Freelance SEO

Freelance SEO providers are becoming more and more popular among small and medium size business looking for a cost effective alternative to SEO companies. New technology-based management companies can help minimize any risk tied to hiring a freelance SEO specialist increasing the likelihood of choosing the right freelancer for your project. As outsourcing has inherent risks, we recommend choosing a freelance SEO provider after a thorough analysis of the their portfolio, skill set, and references.

Affordable SEO

The world wide web is exactly that…global.  Connecting with freelance a SEO provider in India, China, or Ukraine is now as easy as it is to hire a specialist in the United States and Europe.  If they can speak, understand, and write English proficiently they should be considered a viable option to do freelance SEO work.  By definition, a freelancer is one that has limited to no ties with a corporate entity, offering independence from hierarchal oversight.  As such, most freelance SEO specialists work remotely and often times in a foreign country.  Usually there is no overhead, employee benefits, retirement plans, and lease payments on a corporate building, allowing the freelance SEO specialist a chance to compete for your business by offering affordable rates.  Ultimately, if you learn SEO best practices before you hire a freelancer you can oversee their effort, save a lot of money, and still get a quality result.

Help to Refine your Search

With the dramatic increase in technology-based service providers looking for work, two firms have emerged as leading sources for searching and qualifying freelance SEO specialists.  Both Elance and oDesk help businesses connect, hire, and manage in the cloud. Both companies help businesses hire individual freelancers or teams of virtual staffers to tackle SEO campaigns.  Both firms offer instant access to view qualified SEO professionals.  Using Elance or oDesk is much faster and cost-effective than job boards, staffing, and traditional outsourcing mediums.

Do your Homework

There are literally thousands of freelance SEO providers in the world that would love your business.  Common sense says some are far better then others.  Fortunately there are now tools and means to filter wannabe SEO specialists from the true experts.  As referenced above, companies like Elance and oDesk now offer providers a chance to create a portfolio, test on certain skill sets, and list references.  If you’re in the market for freelance SEO experts you may now find the right people after a proper review of their work history, portfolio, feedback ratings, and test scores.  By narrowing your search of qualified candidates using these available tools you can minimize the risk of partnering with a less effective freelance SEO contractor.

Freelance SEO is an affordable option for most small businesses.  If you use the right tools and intermediaries you can easily select from qualified professionals.  Great SEO results come from excellent SEO work as executed by qualified SEO experts.  Connecting with freelance SEO experts has never been easier and more effective than it is today.

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SEO Manager

You have your expertise.  A good SEO manager has his (or hers).  Many business owners recognize the value of being online, owning a website, and then hope their web endeavors produce results.  Contracting with a SEO company or hiring an in-house manager is largely a matter of economics.  If you opt to hire a SEO manager you should look for three qualifications above the others.

Proven Results

Due to the ever-changing Internet ecosystem the length, term, and tenure working SEO strategies is much less important then illustrating qualified results.  A good SEO manager will produce multiple examples directing successful SEO campaigns across different sites.  The ability to demonstrate results in product or services similar to your own is great but not necessary.  An SEO manager that employs the best practices will be able to duplicate success regardless of the product or service being sold or the increase in page rank to be secured.  In the truest sense, more is better when it comes to illustrating competency.

Lead through Communication

The term ‘manager’ implies a supervisory roll.  So it is in SEO work.  An SEO manager must be able to lead and communicate with those around them.  Having the ability to delegate responsibilities, not micromanage talented people, and allow them to execute their instruction is the mark of a winner.  A good SEO manager will use personal and team task lists to monitor and track progress.  An SEO manager will also foster self-reliance, making team member accountable for their portion of the campaign’s success.  Even if you hire a SEO manager that supervises no other employees, they should be able to translate complex concepts into meaningful discussions with the business owner or executive team.

Ever Learning

A great SEO manager never lets grass grow under their feet.  They recognize that SEO strategies and techniques common just five years ago are dated and often less effective.  SEO managers work to improve their own skill set and knowledge-base.  They strive to learn SEO best practices everyday.  A SEO manager will harvest new tactics, test and qualify them, and then share that information with their team and SEO sub-culture as a whole.  Be sure to ask any SEO manager candidate what new and exciting strategies their exploring and passionate about.

Ultimately a good SEO manager will be worth their weight in gold if they produce results.  The more successful campaigns they can demonstrate they managed, the better.  A SEO manager worthy of your hire is one that communicates well, disseminating information accurately and simply.  Tapping into and contributing to a SEO knowledge-base will be a driving force behind their commitment to search engine optimization.

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