Anyone heard of...

[PMC-312087]

I am thinking about hiring this company to do SEO work for 3 months (minimum contract). Anything I should be aware of? Questions I should ask? (calling them back today)

There are so many people out there claiming to be the best that it is overwhelming - especially with the overall cost involved.

The company was started by Peter R********? Supposedly the "SEO Godfather."

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[firstconversion]

Hm, cant tell if this is spam or joke

[PMC-312087]

Why would this be spam or a joke?

I am seriously asking about this.

[RyanKent]

I think Stephen was referring to the part about the "SEO Godfather".

I have never heard of the company and the site doesn't impress me, but I prefer to set that aside and focus more on exactly what actions they would perform.

My suggestion would be to as for 1 client reference. Look at the client's site and do your own SEO analysis based on your knowledge and experience. One of their services is to write blog articles. Perhaps ask to see a blog article they wrote. Examine the article's content, links and social sharing.

Keep in mind when you hire someone to do SEO work on your behalf, it often comes down to one person who either performs the work, or coordinates the work being done on your behalf. Prior to entering any agreement or paying for services, speak to that individual and ensure your needs are being met.

I recall you have had challenges with Google Places. Ensure the person you speak with addresses your concerns. You are clearly an intelligent and capable person who has tried to perform SEO and have encountered some challenges you wish to overcome. Be sure to mention those specifics as that is what is driving you to seek SEO assistance.

A few things that cause me to not care for this site:

• the copyright on their home page is from 2009. Too picky? Probably.

• http://www.tawfi.com/2011_01_01_archive.html scroll down to the article titled "SEO Packages for your Website". It is horrible content writing, and a low quality link. Perhaps this article was created without the company's knowledge, but I would guess it was created by the company.

If you desire to go with this company, take a look at another site which is clearly the same company but offers different pricing packages: http://www.seogodfather.com/seo-packages.php

[PMC-312087]

Thanks Ryan. I appreciate your feedback and the help you have provided the last few months.

I am calling the "godfather" today. Self-coined I imagine. I will bring up some of the concerns you mentioned and try to think about what my expectations are for the money being spent.

And yes, having a horrible time with Google Places. I am unable to call to verify duplicate listings so they can be deleted and postcards never get delivered. The main places page is listed as "active" but does not show up for most of the main keyword searches for the area. Updating the page does nothing - hours are not showing up, description is from SERP and not what I typed in and no additional information I provided shows up. Frustrating.

[tomleger]

This is a great video that will help anyone pick the right SEO company or employee

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/seo-interview-questions-whiteboard-friday

[firstconversion]

I was also referring to how it looked like a thrown together spam/virus site by someone with no idea what they were doing

[PMC-312087]

haha. I was originally told by a representative that they would spend at least 5 to 7 hours a week on our SEO with a dedicated account manager and that they had 8 people in house to do links, copywriting etc.

Then I called the owner of the company. He said "oh no, that isn't right, it is more like 10 hours per month." He wasn't sure why the site packages listed it incorrectly. Then he mentioned that they have a "network" of support - so basically no one in house. He also said " yeah man" a lot.

I don't know which is more difficult...doing SEO on my own...or finding a reputable SEO company. Needless to say I am not going with the SEO Godfather.