I've run across so many so-called SEO companies here in Myrtle Beach that it actually makes me ashamed to be in the business sometimes.  I've seen some people on Active Rain that are attempting to pass themselves off as SEO experts and they are far from it.  We've got an SEO/web design company here that is actually using their regular web customers to rank their SEO customers with hidden links!  It seems to get worse everywhere, every day and harder for you to know how to choose a legitimate real estate website SEO company.

I've probably given out more free advice in the 5 years that I've been in this business than all the work I've been paid to do.  I think Diann Tonnesen, who has the number one Las Vegas real estate website, and Annette Smith who ranks for all her Sarasota, Siesta Key and Longboat Key search terms will confirm this fact.  They have never been my clients.  But they're long time friends and "group consultants" that have given me ideas as well as had me for answers to their questions the whole time we've known each other.  There are other agents all over the place that I've coached and spent time on the phone with because I like to be helpful and friendship benefits us all in the long run.

I've gotten more than a handful of Myrtle Beach real estate sites to the top of Google for the main key phrases.  I've had clients in other states and even in other professions such as photography. I try to train my clients how to do the things necessary to stay there because they can't afford to pay the prices I have to charge indefinitely.  Some do what is needed and some don't.  Most of the sites stay on the first page, but without a blog that is kept current, they won't stay on the top.  I've only worked for a few people here on the beach, but  I don't think there is a Realtor in this town that hasn't heard of me or the companies I've worked with.  The search engines have been my all consuming interest since about 2002-2003.  It's all I do.  It's all I think about.  I'm not a realtor, have no family here, don't do IDX work...I just create websites or SEO certain ones that are built correctly. I produce results and LEADS.  I'm a robot! :-)

But I can't work for 5 or 10 Realtors in the same town at the same time.  It's unethical and probably impossible.  Any SEO company that tries to do this is NOT an ethical SEO company.  If you contact the SEO person who actively works for your competitor and he happily agrees to work for you too, you need to run - not walk - in the opposite direction.

Here is my best advice for choosing an SEO company to give your hard-earned money to.  My first piece of advice is to go with one of the high profile companies like Bruce Clay Inc or even Real Estate Webmasters. They are going to cost a lot of money.  But if your area is competitive in real estate, you will have to pay a good bit anyway...and it will take a good bit of time for a brand new website.  Six months to a year right now seems to be the average time it takes to rank in the top 5 for "your city real estate".  If you've had your site for a year or so and are just now wanting to rank it, chances are it will be quicker and easier.

If you can't pay those prices and want to find someone local, then this is what I recommend that you do:

1.  Search Google for your city and real estate SEO.  See if there are any sites that rank at the top for that, and read what their website has to say.  Do they talk about "submitting your site to the search engines monthly? Do they brag about having a "link service"?  If so, go to the next one.  Do they offer tips and information on the website that convince you they know what they're doing?  Do they readily admit that it takes 6 months or more to rank a new site? Do they offer blog training?  Mention the social sites as a method of building links?  If so, you may have a legitimate SEO expert.  Look at their portfolio and make sure they have some prior customers that rank highly.  Don't take their word for it.  Go to the site, look at the title, use some common sense about what YOU would type into Google if you were looking for that product.  If a website for Palm Beach Florida Real Estate is nowhere to be found for that term, but ranks well for "luxury homes for sale in Palm Beach", that's not good enough!  Anyone can take a specific 5 word phrase and rank for it with a few links.  That is one of the oldest and nastiest tricks these fly-by-night SEO companies use.  Go to Wordtracker's Keyword Tool and look up the city.  That will tell you what the most competitive keywords are.  Be sure their customers rank for the right ones.

2.  When you've done the research, contact the company/person on the phone.  If they are in India or overseas, you'll find that out fast.  Walk away.  I'm sure there are some legitimate SEO companies overseas.  But you have no way to investigate them, and no recourse if they take your money and run. Yes, they are cheap.  Would you cash a check for someone you've never met that lives in Nairobi?  No? Then don't put your most precious business asset in the hands of someone like that either.  Make sure they are in the US.  Check the Better Business Bureau in their city.  Google the name of the company and find out if there are any complaints about them.  These ripoff companies are usually all over the internet with complaints and accusations.

Reciprocal Link Directories are a thing of the past and can actually hurt your rankings now...especially in Yahoo.

3.  Ask them to explain to you in a very basic way what they do to rank a site.  If they say they start with on-page optimization, create a blog, bring your site links from articles and social sites, submit to a few of the legitimate directorys such as Yahoo and DMOZ, and have some partner sites that you can network with, then they are probably on the up-and-up. Again, refer to number 1 above.  If they talk about building a reciprocal link directory on your site and charging you by the month to obtain link trades...again, walk away and try another one.  They should not say that they build pages on their sites or even yours that redirect to your site.  No hidden text or funny cloaking tricks.  Try to find out as much as you can, and ask other Realtors what they think.

4.  ASK FOR REFERENCES AND CHECK THEM.  Call as many as you can and ask for specific websites to double check and see if they rank well and have some pagerank on Google's toolbar. (You DO have a Google Toolbar installed, right?  If not, shame on you!) I have updated this article to elaborate on this. Any reputable SEO company will have references and will be GLAD to have you call them or email them.  If they don't, then there is something wrong.  ASK FOR REFERENCES AND CHECK THEM.

If you've done all this PI work and everything looks good, then get an iron-clad contract with the people and give it a shot.  Do NOT pay them the entire amount up front.  Try to negotiate to pay monthly and even to have a trial period if they will.  Many won't.  But the usual way of doing things is to pay part up front, and the balance when the site is ranking well...or whatever you agree on.  Many will only promise the first page, and that is acceptable.  If they promise you you'll be number one, then something is wrong.

Be sure this agreement is NOT for pay per click ads or some special downloaded toolbar gimmick.  That is not to say that it might not be worth your while to run a well-controlled Google Adwords campaign during those 6 months if you can afford it.  But paying them for organic SEO should have nothing to do with any kind of advertising.

BE SURE THEY ARE AGREEING TO RANK YOU FOR A REAL KEYPHRASE.   it's a good idea to start with some of the easier ones and work up, but don't let them sell you on ranking for the name of your website, your broker, or even something like "home for sale in Atlanta with a cement driveway".  They should not get paid in full until your site ranks for something productive.

Most of all, go by your gut feeling and do your due-diligence.  There are so many bad ones out there.  You may be talking about an expenditure of up to $10,000 before it's all said and done.  Invest wisely and it's worth every penny.  Invest without checking on the company and you can lose a lot of money.  And don't assume that everyone advertising SEO on Active Rain knows what they are doing, either.  I've seen about as many bad ones here as anywhere else.

If you have other questions or want to ask about a certain company, contact me.  If I can't help you we can check out the other ones to be sure they can do the job.