only paying $250 per month, it’s probably unrealistic to expect a big return anytime soon.
But what also comes into the cost equation is the type of services you need. Let’s have a glance at the
types of services that consultants and agencies have to offer.
Cost of an SEO Consultant
As discussed in the previous chapter; What is the Difference Between an SEO company and an SEO
consultant? it was noted that individual SEO consultants usually charge by the hour. These costs will
often depend on the skill level of the consultant. But as a guide, you should expect most SEO consultants
to be able to provide the following services:
● Keyword research (your SEO consultant will search for keywords which are relevant to your
industry, in addition to finding out how often they’re searched for within your geo-targeted area).
● Website/SEO audits (this is where your consultant will check for any inconsistencies - such as
incorrect code, canonical pages or damaging backlinks - all of which can negatively affect
rankings).
● Conversion rate optimisation (involves creating an experience for the people who visit your
page, in a deliberate attempt to convert them into customers)
● Digital/SEO strategy creation (the backbone of your SEO campaign, the SEO strategy enables
you to see the bigger picture; combined with goals and how you plan to achieve them with the
resources at hand).

Most of the time, pricing for SEO consultants is cheaper than agencies. This is because they work for
themselves. They will rarely need to pay others a share of the money they make and do not have to worry
about other expenses (such as overheads like office space).
There are three main price ranges for SEO consultants (according to research by AYTM Market
Research):
● $75 to $100 per hour
● $150 to 200 per hour
● $500 to $750 per hour
Cost of an SEO Agency
Perhaps the biggest advantage of hiring an agency is that they have a larger amount of people working
with them, who each specialise in a specific area. But what this means is that they need to charge
accordingly. The main areas of an SEO agency include:
● Web design and development (adjusting the elements of your website, making it more user
friendly, as well as creating new pages in order to target a particular keyword or a new
product/service).
● Reporting and analytics (tracking and measuring the success of your campaign, in an effort to
find out what works and what doesn’t).
● Media buying and planning (discovering websites with the potential to send plenty of qualified
leads to your website, usually from others).
● Copywriting (creating web copy and content that reflects the voice and tone of your brand in
order to make it appeal to your target market).
● Search marketing (advertising on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo!)
● Social media management (creating and managing your social media network profiles on
platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
This is why SEO agencies charge more than consultants. As you can see, each area of SEO is covered;
and this gives you a flexible range of options to choose from. The more hours required, the more it will
cost. Below are some industry average wages for each of these sub-sections for SEO agencies (thanks to
PayScale.com):
● Web design and development ($50,000 and $52,900 respectively)
● Reporting and web analytics ($60,000)
● Media buying and planning (65,000)
● Copywriter ($42,500)
● Search marketing ($49,700)

● Social media management (51,000)
In the end, it all depends on what you wish to accomplish with your online marketing endeavours. If you
run a plumbing service in Melbourne and want to rank number one for a key-term such as ”Melbourne
plumber” or “plumbing service Melbourne”, then it could take anywhere between 6 to 12 months, and
might cost in-excess of $500 per month.
But let’s talk about what your SEO investment is really all about… Profit!
Getting a Return on Investment (ROI) from SEO
Let’s face it - the main purpose of purchasing SEO services through an agency or from a consultant is to
gain profit from the money you invest. For example, if you’re paying $700 a month for an SEO package,
you should expect to eventually generate at least as much as that amount back in profit, every month.
But it doesn’t always work like this. ROI is basically about spending X amount of money, and getting X
back - be it 2, 3 or even 4 times the amount of the initial investment.
Calculating ROI is more important than broadly monitoring conversions and sales, because it measures
the cost of investment and the return generated. It’s vital to differentiate the returns that are a direct result
of an outsourced SEO campaign, compared to that of other promotional activities.
The return can be in the form of email leads, website sign-ups, social media likes/followers and of course;
the money.
An Example of Calculating ROI for SEO
Calculating ROI involves collecting data prior to beginning an SEO project or consultation. If this
information is not available, you cannot calculate the ROI. The following are great metrics to have
available for comparison before and after the SEO project.
1. The current conversion rate of visitors to leads or sales from the website (prior to the new
project).
2. The number of visits the website (or webpage) generates.
3. The number of unique keyword queries that deliver traffic to the website.
4. The value of each visit and conversion (for example, each conversion might make on average $76
per sale - or for every 5 visitors - 1 might sign up to your newsletter).
Say for example you wanted to increase the amount of people who sign up to the newsletter on your
website by 50%.

There’s currently 200 people signing up to the newsletter per month, and 20 of these people are
purchasing the product you are selling through this newsletter - which has a value of $46.
This gives you a current return of $920 per month (and remember, you want to at least double this
amount).
A typical SEO campaign would identify some keywords that are being used by your target audience. A
copywriter would create some content (perhaps a blog post) and the SEO team would help to promote the
content through social media, while building links to the content, to increase the rankings for the target
keywords.
This results in new traffic to the blog post. The blog post includes an attractive call to action that
encourages the visitors to sign up to the newsletter.
If the new content is successful, it should generate around 500 new visits each month.
If 20% of those visitors sign up to the newsletter, then the 100 new sign up mark has been achieved (a
50% increase).
Now the website is generating a total of 300 newsletter sign ups, which leads to increased sales.
Summary
● Increase newsletter subscriptions from 200 to 300 per month
● 10% of subscribers pay $46 for a product/service per month
● Additional sales value is $46 x 10 new customers per month ($460)
Assume the cost of the project is $1,000. It will take 2 - 3 months to break even and eventually get a
return on the investment.
After 6 months, the ROI is calculated as follows:
ROI = (Gain from Investment - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment
Gain from Investment: $2,760
Cost of Investment: $1,000
($2,760 - $1,000) / 1000 = 1.76
Since the content will continue to generate traffic and newsletter subscribers each month, the ROI will
increase each month if the traffic continues to stay steady.

Compared to Pay Per Click advertising (such as Google AdWords), SEO is about investing in your online
marketing for the long haul, and will produce a much higher ROI in the long term.

