Search engine optimization is one of the catchphrases of website development. There are many SEO firms that offer services but how can you tell whether they are really as successful as they claim to be? Here are a few ways that you can examine SEO firms more closely in order to tell whether one is right for your needs.

Their own page ranking can tell you a lot

A good SEO firm should have a page ranking that is fairly decent. You want to make sure that a firm has a page ranking that is above four or five. This is a sign that they are practicing what they preach and that they are giving you sound advice. It is also a sign that they understand how to achieve good rankings. If they lack that basic knowledge it will be very difficult for them to be able to help you out.

Keywords are one aspect of a website that will affect that site’s SEO ranking. You need to make sure that an SEO firm’s site is able to rank well with the keywords that they have chosen. Remember that an SEO firm will be supplying you with the keywords that will be incorporated into your site’s content. If they cannot offer you search terms that rank well you may want to look elsewhere for your SEO needs.

Check their references and work that they have completed

A good SEO firm will have a portfolio of sites that they have optimized. You should be able to get the names and web addresses of these sites. If you cannot, it may be a sign that a company is not all that they claim to be. You should be able to contact the companies that an SEO firm has worked for in the past. Again, if a customer is happy with the work that has been completed they will likely be willing to act as a reference. Even if one company is not willing to there should still be others who would. This is especially true if a company has been operating for some time.

You should feel comfortable talking to them about their work

This can be a difficult quality to measure. This is often simply because a person may be talking to a company through telephone calls or emails. Because so much work is being outsourced you may find that and SEO company may be located too far away to communicate with the employees in person. If, however, you are able to speak to someone via phone or even face to face you want to make sure you do not get the feeling that they are trying to hide something from you. This could be something simple or perfectly innocent, or it could be a sign that something bad or below-board is taking place.

By using the tips and tricks outlined above you may find that it will be easier to locate the SEO professionals who can help your next web development project get the attention that it needs in order to succeed.