To be sure I choose a reliable and competent SEO consultant, what questions should I ask when interviewing?
Should I expect them to tell me exactly how and what they do, or will they consider that to be “secret sauce”? Is there such a thing as “secret sauce” in SEO, or is everything pretty well documented (SEO Bible, The Art of SEO, etc.)?
Dean Richard
[ Editor ]
Ask for references, or the least, documentation that they have done it before.
I would also ask them about their general method. While they might not have a ‘secret sauce’, they may want to keep some of their methods to themselves- but they should be able to explain to you their general plan. In fact, that is essential so they can work in concert with you. If they won’t explain any of their methods or plans to you, it could be a sign of ‘black hat’ (another reason to ask for references). Check out sites they’ve worked on and analyze them using something like SEOmoz' tools. This will give you an idea of the work they do, even if you don’t know much about SEO.
Dean Richard
