A client sent me an email solicitation he received for search engine optimization services. He wanted to know what I thought of the offer.

The email touted very affordable SEO services. For about $400, the company promised to get my client’s website near the top of search engine results. I clicked-through to the firm’s sales landing page. It had a professionally produced video demonstrating what they did for several of their clients.

Indeed they were successful in getting their clients high rankings.

But wait!

I took a close look at the search terms or keywords that the firm optimized for. I noticed they read like industry jargon.

Then I used the free Google AdWords Keyword tool to see if those terms were used in actual searches.

They weren’t. In fact the keywords the SEO service used were hardly ever typed in by prospective consumers. Rather, real shoppers used lay terminology. 

And the SEO services firm didn’t optimize for those — probably because they would be difficult to rank for without substantive improvement to the actual website.

So, yes, the SEO services company did deliver high rankings, but those high rankings will be worth very little to their customers.

It is important to get the highest natural ranking you can, but you need to do that with keywords that people use the most and in combination with web page content improvement.

A good SEO will help you get the highest ranking you can, while improving your website for results.

Easy Web Tip #57: When looking for search engine optimization services, make sure the SEO is helping companies rank for keyword terms that have value.