4 Gold Rules
When it comes to taking that big leap into the world of purchasing SEO services, many businesses (both
large and small) make the mistake of choosing an agency or consultant that has the best sales pitch
without evaluating some vital criteria first.
We’ve had a look at how much SEO costs in chapter 3, as well as the different types of SEO services
available.
In this chapter, I will discuss the 4 golden rules of buying SEO - of which I have compiled along my SEO
journey - that you should consider prior to committing to an SEO project.
Rule #1. Beware of “Guaranteed” Rankings
Perhaps the most fundamental aspect of buying SEO is to realise that there’s no silver bullet. There’s no
quick fix to really get results fast. Proper SEO takes time to implement, measure and then carry out.
This means that companies or consultants that guarantee high rankings in a short amount of time should
be treated with a healthy skepticism.
You’d be surprised at how many companies I’ve seen that make such a claim in big bold letters on the
front page of their websites. It’s basically a sales statement. A ploy to convert you to a customer as
quickly as possible.
They’re not exactly lying, but there is certainly some sleight of hand.
There are two tactics being used here:
● Ranking for medium competitive keywords around position 10 (Page #1 Ranking Guarantee)
● Ranking for non-competitive keywords (Position #1 Ranking Guarantee)

Page #1 Rankings Guarantee
Page 1 is great, but positions 7-10 are not.
It’s definitely an achievement to rank a keyword on the first page of a search engine, but the sales pitch of
a page #1 guarantee sounds a lot better than getting 2.4% of the traffic generated for a particular keyword.
This is shown below by research from Chitika Insights:
Google Page 1 Ranking Percentage of Average Traffic Share
1st 32.5%
2nd 17.6%
3rd 11.4%
4th 8.1%
5th 6.1%
6th 4.4%
7th 3.5%
8th 3.1%
9th 2.6%
10th 2.4%
This research was undertaken by Chitika Insights in June, 2013. As you can see, the top 3 places on the
first page rake in more than half of the total amount of traffic (61.5%).
When it comes to looking beyond the first page of Google - most users don’t. In fact, Chitika Insights also
reported that 91.5% of all traffic comes from the first page. This means that if your target keywords aren’t
showing your website on the first page, you probably won’t be seen at all.
Position #1 Rankings Guarantee
This is another tactic used in sales pitches. Reaching the first position can be easily achieved by including
non-competitive keywords as part of the project.
“For an obscure keyword that no one is actually using, ranking at #1 doesn’t count for much.”

If you look at the contract closely, it will likely stipulate that only a certain number (or percentage) of the
target keywords are guaranteed #1 rankings.
So what does Google think about these brazen SEO companies who are using these sneaky sales pitches?
A Word From the Big G’
Google describes a number of important factors to consider when you buy SEO services. Not only do
they mention that no SEO company can guarantee a number 1 position on Google, they state quite clearly
that you should be careful when deciding to purchase such services, and to always do your research
beforehand.
Here are a few other sales pitches that I would consider deceptive:
Search Engine Submission (this was important five years ago, but not any more)
When a particular SEO company tells you that they will submit your website to thousands of search
engines, you will know that something’s not quite right. There are only 3 search engines that really matter
- Google, Bing and Yahoo!
First Page of Google in Under 24 Hours
When SEO companies make this claim, in a sense they’re not actually lying. However, you will only be at
the top of Google ads, and not at the top of the organic search listings. Ensure you always read the
contract they send you prior to signing up, just to check for any strange inconsistencies such as this.
So-Called “Secret Method” Claims ( ie, we know someone at Google, we’ve cracked Google’s
algorithm!)
If someone tells you this - it’s simply not true. They do not know someone at Google (who have no such
relationship with any SEO agency) and they have not cracked Google’s algorithm. Additionally, I highly
doubt anyone at Google would risk their job by giving any sensitive information to an SEO agency.
However, if the agency refers to any correlative studies they have performed that provide evidence of
factors that contribute to rankings, then it’s a sign they know what they are doing.
Just be sure that it is actually their own research.
Rule #2. Know Where the Links Come From
If an SEO company is promising thousands of backlinks; this is a big red flag. Even if they do produce
this many backlinks, they are likely to be of a very low quality. In some cases, they could even potentially
damage your website’s authority with Google.

One of the most important elements of a link that points to your website is whether or not it is do-follow
(backlinks that pass authority from one page to another) or no-follow (backlinks that do not pass authority
from one page to another).
Although no-follow links don’t usually pass on any authority to your website, it is generally considered
healthy to have a natural backlink profile, combining a mixture of do-follow and no-follow links.
Of equal importance, the term PageRank (named after Google’s co-founder, Larry Page) is an algorithm
used to determine the ranking/authority of each website.
When a website is brand new, is it given a PageRank of 0; whereas high traffic websites with plenty of
quality links pointing to it, may have page ranks ranging from anywhere between 1 and 10 (with 10 being
the highest possible score).

To give you an idea of the type of websites that Google gives the highest authority to, check out the table
below:
Government Websites Education Websites Media Websites Consumer Websites
Australia.gov.au PR8 Monash.edu.au PR8 ABC.net.au PR8 TripAdvisor.com.au
PR8
NLA.gov.au PR8 Griffith.edu.au PR8 TheAge.com.au PR8 Google.com.au PR7
Business.gov.au PR8 Swinburne.edu.au PR8 SMH.com.au PR8 RealEstate.com.au
PR7
VIC.gov.au PR8 RMIT.edu.au PR8 YellowPages.com.au
PR8
Domain.com.au PR7
BOM.gov.au PR8 UniMelb.edu.au PR8 News.com.au PR7 SEEK.com.au PR7
NSW.gov.au PR8 Deakin.edu.au PR8 Yahoo.com.au PR7 AFL.com.au PR7
AEC.gov.au PR8 TafeNSW.edu.au PR7 HeraldSun.com.au PR7 Qantas.com.au PR7
ATO.gov.au PR8 LaTrobe.edu.au PR7 NineMSN.com.au PR6 eBay.com.au PR6
Directory.gov.au PR7 CQU.edu.au PR7 FairfaxMedia.com.au
PR6
CrazyDomains.com.a
u PR6
As you can see, government and education websites are given higher page ranks than most of the other
websites. This is because they have authority and relevance amongst a wide range of people. In the SEO
world, .gov and .edu links are highly prized - and extremely rare.
Your chosen SEO provider should be 100% transparent about how they intend to build links to your
website. If they’re secretive about this then it’s a sign that they are using methods which are not approved
by Google, or the wider SEO community.
These methods are sometimes known as “black hat”, while ethical methods are called “white hat”. This
raises the question...
What is Black Hat SEO?
You can tell when someone is using black hat SEO techniques by observing the following:
● Creation of a poor user experience (i.e,. articles that don’t make sense and are full of keywords;
this is also known as “keyword stuffing”).

