SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible

but it’s possible to find one that allows you to manage your PPC, PFI, and some of your other mar-

keting efforts all at the same time.

When selecting a software management program, look for something that has a trial period so you

can try it out before you sink a lot of your budget into it. User interfaces, the capabilities of the pro-

gram, and several other factors can work against you and leave you hating the solution that you’ve

selected.

Another strategy for managing your paid services effectively is to devote a block of time each day to

staying on top of the management process. That might be as little as 20 minutes or as much as two

hours, depending on how much you need to monitor. But scheduling that into your day assures

that it will happen. And that’s essential, because when you fall behind on your management tasks,

it can seriously affect your SEO campaigns (not to mention making it much harder to catch up).

Finally, when you’re managing your paid services, stay within your budget. If your strategies require

more than is available in your budget, two things can happen. Your SEO strategies can lose effective-

ness because they’re not funded, and eventually they can fail altogether, because the funds that make

the strategies possible won’t be forthcoming.

Hiring the Right Professionals

One thing is absolutely certain about SEO, whether or not you’re using paid services: it’s going to

be a time-consuming process. Cutting corners is not an option, because the wrong SEO practices

are far more detrimental to your site than doing nothing at all. When time isn’t on your side, hiring

an SEO professional is an option to consider.

It’s not at all unusual to hear about a company or web-site owner that’s been scammed by a sup-

posed SEO consultant who guaranteed them top placement in hundreds of search engines. It’s just

not possible that anyone, even an SEO expert, could guarantee they can put your site at the top of

search engine rankings. Yet, there are many people claiming to be SEO experts who will tell you

they can do just that. Don’t believe them.

Only a few accreditation programs exist for people who claim to be SEO experts. In most cases what

happens is this: a web-site designer or owner who has had to create a site for SEO decides he or she

can implement SEO for others for a profit. But just because these people have done SEO on their own

sites doesn’t mean they can plan SEO on your site in the most effective manner possible.

Two accreditation programs are offered, by SEMPO (www.sempo.org) and Bruce Clay, Inc

(www.bruceclay.com). So if the individual or firm that you’re looking at to help with your SEO

efforts claims to be an expert, ask if they have been accredited. In most cases, the answer will be

no. You can contact both SEMPO and Bruce Clay and request a reference for an accredited SEO

consultant.

In most cases, it will take a team of people to perform proper SEO techniques for your site. That team

might include someone to submit your site to directories and search engines, someone to create and

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