Supply and demand can create an air of competition for small businesses who seek quick ways to increase their web site traffic. They may unscrupulously hire a company who pounces on the opportunity to make a quick buck. Because of this, SEO companies have gotten a bad rep. The rising numbers of "we`ve been burned stories" also questions the integrity of the SEO industry. But wait, that`s only part of the story. The science of SEO is still relatively new, and with major search engines like Google, MSN or Yahoo consisttently upgrading their technology, this means we are all pedaling fast to keep up. Truth be told, beware of absolutes and gaurantees when seeking SEO help. Companies like Google who keep the search engine demand running also keep a tight lid on their SEO algorithms. Ironically, Google sells a large percentage of online advertising through Adwords. Get the inherent dysfunction in the system? The blame has to shift somewhere...

What`s the catch? Do your homework. There will always be a few bad apples in the bunch in any type of business. Look for a company with a solid work ethic. Do they return your calls and emails in a timely manner? Don`t be afraid to ask probing questions. Forget testimonials written on the web site, get real business references. Check for consistency, then shop around and compare notes. Be realistic. A SEO company will work to get your business, but they aren`t going to give away their secret recipe, they have families to feed too. Expect answers to questions, but don`t put them on the defensive. After all, the secret to getting top rankings is buried deep with those who devise the algorithms. Besides, if most SEO companies could realistically gaurantee top 10 placement on major search engines, wouldn`t most of our sites be listed in search engine heaven?

SEO is a fluctuating science; algorithms change, webmasters change, and web sites come and go. Remember, SEO means "search engine optimization", which is another way to say the most effective solution we all strive for is to "optimize" our web sites for these hungry robots. If you pay a web design company to design your site, this should be an intregal part of planning when developing the site`s architecture. There is no "G", for gaurantee in S-E-O. Fundamentally, you are hiring a webmaster or SEO company for their time, and technical know-how to apply the "optimization" techniques. Depending on the budget, some will be better than others. Which means small businesses should embrace a holistic approach to their online marketing campaigns, not just reliance on one-size-fits-all answers. No SEO company can single handedly deliver the customers.

The conclusion? We can`t gaurantee you still won`t get burned, but we know you`ll be a little more savvier when jumping in with both feet.