● Comment spam on blogs (comments that provide no value or insight to the blog post topic with
a link pointing back to the target website.)
● Website Cloaking (showing content to Google’s indexing software that is different to the content
shown to real people.)
These types of SEO methods used to be widespread, and the techniques did actually work. This was until
a number of people started to abuse them, and Google adjusted their algorithm accordingly.
Consequently, websites that were using these techniques were penalised and had a really hard time getting
back into Google’s search result pages.
Black hat SEO can be enticing, but it only brings short term rewards and can cause headaches later on.
I would recommend avoiding black hat SEO at all costs.
Rule #3. Ask for Previous Client Case Studies (Proof of Performance)
You wouldn’t want a doctor to perform heart surgery on you if he hadn’t done it before - so why purchase
SEO services from someone who doesn’t have a proven track record of producing results?
The best SEO companies will have testimonials and case studies for clients they have worked with in the
past.
If you’re looking to buy SEO services, then you should definitely take the time to read the case studies
and understand what the provider did to help their previous clients.
I would even go one step further and ask if you can contact some of their previous clients for a reference,
since what they put on their website will be cherry picked from the best results.
Rule 3 and a Half - Take Your Time and Shop Around
You could compare shopping for SEO services to shopping for a new car. First you will have a look
around at a few different dealers. You might find a car that looks good, so you test it out. It runs well, but
you’re not ready to make a choice until you find the perfect one.
This is how searching for SEO services should be. You need to find the right one for your business,
because each agency or consultant will have a different approach and pricing model. Testing them out
means comparing quotes and understanding the variety of services on offer.
Company A - for example - might charge $400 per month for creating and managing a business listing on
Google Maps, and the optimisation of one keyword.

Company B, on the other hand, might provide you with all of the above, but throw in an extra keyword
for the same price.
But does Company B also have the qualities we discussed in rules 1 and 2?
While it is good to get the best deal possible for the best price; just remember that it also depends upon
the skill of the people working at the SEO company. Not all companies will have the experience in
dealing with large-scale campaigns. They may also not be able to handle certain aspects of SEO - such as
generating interest through various social media channels, or creating valuable content for your audience.
This brings us to the final and (arguably) most important golden rule of SEO - the creation of valuable
content.
Rule #4. Content is King (Still)
It’s probably the most overused saying in the SEO industry.
But to this day, the phrase “content is king” rings as true as when it was first coined by Bill Gates in
1996. Back then, Microsoft dominated the world; and Yahoo! was the most popular search engine around.
Google was a mere twinkle in the eyes of Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
How times have changed…
Google has stated publicly (many times) that quality content should be the main priority of anyone with a
website who is wanting to get lots of traffic. Content fuels Google’s organic traffic, and their primary goal
is to provide the people who use their search engine with the most accurate, informative and useful
information possible.
Websites without interesting content (i.e., a learning guitar website without video tutorials of popular
songs from beginner level to advanced) will not be interesting to anyone, and will be unlikely to generate
high quality links.
A good SEO provider will help you in developing a plan to create good content. They will also show you
how to effectively promote the content on social media channels.
Social media signals (such as sharing, comments and reviews) are generally considered as factors that
contribute to high rankings. According to a recent study by SearchMetrics, social signals are becoming
increasingly relevant. However, the finer details of this topic is debated among SEO industry circles.
According to the above study, it appears as though websites with the following attributes are receiving
better rankings, compared to those who don’t have as strong of a social media presence.

● Google+1s
● Facebook shares
● Facebook likes
● Tweets
● Pinterest pins
Google is becoming increasingly more social. With the evolution of their Google Plus network, it is clear
that they’re attempting to compete with the other more popular forms of social media.
Additionally, Google Plus is tied into Google Places, which makes it imperative for your business to have
a presence on Google Plus, as Google Places will often have some of the highest rankings on the first
page for particular local key-terms.
That concludes our chapter on the 4 Golden Rules of SEO.

So you know how much SEO costs, as well as the golden rules of buying SEO services. Now, let’s take a
look at how it all begins… with an SEO brief.
The following guide will teach you how to prepare your SEO brief.
At the end of this article, you will have a solid grasp on how an SEO brief should be structured. This
helps to give you the most accurate quote possible, with the primary intention of reaching the goals of
your business.
What Exactly is an SEO Brief?
An SEO brief is an outline of your objectives for a particular project. When your brief has been
completed, it is passed through to numerous SEO professionals who will review the brief and submit a
quote, based upon the information you have provided. Sometimes these are also referred to as a Request
for Proposal.
The purpose of an SEO brief is to give you an indication of how much your project will cost and to
determine how your goals can be reached.
Sections of Your SEO Brief
1. Primary Objectives
Name the main objectives of your business. These are the goals that you want to achieve from an SEO
campaign.
For example, you might want to convert traffic into sales leads or email subscribers. You might also want
to increase traffic to particular pages that have been optimised to convert visitors into leads and
subscribers.
Primary objectives should also be measurable and achievable. If the objectives aren’t as important, they
belong in the secondary objectives category.
2. Secondary Objectives
Secondary objectives might include getting ranked for a particular keyword that isn’t as important as your
main one, or could involve an SEO goal somewhere down the track that can be reached after the initial
stages of the campaign has commenced.

