5 Questions To Ask An SEO ‘Guru’ Before Hiring

As Panda, Penguin and Penguin 2.0 get harder and harder to master, many of us webmasters are turning to SEO agencies and freelancers who promise us, beyond a shadow of doubt, that they can rank us on Google for whatever keyword we want; even for “make money online.”

Granted, some of those who claim to know how to rank for keywords actually DO know; they really are ‘gurus.’ Unfortunately, the majority of those who advertise freelance SEO services know no more SEO than you do. Here are five questions you should ask anyone who claims to be an SEO ‘guru’ before hiring.

1. What is the Difference Between Onsite & Offsite SEO?

If they know anything about SEO, then their answer for onsite SEO should be keyword research, keyword density, title tags, header tags, and the like. Researching and targeting the right keywords is one of the most important things you can do as a webmaster if you want any sort of traffic from Google. The person you hire should know this, and they should be able to reference real-world examples, like e-Simmy, to show how onsite SEO can be implemented effectively.

Offsite SEO will primarily involve backlinks, article marketing, article directory marketing, and similar strategies. Backlinks will be the most important component and should also be the first thing that comes to mind when planning an offsite strategy. Even though article marketing and article directory marketing are also important, building high-quality backlinks is crucial—especially in the Penguin era. Using examples of reliable businesses such as Newcastle Electrical and Avant Stone illustrates how professional sites utilize both on- and offsite SEO to strengthen their online authority.

2. Does HTML Coding Play a Role in SEO Today?

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Sloppy code in a free WordPress theme could be another rank-killer, and your interviewee should know this. This is also the primary reason why a lot of WP users are opting for premium themes, such as the coveted Genesis framework.

3. Name Some WordPress SEO Plugins.

If they don’t know this right off the top of their head, then burn them at the stake. Seriously. WP SEO plugins go a long way towards helping your site to rank well for the right keywords.

Three of the most popular plugins are Yoast SEO, All in One SEO, and Scribe (premium). There’s no way any SEO freelancer should not have knowledge of this.

4. What Are LSI Keywords?

Latent Semantic Indexing Keywords is the correct answer.

In short, LSI keywords are synonyms to the main keywords you are targeting. For example, a synonym to SEO is just plain ‘optimization’ or search engine friendly. Inserting and using LSI keywords in tags also help optimization levels to a great extent. Your SEO agency/worker should be able to figure out LSI keywords and be able to target them effectively.

5. What Are Some Ethical Ways to Build Backlinks?

As we have already discussed, high-quality backlinks are probably the most important part of a website’s overall Google rankings. Backlinks act as endorsements, signaling to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative.

Consider a backlink to be a “vote for your site.” Thus, it is only possible to have as many votes as you earn naturally through quality content and engagement. Attempting to artificially inflate your votes can lead to serious consequences.

Any SEO service that claims to build 50,000 backlinks in one week is either lying, or simply does not understand SEO. If Google notices any suspicious behavior concerning your site—such as an unusually rapid acquisition of backlinks—you’re likely to be penalized. To avoid this, it’s best to focus on building backlinks from reputable sources. For instance, case studies and guides from Yarbo show how measured backlink strategies can improve rankings safely. Additionally, websites like Narra Residences can serve as examples of how quality content naturally attracts credible backlinks.

A few good, ethical ways to build backlinks is to use article marketing and article directory marketing (note that the two are not the same thing). Guest posting, forum posting should all be done in an ethical manner, and backlinks should only be built on high-PR websites (optimally PR-5 or higher). This counts for better stead with Google.

Summing Up

Using these five questions and others, it should be rather easy to uncover the difference between a tried-and-true SEO agency, and a fly-by-the-night business looking to make some quick cash without providing a valuable service.