SEO Companies

Is it normal for them to approach clients over the phone?

[elektra]

I have been aproached by a company who claims to able to get my website on the top results for Google.
They say they will not use any spamming techniques and that they will optimize the website so that it ranks well for my chosen selection of keywords within 3 months. Apparently they have an application which will monitor the ranking with Google and will report on a monthly basis. They claim I will have the exclusive on whichever keywords I choose with them. So they will not optimize any other client's website for the same keywords.
I've been supplied with a list of websites which were allegedly optimized by them (they feature the name of that company in the code). I have had a look at them and they have the standard SEO done.
I have looked in their website for a methodology but it only contains a description in broad terms of what they do.
My question is, does this sound like a legitimate SEO company? Is it normal for them to approach clients over the phone and offer SEO services and marketing support for a year for £600?

[Robino]

Yeah, that's a standard approach. If you're really in the market for SEO services, why not research multiple companies yourself?

Just like buying a car-

Do your research. Get referrals. Compare and contrast. And then make an educated decision. Don't go with a company just because they called you.

[IanTurner]

First thing I always ask - is why do they need to do telesales if they are an SEO company?

You should definitely talk to more than one SEO company and ask them to put forward proposals, with costs.

£600 for a year seems very cheap unless you really are in a fairly uncompetitive niche.

[elektra]

I also wondered about the fact that their own website is PR0. Is it the case of the dentist with bad teeth or not? ;) Makes you think...

[elektra]

Is it possible to achieve top 3 Google ranking in a competitive market just with links and keyword optimization?

[creative craig]

Depends exactly how competitive we are talking :)

I think that telesales in the seo industry are standard. I know seo companies that approach companies and have a good conversion on them. If done in the right way it is a great way of contacting future clients.

[netguy]

elektra, the PR0 is a little scary, but it is remotely possible there could be an innocent explanation for it.

Most importantly, anyone considering such a pitch should ask for representative clients in competitive searches. Sure they will provide the 'hand picked' ones, but it gives you a chance to go in - and in 5 minutes - determine what they are doing and how they are doing it.

If it appears they are legit, you can then go the next step. If they don't have any success stories to pass along, then they are probably not going to help you at any price.

Steve

<added> As IanTurner alluded to, many of the better SEO firms are booked 3-months out in referral business alone, without having to go on a telemarketing campaign.
</added>

[elektra]

They provided 3 examples, and a contact for one of them to get references from. But these days you never know. I might be calling their own office for all I know.

[elektra]

Are there any reference names in the UK that could do this job at a reasonable fee. Can someone give me any pointers by sticky mail?

Thanks

[nalin]

I get SEO solicitations by both phone and email (generally spam) regularly. Most often the companies involved have found us via a prominent advertising portal.

I like to waste their time and give these guys a run for the money (I figure its returning the favor) so even though interest is lacking at best on my end generally I pose the question "where do you rank for [Desirable Term]?". Invariably they respond - we dont compete for that particular term but we are number one for [extremly undesirable low traffic non competitive string of 17 terms / and or company name]. That or they explain that google is their enemy and has banned them because they are a direct competitor. They are calling or spamming or purchasing adwords because they are unable to demonstrate what they claim they can do so effectivly for your site.

These guys come out of the woodwork trying to optimize your site (incedentally ours already ranks well had they checked but alas they did not) - but are unable to do so in their own field. I think my company - years past - has contracted three times from third parties who solicit in this manner and said parties were unable to land even the most marginally competitive terms. Perhaps our expirience was unique but Im a skeptic.

If I desired to pay for SEO and was in a competitive field I would look at the players who are most appearent on relevant searches, and definitivly not those who generate traffic and solicit via means not related to the service they provide. It is one of those very unique fields where you can gauge the effectiveness of a company directly, and all the referrals in the world don't amount to a hill of beans, because anyone cand land terms - only a select few can land significant traffic.

That said I think that marketing a site inhouse is infinatly more effective then what third parties will provide, particularly if the site was not designed with SOE type criteria in mind. This is because many changes that will help you will be omitted by third partys - and as an end user its difficult to gauge their necessity. Very few companies will ask you to restructure your site and implement mod_rewrite rules (because it is a very extensive change) but this might be exactly what your site needs.