3. Target Search Engines
Most are well-aware of the undeniable power that Google has within the search market. There are other
options in terms of search engines, and you could also consider having your website submitted to the best
Australian business directories.
The most popular search engines include:
● Bing.com
● Yahoo.com
● Ask.com
● AOL.com
● Excite.com
● DogPile.com
Here are some search engines specific to the Australian market:
● Yahoo.com.au
● NineMSN.com.au
● WebWombat.com.au
● YellowPages.com.au (more of a directory than a search engine)
Google has their main, U.S/international search engine (Google.com), but there are others based on
location - if you intend to target a particular country; such as:
● Google.com.au (Australia)
● Google.com.br (Brazil)
● Google.ca (Canada)
● Google.cn (China)
● Google.fr (France)
● Google.de (Germany)
● Google.co.in (India)
● Google.it (Italy)
● Google.co.nz (New Zealand)
● Google.co.za (South Africa)
● Google.es (Spain)
● Google.co.uk (United Kingdom)
If these lists seem overwhelming - don’t let them be. More than likely, you will just need to worry about
focusing on the Australian version of Google if you’re only operating within the Australian market.

4. Domains
Many business have their main website in addition to several other subsites or mini-sites. They can act as
lead generators while providing visitors with extra information that isn’t available on the main website.
For example, if you own a computer business, you could have details about your company on your main
website, as well as brief information about the services you provide. However, you might wish to obtain
other websites that can showcase a particular aspect of the services you provide. For example:
● www.ComputerRepairsExample.com
● www.HardDriveRecoveryExample.com
● www.BroadbandInstallation.com
5. Targeted Keyword Groups
If you’re looking for local SEO services, consider using keywords such as “main keyword (city)”.
But how many searches will these keywords get when compared to the more broader terms without the
location’s name? Probably not as many.
As a result, it’s best to target both the local keyword, as well as the general search term.
Keyword research can be undertaken by the SEO professional - but you will still need to advise them of
which products or services you are selling.
If you’re selling umbrellas (for example) it would be best to include all of the different types of umbrellas
you are trying to sell in a separate group; such as:
● automatic umbrellas
● sun umbrellas
● (colour) umbrellas
● artistic umbrellas
● golf umbrellas
And in another group, you might like to focus on long-tail keywords (which make up 70% of all traffic)
like:
● top 10 beaches in Melbourne
● most protective sunscreen
● summer beach accessories; and,
● how to prevent sunburn
● how to cure sunburn

You get the idea...
Your chosen SEO consultant or agency will let you know how much traffic each search term has the
potential for, and can recommend the best ones to target.
6. Total Monthly Budget
Pricing for SEO services varies depending on the provider. You should specify your budget and the
duration of your campaign. If your business is only just beginning to grow, you may wish to include a
lower budget until it starts to thrive.
As a rule of thumb, highly competitive keywords are going to cost more than less competitive keywords.

SEO Questionnaire
Question #1. What Type of SEO Do You Require?
SEO is an area of online promotion that includes a variety of specialisations from both SEO consultants
and SEO agencies. Your business might require assistance in any (or more than one) of the following
areas:
Keyword Research
There could be a number of golden keywords that are yet to of been discovered. People who specialise in
keyword research can find the best keywords to target.
Competitor Research
Competitor research involves analysing your competitor’s link profile, as well as examining their social
media network strategies. This tactic is particularly useful if you’re in a competitive market that involves
many competing businesses.
SEO Content and Blogging
Creating regular, useful content is the most fundamental aspect your SEO campaign. It includes
copywriting to spice up the content on the front page of your website, and adding regular blog posts to
keep readers engaged and informed.
On-Page Optimisation
If you have errors in the coding of your website, this is frowned upon by Google. On page optimisation
involves adding a site title, a meta description and the keywords you want Google’s spiders to crawl when
they visit your website.
Penalty Recovery
If you’ve lost rankings in the last 2 or 3 years, it could be from one of Google’s algorithm changes.
Luckily, some SEO agencies specialise in this area, and will be able to help you recover from the penalty.
Learn more from our post on Google recovery.
Analytics and Reporting
SEO experts can track the progress of your SEO campaign through reports and analytics, recommending
changes where necessary. If there is a period of testing, the SEO provider will go through your analytics
to determine where improvement is required.

Link Building and Outreach
The main role of the digital marketer is to find relevant websites to place your link on. This will increase
both the traffic and authority through to your website. To find out more about backlinks and what they’re
for, check out rule #2 in chapter 4.
Reputation Management
Received a few bad reviews? Is there a lack of engagement in the community you’re trying to establish?
No problem. Many SEO professionals are more than apt at being able to generate a positive buzz to
ensure your brand’s image remains healthy and trustworthy.
Video SEO
There’s more at your disposal that just YouTube. Other popular video networks include:
● Daily Motion
● Vevo
● Google Video
● Facebook
● Hulu
● Yahoo! Video
Video SEO involves finding out where to post your videos, and what keywords you intend to target, by
including them in the video’s description, for example.
Local SEO
If you run a business that operates locally, you can utilise local SEO services to increase your exposure.
Google Places uses geo-targeted rankings to position pages according to their popularity on Google.
Image SEO
Image SEO has become increasingly important within the last few years. Image SEO involves adding
ALT text to a particular image, reducing the file size, or sharing it amongst popular social media
networks.
Question #2. Who Are Your Main Competitors?
It’s important for your SEO professional to know who the businesses are that you’re trying to compete
with. If you’re unsure, simply Google your main keyword.
For example, if you run a cafe that operates in Perth, you might want to Google “Perth cafes” and a list of
the top businesses for that keyword will appear. These are your main competitors.

Let’s have a look at why it is important to know who your competitors are.
For Link Profile Checking
The SEO provider will check how many backlinks your competitors have, and may even get a few ideas
on where to gain them from, simply by looking at their link profile.
To Examine Social Media Popularity
Social media is now an integral part of increasing organic search rankings. It is important to check the
social media presence of competitors to examine their methods for increasing awareness about your
business.
To Conduct Competitor Analysis
This includes the previous 2 examples; in addition to working out how long it will take to equal or
overtake competitors with a thorough analysis.
Question #3. What industry is your business a part of?
Be specific. If you’re selling nuts and bolts - do you only sell nuts and bolts? Or, do you sell spanners and
screwdrivers as well?
Some businesses cover a large range of products, while others specialise in just a few main areas.
Question #4. What do you do? (include a description of your business)
Create a description of your business by answering a number of questions, such as:
● How long have you been in business for? (i.e., when you started)
● What products or services do you have to offer?
● Why is your business unique?
● What areas do you service?
The description of your business should highlight the most important points and give the reader a quick
summary about how your company operates.
As a general guide, the description shouldn’t be much longer than 4 or 5 sentences.
Question #5. What is your target market?

