A Complete Rundown of MN SEO Services

If you're searching online for MN seo services, chances are you'll have wade through quite a bit of fluff on the results pages before finding that perfect candidate. So to aid you in your search, we've segmented the types of MN seo companies most commonly found on the SERPS into 3 major archetypes, followed by specific questions to ask in order to accurately judge the level of skill, ethics, and over-all worthiness of each.

SEO Services Archetype #1 - The Value Adders

This is by far and away the most commonly found archetype returned for a "MN SEO Services" search. This is the web development company who knows they have to offer online marketing services in order to stay competitive, but may not possess the knowledge or skill required to implement a truly effective campaign; one that increases sales. Bear in mind that search engine marketing is transient in nature. 40% of my day is spent researching algorithmic changes and trends that affect my clients. Considering that SEO is not their main area of focus, the value adder is probably using techniques that are at least partially outdated, or are observing only base-level best practices.

Questions to ask the Value Adders:

1. How often do you update your best practices?

2. What methods do you use to acquire high quality back links?

3. Can you show me evidence of increased sales in addition to your

customers ranking statistics?

SEO Services Archetype #2 - The "Big Fish"

There are a few select companies that completely dominate the results pages for Minnesota specific SEO related searches. These are what we'll call the big fish. You know they're doing something right, because their website appears at the top of the list for almost any conceivable keyword search pertaining to SEO in MN. In some cases this might speak to the expertise of the company's CEO or PR department, not neccesarily the skill of their staff.

Either way, cases of total SERP domination point not only to a big fish, but also big budgets. Expect to shell out chunk of change. Although the Big Baller is a good solution for companies who are seeking a massive campaign (and can afford it,) smaller fish are usually better for smaller projects.

If you are company looking for the best SEO money can buy, ask the following questions:

1. Who worked on your companies SEO campaign, and will they be working on mine? (Big Ballers usually have a good sized staff.)

2. What metrics do you have in place to measure my ROI?

3. How do your SEO services differ from [blank] company in MN?

SEO Services Archetype #3 - The Independent Conslutants

You guessed it. This archetype is characterized by the fact that they call their own shots. They are the independent SEO consultants. If an independant's website shows up in the SERPS, it probably belongs there. They most likely achieved that placement using their own tactics not requiring the approval or input of higher-ups, all the while working on SEO for their clients. Of course an independent consultant wont magically be the right fit just because they are independent and have some search engine visibility. There are many factors at work here, so exercising discernment is crucial.

Questions to ask independent consultants:

1. What kind of results have you achieved for your clients?

2. What are their telephone numbers?

And here's a bonus trick: Go to Yahoo! and type in linkdomain:www.theirwebsite.com If their backlinks come from mostly spammy directories, run in the other direction. Legitimate SEOs know that high quality links are a chief ranking criterion, and will have the relevant inbound links from authoritative sources to show it.

Megan Carruth aka BizDevMarketing is an online marketing and business development consultant in Minneapolis, MN.