Sure-Fire Signs of a Dodgy SEO Provider

Going about the process of picking an SEO outsource partner is something that really cannot be taken lightly these days. SEO has taken over as the single most important marketing tool on the face of the Earth and for most businesses can be something of a ‘make or break’ investment. Make the right choice and you’re golden – pick the wrong SEO service and you’re doomed, end of story.The good news is that by far and wide, almost every provider you come across these days will be well above board. It’s getting harder and harder for the negative elements to get by and they are being slowly but surely driven out of the industry. Of course, there are still notable exceptions here and there which means you have to have your wits about you in order to avoid disaster.    So, with this in mind, here’s a look at just a few of the red-flag warning signs to look out for picking a partner in SEO:Black-Hat TendenciesBlack-hat and spam SEO will these days earn you a one-way ticket to a ranking that you cannot survive with…it’s as simple as that. And even if you get away with it for a while, it’s only a matter of time until you are found out and punished rather severely for your dodgy dealings. As such, if it looks even remotely likely that the SEO provider you are considering is using anything black-hat whatsoever, you’re better off walking away immediately.A Poor SiteIf the SEO ‘pro’ you’re looking at can’t own and operate a flawless and massively impressive website of its own, what chance does yours have? Exactly, not much at all, which is why you should be very meticulous when judging the kind of site that represents the SEO service before making your mind up.No GuaranteesAnother danger to watch out for is a service that offers not a single guarantee on the packages provided. Sure, they can’t offer you the world, but what if they end up delivering absolutely nothing but even poorer rankings and a site that ends up proverbially in the toilet? Would you still be happy to pay money for this? Of course not, so be sure your money is covered.Too Many GuaranteesOn the other end of the spectrum, if they do promise the world overnight and all the riches the web has to offer, they’re lying to you. This is not the way SEO works and you cannot deliver on such guarantees no matter how hard you try. You need honesty in your partnership from day one and this really isn’t it!Lack of FeedbackLast but not least, you need to take into account what others have had to say about the services on offer which means looking into feedback, case studies and testimonials. Poor entries and examples are bad enough, but not nearly as bad as instances where there is no feedback at all to peruse. Indeed, if they’re hiding something from you, it’s probably for a good reason…and not one that bodes well for you.