Who are you trying to reach with your products or services?
Generally, there are 3 types of audiences you can target:
● a local audience (for example a city, such as Melbourne)
● a national audience (the whole of Australia)
● an international audience (the entire world)
The SEO expert can then determine which geographical location to target. This is a vital aspect, because
some SEO professionals will specialise in local search (Google Places) while others will be more adept in
the wider, international search market.
Google is starting to become more personalised with its local search, so keep in mind that Google Places
is a must-have for just about any local business.
Additionally, there may be other relevant demographics to the products or services of your business. For
example, you might decide to target women between the ages of 30 and 60, if you’re selling anti-wrinkle
cream.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to gain exposure for a motor sport brand, you’re more likely to
concentrate on males between the ages of 13 and 45 (who live in rural areas).
Question #6. What are the key messages you’re trying to communicate?
Key messages are one of the most overlooked aspects of a communications strategy.
But what are key messages?
Key messages give you a chance to tell people what it is that you want them to know. Usually you will
have three of four key messages that you need to communicate to your audience.
The primary purpose of a key message is to:
● Inform your clients (both current and potential)
● Generate interest in your products or services
● Encourage them to take action
Here are a few tips to consider when creating key messages:
● Avoid unnecessary jargon
● Keep your messages updated

● Always focus on the benefits
● Ensure they’re original
● Keep them short (don’t overload your audience with unnecessary information)
Question #7. What do you want visitors to do when they visit your website?
What action do you want them to take? There are generally three main actions of a visitor when they
reach your website. They will:
● Join the website
● Sign up to a newsletter; or,
● Make a purchase
Question #8. Would you ever consider running any special promotions or
offers?
Promotions and offers are a great way to increase sales and generate leads. When they’re shared via social
media networks, special offers have the potential to reach hundreds or thousands of people.
Everyone loves a discount - and if it’s free - even better. If you can give something away for free, this will
be an effective way of building brand loyalty with the consumer. It also increases the chance that they'll
make a purchase from you at a later stage.
Question #9. What image does your brand communicate?
Does the branding of your company portray a particular image?
Do you want to give the impression that you’re a customer-service orientated business focussing on
providing first-class customer service; or do you want your want your clients to feel as though they can
always depend on you to feel at ease?
Below, you will find some examples of the types of branding for different industries:
Comfort and Integrity
● funeral directors
● day spa operators
● masseuse
● psychotherapists
Class and Exclusivity
● clothing labels
● resorts and clubs

● hotels
● wineries
Quality and Technological Advancement
● electronics companies
● car manufacturers
● technology companies
● manufacturers
It’s vital to keep the image of your brand in mind - and it’s equally important for your SEO provider to
know as much about your brand as possible. This will enable them to create a content plan in unison with
the image you wish to portray.
Question #10. What are your 3 main selling points?
A selling point is basically the best thing about your product or service that consumers should know
about.
For example:
● A car’s main selling point could be its fuel efficiency.
● A cupcake company who provides treats that are low in fat or gluten-free could communicate the
message of a healthier choice.
● An electronics company who have a limited-time special on big screen TVs would undoubtedly
want to use that as a main selling point.
Question #11. Have you received any awards or accreditations that you wish
to boast about?
Social proof is quickly becoming an important part of online marketing. When consumers see that others
have used the product or service they’re considering, they are more relaxed and likely to make a purchase.
Testimonials, awards, logos from other reputable companies, and even large amounts of Facebook likes
on a website can have a significant impact upon a buyer’s decision to take action.
If you’ve won awards or currently hold any accreditations associated with your industry, it’s good to let
your SEO provider know about this. They can include the information with the communication materials
they create and promote.

Question #12. Where can information about your business be obtained?
(include links)
Do you have a website that details information about your business? “About” pages, web directories and
review websites are examples of where information can be obtained.
The more information that you can provide to your chosen SEO provider, the better off your SEO
campaign will function.
Question #13. Have you ever paid anyone to build links to your website?
Search engines take into account the amount of backlinks you have pointing to your website in order to
rank it accordingly.
Google loathes all types of link schemes, including those where the buyer pays for links on a website with
the intention of manipulating the SERPs. If you’ve paid for links in the past, they may need to be
removed.

After working closely with a handful of SEO clients for several years, perhaps the most
interesting thing I’ve learnt is that reaching the top of Google will not always guarantee an
increase in a company’s bottom line.
Lots of traffic doesn’t always mean lots of sales.
There’s traffic, and there’s targeted traffic; traffic that has an interest in your products or
services. They’re more likely to complete the action you would like them to - such as a purchase
something or sign up.
Measuring traffic and setting goals based on the quantity of traffic received is not always such a
good idea. It’s the quality that is of greater significance.
Here’s a few important points to remember:
● A high Google ranking does not always equal success.
● Large amounts of traffic does not always equal success; and
● A high search ranking combined with traffic does not always equal success.
There’s one extremely important metric missing from the above statements - the conversion rate.
Conversion Rate
The conversion rate can be defined by contrasting the amount of visitors your website receives,
against the number of times those visitors do what you want them to (such as when they click a
particular button, or fill out a survey/form).
When utilising Google Analytics, for example, your conversion rate can be measured in the form
of a predefined “goal”. Goals could be centred around an action such as a download or a
registration, while sales goals are more eCommerce orientated.
Sales can be tracked through the Javascript code, which collects information such as:
● History of purchased products
● Purchase amount
● Billing city, state and country

