~Issue Number Ten~
July 1, 2011 [Next Issue: July 8, 2011]
Hello Friend,
Deciding to move your business to the next level by outsourcing is a big decision to make. Once you take a deep breath and have taken the leap...there's more to figure out! The nuts and bolts of outsourcing comes next.
You've got to figure out from where you are going to hire. Are you going to outsource from the variety of websites available such as oDesk, Elance or Freelancer? Are you going to hire from local resources such as a college or Craigslist? Or are you going to try outsourcing overseas to the Philippines, India or Croatia?
After you consider this initial WHERE...the next part of the process comes in to play. How do you make sure you are REALLY getting the right person? Can they really do what they say they can do?
It would be GREAT if there were a golden answer to that question! The fact is you have to do your best to ask the pointed questions to find out as much as you can about the person you are considering hiring. While a portfolio from a potential outsourcer is good, you still need to ask some direct questions and see how they answer them.
While there are a variety of positions that you can outsource, SEO projects are a top one. Read our Stomper Intelligence Report to find out How to Interview an Outsourced SEO. It will also give you some good ideas for handling other outsourcing positions!
Lee Collins
Managing Director
StomperNet, LLC
"If you deprive yourself of outsourcing and your competitors do not,
you're putting yourself out of business."
~ Lee Kuan Yew
How to Interview an Outsourced SEO
by Jerry West
There has been a lot of discussion about "Interview Questions" in the SEO space, but let's face it, you don't have a lot of time to ask a lot of questions, let alone review the answers. So, here is what I do, having adopted the Howie Schwartz method of "hire fast and fire faster."
Your number one goal when interviewing an SEO expert is to test their knowledge and ability to learn and grow. You also want to uncover their ability to BS.
How do you do this? Easy. Give them a test project, one that should be completed in less than 30 minutes, to gauge their ability to analyze, process, and recommend a solution. And if they cry because you are too mean, well, that's a bonus. :-)
Here are a list of questions I ask when I outsource an SEO project. It will give you an understanding of how well they can communicate and write in English.
SEO Interview Questions
1. What SEO tools do you use on a weekly basis?
You want to know how well-versed they are in the particular market. An SEO's toolset says a lot about them, the same way a carpenter's toolbox does. So check their browser. They should be using the SEO extensions for Firefox. For keyword research they should mention at least one of the following: Google Keyword Tool, WordTracker, and Keyword Discovery. For other general uses: SEO Elite, IBP, OptiLink/OptiSpider, etc.
2. What kind of strategies have you implemented for your clients? And what is the domain name?
Then run a backlink check on the site they name, using something like SEO Elite. Are there any shady links? Paid links? Link Farms? If it looks solid, ask them to put your name as the author (temporarily) in the meta author tag, or place your name somewhere on the home page to verify they have control over the site. If they start to make up excuses why they can't or say, "Oh, we just finished the project last week so we don't have the FTP info anymore" they are lying and you can move onto the next candidate.
3. How do you evaluate whether an SEO campaign is working?
Hopefully the answer here is "conversions" and not "traffic" or worse, "ranking." The SEO must realize their job is to drive BUYERS to the site, not just TRAFFIC. Anyone can drive traffic, but it is the exceptional SEO who understands clearly the difference. That is the SEO you want to hire or you will wind up with a lot of traffic and no customers and that just sucks.
4. Of the well-known SEOs, to whom do you pay attention to and whom are you not likely to pay attention to?
I love this one and you should look up their answers to see if you like what those particular SEOs stand for. If you can't find any information on the SEOs the person mentions, that means who they look up to doesn't know how to do SEO either.
5. What industry sites, blogs, and forums do you regularly read?
This is a great question and they better rattle off less than a dozen or it is a warning that they spend too much time reading and not enough time working. Again, you want to check out where they hang out and see if those are places which fit your criteria.
6. Tell me your biggest failure in an SEO project?
Good question - watch them squirm in their seat. If they say they have never failed, they are lying or this is their first ever project. Either way, you don't want to hire them. I fail. I failed last week. It happens. You learn and you improve. Those who cannot admit failure are an unrealized outsourcing nightmare. Avoid it before it begins.
7. In what areas of SEO are you strongest?
Once they answer, test these areas heavily to make sure they are really strong in those areas. You test with a small project at first with a domain you don't care about and see if they can really achieve what they claim.
8. In what areas of SEO are you weakest?
Make sure they actually admit to a weakness. Those who state "I'm too organized" or "I pay too much attention to detail" are red flags. Everyone has weaknesses.
Finally, don't forget to do a Google search on this candidate's name (If you cannot find them, that's a red flag. And if you can't find them ask why not.)
There you go. That should give you plenty of information to really assess their worth, while not burying them and you with too many unneeded questions Need a boost for your business? How about placing an ad in The Net Effect magazine! With subscribers around the world, your business can get exposure in completely new markets.
We offer ¼ page, ½ page and full page full color ads. We also offer business card ads and 10 word to 50 word classified ads.
Watch for more information next week. In the meantime, contact The Net Effect Managing Editor Suzanne Roese-McGee with any questions at: stompersuz@gmail.com
SEO Interview Questions:
1. What SEO Tools do you use on a weekly basis?
2. What kind of strategies have your implemented for your clients?
3. How do you evaluate whether an SEO campaign is working?
4. Of the well-known SEOs, to whom do you pay attention to?
5. What industry sites, blogs and forums do you read?
6. What is your biggest failure in an SEO project?
7. In what areas of SEO are you strongest?
8. In what areas of SEO are you weakest?
Remember: Next Stomper SEO Intelligence Report:
Friday, July 8, 2011
| StomperNet. Empowering Your Online Success.
If you no longer wish to receive our emails, click the link below: Unsubscribe StomperNet, LLC 3379 HWY 5 Suite A Douglasville, Georgia 30135 United States (888) 325-7845 If you purchase anything through a link in our emails, you should assume that we have an affiliate relationship with the company. This means if you buy something from a link in this email or from the website, or based on our express or implied recommendation, we may be paid a commission. It's how we pay the bills. If you want to do the same, we can show you how. Please do your own independent research before purchasing anything. | |
Free Link Exchange Website submission Free Web Directory - Add Your Link
gratis
0 komentar:
Post a Comment