Branding and Promotion
Most online marketers will testify that having your website at the top of search engines for a group of
keywords relating to your brand is bound to have a positive impact. Not only does this increase brand
awareness, it also lets web surfers (and Google) know that your brand is an authority figure on the
subject.
SEO for branding purposes can actually be one of the best ways of launching a new website. When
creating content for a variety of industry related keywords, a new website should try and become an
authority straight away - rather than building hundreds of suspicious looking backlinks.
Reputation Management
If a brand has been hit with a bunch of negative comments, reviews or mentions on the web, they will
undoubtedly want to make this information more difficult to find. When someone types their main
keyword into the search engine, and a negative review appears, it simply doesn’t look good.
This is why SEO can be harnessed for reputation management. An agency or consultant might create a
variety of articles to “knock down” the negative reviews from the first few pages. They could even create
some more positive ones to outweigh the negative.
While reputation management is one of the most popular forms of SEO, it can also be one of the more
difficult. This is because the SEO provider will generally be trying to optimise a variety of different
listings, rather than just one.
SEO for Influence
For anyone who wants to change public opinion, educate or influence people on certain subject matter,
using SEO can be extremely powerful.
Depending on the topic, having a high ranking for a popular search term or long-tail keyphrase such as
“who should I vote for?” could potentially have a drastic effect on political campaigns (for example), by
influencing a group of people’s perceptions.
An example of this is when Anonymous conducted a campaign against Scientology (aka, Project
Chanology). Anonymous made a large amount of content (including a very controversial video of Tom
Cruise), bombarding Google with all types of information educating and warning people about
Scientology.
The Church of Scientology tried to sue just about everyone they could get their hands on. However, in
most circumstances, it was to no avail.

Risk & Reward
Do you like to play roulette tables at the casino? Would you make a massive wager on, for example, the
number 14?
Would you bet your business on the number 14?
Most of you probably wouldn’t; but you’d be quite surprised at how many people do. Sometimes, without
realising it.
Other times, out of pure desperation.
Google has become so adept at flushing out the sneaky critters who try to game its search engine results,
that they’re penalising harshly - without mercy.
As you will see later on in this post, businesses can be completely destroyed when playing roulette with
Google.
The Times They are a-Changin’
They’re always changing. That’s the most important thing to remember about SEO, is that it’s constantly
evolving. New algorithm updates are coming out quite frequently (almost monthly) and new ways to
present information on websites is constantly evolving (for example, Rich Snippets).

When a new technique has been found to game Google, they quickly update their algorithms accordingly.
Let’s take a quick look at the updates from the last few years.
Year 2011 Year 2012 Year 2013
JAN: Overstock.com penality /
Attribution update
JAN: Panda 3.2 / 30-pack update
/ Ads above the fold / Search +
personalisation
JAN: Panda #24
FEB: Panda/Farmer update FEB: 17-pack update / Venice
update / Panda 3.3 / 40-pack
update
FEB: None
MAR: Google+ button update MAR: Search quality video
update / Panda 3.4
MAR: Panda #25
APR: Panda 2.0 update APR: 50-pack update / Parked
domain bug / Panda 3.5 /
Penguin update / Panda 3.6
APR: None
MAY: Panda 2.1 MAY: 52-pack update /
Knowledge graph update /
Penguin 1.1
MAY: “Phantom” update /
Domain crowding update /
Penguin 2.0
JUN: Schema.org update /
Google Plus update / Panda 2.2
JUN: 39-pack update / Panda 3.7
/ Panda 3.8
JUN: “Payday Loan”update /
Panda Dance / Multi-week
update
JUL: Panda 2.3 JUL: Link warnings update /
Panda 3.9
JUL: Unnamed update /
Knowledge graph expansion /
Panda recovery
AUG: Expanded sitelinks update
/ Panda 2.4
AUG: 86-pack update / DCMA
penalty / 7-result SERPs / Panda
3.9.1
AUG: In-depth articles update /
Hummingbird
SEP: Pagination elements /
Panda 2.5
SEP: Panda 3.9.2 / Exact match
domain update / Panda #20
SEP: None
OCT: Query encryption / Panda
“Flux”
OCT: 65-pack update / Page
layout #2 / Penguin #3
OCT: Penguin 2.1
NOV: Panda 3.1 / 10-pack of
updates / Freshness update
NOV: Panda #21 / Panda #22 NOV: tba
DEC: 10-pack of updates DEC: Knowledge graph
expansion / Panda #23
DEC: tba

As you can see, there’s quite a lot of mention of penguins and pandas. These are anti-spam algorithms to
help keep Google as clean as possible, to avoid (and remove) inappropriate links, such as those from bad
directory sites, or spammy blog comments that have no relevance to the topic.
We’ve had a look at how much work Google puts into changing their search engine to make it as accurate
and easy to use as possible. But this doesn’t mean people no longer use black hat techniques. In fact, there
are plenty of people out there who do (even to this day).
These are their stories...
SEO Disaster Stories
We spoke with several people about their experiences with algorithm changes and black hat techniques.
What we found was interesting. Each one who had clients using black hat techniques in the past, noticed a
very considerable drop in rankings; sometimes quickly, sometimes after several weeks.
I’ve selected the two most interesting stories from the group we spoke with, and have included them here
for you to read yourself.
#1. From Nathanael Vanderkolk at Smart-SEO
“We have a client in the pest control industry in Sydney (Forensic Pest Control), who had come to
us after the Penguin 2.0 update. Their previous SEO provider didn’t assist them with the large
number of spam links to their website which were made in very quick succession. The client knew
something was up straight away and it clearly made a negative impact to their business. Not only
did they lose rankings, but they were also notified by Google through webmaster tools of the
penalisation.
Our aim was to explain to them what had happened - clearly and succinctly. We ran through a
number of backlink checks with tools like SEOmoz (now known as Moz), as well as our own
backlinking tool. We told our client that all is not lost and that we can provide a solution - even
though it was a bit of a sticky situation.
The suggestion that we had was to copy their entire site from the old domain to a brand new
domain. In addition to this, we rewrote all of the existing content and basically started from
scratch. This would avoid all of the current penalties, allowing the client to move forward with
their business.
It’s still a work in progress and only early days since the site transfer; but the website is already
indexed and ranking better than it did previously, which is a really good sign.”

#2. From Bill Vasiliadis at SEO for Small Business
“So I guess it’s best to start at the beginning. Our client is in the family law industry, which is
highly competitive (as you can imagine). They were affected by both the Penguin and Panda
algorithm updates. At the time, our client was working with an offshore SEO company who didn’t
provide them with much access in terms of tools or analytics.
Our client noticed a significant drop in rankings, which in-turn made a huge impact, with a
decrease in phone calls and leads. When they came to us, we noticed a lot of low quality content
(on their website especially). Some of this included content that was posted to article directories,
consisting of just 250 words that only concentrated on the same type of anchor text. This is a major
red flag in the eyes of Google; so it’s no wonder why they were penalised.
When the client came to us, they told us what had happened and straight away we tried to rectify
the problem by identifying the spammy links. We approached sites who hosted them, and tried to
have the links removed. Using Google’s link disavow tool was only used as a last resort. Then, we
started created high quality content with a thorough content strategy. We also devised a branding
campaign and attempted to balance out the concentration of anchor text.
Within 6 months, things are looking much better. There’s a 250% increase in organic traffic; but
the content and social media strategies will be a continuous, ongoing effort.”
Is it Really Worth it?
Not if you want long term results!
Think of it this way...
You can spend $100 and get short term results now and then have to spend another $100 fixing the
problem later; and then re-investing another $100 on the next exploit.
Or…
You can spend $300 now, doing it by the book, and be rewarded with traffic forever.
“Investing in the right kind of content and SEO will bring traffic for many years to come.”
The temptation to game Google can become too strong to resist. Seven years ago, maybe you would have
gotten away with it - but not anymore.
Google is deliberately investing unimaginable amounts of money and time into making sure their search
engine is the best in the business; and that it stays that way.

If you’re thinking about gaming Google - just remember - the house always wins.
Do you know of anyone who has gamed Google before? How did they go? Leave a comment and let us
know.

I’m going to help you save some money on pain killers with this step-by-step guide on how to select the
best SEO provider for your business.
In an earlier chapter, I taught you what the differences are between the two; but how do you know if a
particular company or consultant is going to provide you with what you need to meet your short and long-
term objectives?
As with most things in life, the best way is to ask questions. But first, we need to look at what the actual
goals of your business are.
Step #1. Determine the Goals of Your Business
Make your SEO goals both achievable and realistic. Obviously, it depends on the type of business you
operate and what your budget is.
Examples of achievable and realistic SEO goals include:
● Generate a bigger fan base through social media channels
● Create awareness around a new product or type of service
● Develop content that receives X amount of shares each month
● Boost sales and traffic by X amount within X months
● Decrease amount of negative business buzz to zero
● Increase newsletter subscribers within X amount of months
Ensure the SEO expert you choose understands your goals completely, and has the capacity to help you
reach them.
Find out if they have the resources and knowledge required by asking a few questions to find out for sure.
This brings us to step number two…
Step #2. Create a List of Questions
Devise a group of questions that align with the goals of your business. Just because you have a website -
and even if you do obtain high rankings - it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get an increase in sales,
conversions or profit.
Here are a few example questions you might want to think about. The questions you ask should depend
on the individual goals of your business, and the SEO provider will work with you to achieve them.
“Will my SEO campaign include an initial analysis of my website’s code, design, content and
backlinks?”

These elements are the backbone of your website. Most SEO companies and consultants will provide you
with a thorough analysis of your website’s code, design, content and backlink profile - but it’s still good
to ask first and make sure.
In fact, an SEO company might even offer you a complimentary SEO audit prior to signing up with them,
but don’t expect this from every provider you speak with.
“Are you going to perform an analysis of my competitors, to examine how difficult it is to compete with
them?”
Some SEO professionals will provide this option for an additional fee. Competitor analysis is an
important part of a long-term SEO strategy that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you find an SEO company
that doesn’t have this option at all, they’re probably not worth hiring.
“Will you/your company be creating content yourself, or will you work with existing content?”
When you encounter an SEO company who doesn’t at least have an in-house copywriter - consider
looking elsewhere.
Google loves crawling through fresh content. Always ensure that your SEO provider creates at least some
of it. Working with existing content means they won’t be creating anything new or unique.
“Fresh content is the silk that joins the entire web together.”
“What sort of link building tactics will you be using in order to increase the authority of my website?”
This is perhaps the most important question. When Black Hat techniques are implemented, they can do
more harm than good.
Steer clear of any companies or consultants who use shady link building techniques. Rule #2. of the
Golden Rules of SEO chapter has more information about this subject matter.
If the SEO provider responds to this question by telling you they intend to create unique and valuable
content to distribute and attract links, then you’re on the right track to choosing an ideal SEO service.
Step #3. Do Your Research
Familiarise yourself with SEO as much as possible. Research some of the terminology that you haven’t
fully grasped yet, and read articles about SEO. These can provide you with further information about how
SEO works.

SEO isn’t one part of online marketing, sitting by itself in the corner. It’s a mixture of different strategies,
all rolled under one big umbrella.
Most SEO campaigns will comprise of the following services:
● Content creation/promotion and copywriting
● Link building/outreach
● Research and competitor analysis
● Google Places optimisation
● On-page optimisation
Some SEO companies and consultants specialise in different areas. For example, if your goals are to
increase your fan base and lead new visitors to your website, they would need to be aligned with the
content creation and promotional sub-section of SEO.
Alternatively, if you want to focus on getting higher rankings on Google, you’ll find that a company with
the link building/outreach specialisation can help you reach the goals created in Step #1.
Step #4. Check Case Studies and References
Don't always rely on testimonials posted on websites. Ask for a list of references and do some fact
checking for yourself.
It’s best to find out exactly who the client is that made the testimonial. Call them directly to find out how
their experience really was.
Step #5. Arrange a Meeting
When you’ve finally managed to narrow your search down to just two or three SEO providers, arrange a
convenient time for a meeting. Have your list of questions at hand, and think of some new ones to add to
the mix.
If you’re attending the meeting in person, pay particular attention to the size of their company, as this will
give you an indication as to whether or not they outsource their work.
Lastly, remember to bring a notepad, a pen, or even a sound recording device. It’s unlikely that you will
recall everything discussed in the meeting, and may need to compare notes to those of the other SEO
providers you speak with.

Regardless of what industry you’re in, contracts generally have the same meaning; “If I do this and that
for you…then you agree to pay me X amount of dollars in return”. An SEO contract is no different, and
they benefit both parties.
“Verbal SEO contracts are useless, and not worth the paper they’re printed on.”
Understanding SEO contracts might be difficult for some (or even most), so in this chapter I’ll describe
the most important sections to make it easily digestible.
Keep in mind, this post should not be interpreted as legal advice. SEO contracts aren’t always the same,
and you should always consult with your SEO provider (or your solicitor) if there’s anything you’re
unsure of.
But what should be included in an SEO contract?
We’ll discuss the most important parts here.

#1. Predefined Deliverables
Below is an example of what the deliverables section of your SEO contract might look like. This section
tells you what you should expect to get, and when you should expect to receive it by.
“(SEO provider’s name) is committed to providing the following deliverables for (your business
name).
Deliverable 1 – Competitor Analysis Report by (due date). Each will follow with a description of what
you should expect to receive.
Deliverable 2 – Keyword Research Report by (due date).
Deliverable 3 – Link Bait Content by (due date).”
Other types of deliverables include:
● Website optimisation
● On-page optimisation
● Link building
● Other content development
● Social media optimisation
● SEO training
● SEO analysis
● Keyword research reports
What Happens When Deliverables Are Not Being Met?
A good SEO provider will always want to make sure that your deliverables are being met. When they’re
not, it means they’re not holding up their end of the agreement. This could make you venture elsewhere.
The SEO provider won’t want to lose you as a client.
When deliverables aren’t being met and there is no sufficient explanation, it could be grounds for
termination. Deliverables should be specific, and it is your responsibility to determine how detailed they
are.
More often than not, your SEO provider will work with you to ensure you’re completely satisfied.

#2. Content Ownership and Copyright
Any content or (additional pages) produced and published to your website is owned by your SEO
provider.
Under Australian intellectual property law, creators retain exclusive rights to the work produced. The only
exception to this rule is when it’s noted otherwise in your SEO contract, or when they transfer ownership
to you.
Check this section of your SEO contract to see if your provider wants to retain copyright over content
produced – such as articles and images. Remember, if your contract comes to an end, the SEO provider
can legally remove any of the content they created from your website.
#3. Client and 3rd Party Website Changes
Adding web content (or editing it) is an everyday task for most businesses. But when changes are made,
it’s possible to have a negative impact. You will be held accountable and may need to pay additional fees
if the problem needs to be corrected.
Your SEO contract will likely state that the SEO company or consultant will not be held responsible for
any changes made by yourself or another party (such as your web designer). This is to protect the SEO
provider in the case of changes being made. For example, changes to the coding or design structure that
can negatively impact rankings.
It’s always best to speak with your SEO provider directly before making any alterations, regardless of
whether it is on-site or off-site.
#4. Algorithmic Factors Affecting Rankings
SEO contracts will usually include a disclaimer that describes algorithm changes made by search engines.
The SEO provider has no control over these changes.
Your website may lose rankings at any given time (for no apparent reason), and while it is possible for the
SEO provider to help with recovery, they cannot be held responsible for the outcome.
This is also why it is important that you find an SEO provider who deals only with white hat SEO
methods. To learn more about what to look for when buying SEO, read our post on the 4 Golden Rules of
Buying SEO.

#5. Reporting and Tracking
The SEO contract should advise you when reports will be delivered.
Most SEO providers send reports on a quarterly or monthly basis. This includes keyword ranking reports,
traffic data analysis and other types of analytics. They will help you determine the progress and tracking
of your SEO campaign.
Communication is an extremely important part of maintaining a mutually beneficial working relationship.
Your SEO provider will understand this, and should keep you regularly updated on how things are going.
#6. SEO Definitions
Your SEO contract should include a section defining common SEO terms. This helps clarify any
terminology that you (the client) might not fully understand.
I’ll define the most frequently used terms here; but keep in mind that an SEO provider’s contract may
contain others not listed.
If you’re ever unsure about a particular term – consult your SEO provider directly. They’ll be more than
willing help.
Keyword Cannibalisation
Keyword cannibalisation doesn’t occur when your keywords turn into zombies and start eating each
other. Instead, it’s when a web page is targeting the same keywords as another. This is why it’s important
to have your website’s pages optimised for keywords relevant to the page’s content (i.e., the topic of the
page).
URL Canonicalisation
When you have two or more URLs on the same website with the same content, this is known as URL
canonicalisation. Many websites, for example, will unknowingly have 2 home pages. The first one might
be www.YourWebsite.com, and the second could be something like www.YourWebsite.com/index.html.
Each page has the same content, but Google thinks it’s two separate pages which could result in duplicate
content.
Fortunately, your SEO provider will be able to fix this problem should it occur.

Link Building
Link building is the process of gaining off-site links to increase the authority of your website. Also known
as “backlinks”, each one counts as a vote when search engines rank websites.
Link Bait
Link bait is usually a piece of content that encourages users to link back to it from their own website
(which gives you a backlink). Link bait can be about almost anything, but is always interesting and
catches the attention of visitors straight away.
Website Usability
This is fairly self explanatory. Website usability revolves around how easy it is for visitors to use your
website. For example, can they find the content they need from your home page, or do they have to click
on the menu to navigate elsewhere?
Conversions
Conversions are end-goals. They can include any (or all) of the following:
● Downloads
● Leads
● Page views
● Sign ups
● Orders
KPI
KPI stands for “key performance indicator.” It’s a term used to measure exactly how well your objectives
are being met. Data is used to show where improvement is needed.
Your SEO provider can show KPIs to improve upon weaker areas and may be included in your regular
reports.
#7. Payment Terms and Dates
SEO is a time consuming process that includes a variety of different tasks.
Your SEO provider will inform you (within your contract) when you should expect tasks to be completed.
Your budget will determine the type and scope of work carried out.

There’s an abundance of different types of SEO payment plans. The costs involved will be discussed with
you beforehand, and included within your contract.
In the meantime, feel free to check out our post on the different types of SEO pricing.
The Easy Part
Most people jump straight to this section of the contract – the part where you insert your signature.
But when it comes to SEO, I would highly recommend actually reading (and completely understanding)
the entirety of your SEO contract; to avoid any nasty surprises later down the track. You can’t say you
weren’t warned.
I hope you enjoyed our post about the importance of SEO contracts. If there’s anything you don’t
understand, feel free to leave a comment below.

SEO Buyer’s Guide Ebook by ServiceCrowd

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (16)

Similaire à SEO Buyer’s Guide Ebook by ServiceCrowd

Similaire à SEO Buyer’s Guide Ebook by ServiceCrowd (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

SEO Buyer’s Guide Ebook by ServiceCrowd