Even in Connecticut, there are dozens of agencies offering SEO services, so it can be a difficult task to find the right company to handle your website's SEO strategy. This post highlights a few warning signs that indicate you're working with an unreputable SEO company.

Limited Access To Google Analytics

If your SEO company neglects to grant you the appropriate access to your own Google Analytics acount, you're in a bad situation.

If the company is doing their job properly, why wouldn't they want you to see how your website is performing for yourself? They may argue that they don't want you to be confused by various metrics, but even so, there is no legitimate reason they should aim to keep you from accessing this information.

Ideally, the SEO company should provide you with access to Google Analytics, and they should be willing to help you interpret the metrics you find and answer any pertinent questions that arise throughout your research. Remember, you want to view your SEO company as a partner, not an overbearing parent.

No Consistent Reporting

This may seem obvious, but it's crucial for you to receive regular reports in order to stay on top of your website's most recent trends. Your SEO partner should be providing reports on a regular basis to prove how their work is affecting your site's organic growth.

Beyond scheduled reporting, your company should be able to offer timely advice should you have any questions regarding your site's performance. Regular updates will help you to establish goals for your site and can help you to adjust to discouraging trends before it's too late.

They're Too Focused With On-Page Optimization Strategy

Of course, on-page optimization is a crucial part of your website's SEO foundation, so it is important that the SEO company updates your title tags, meta description, alt image tags, etc. over time. However, once your website has been properly optimized, it's important for the company to create new content that is optimized from the start.

Essentially, you can only get a certain amount of value from one page, so it's important to create new fresh content to satiate users and Google.

They Use Black-Hat Tactics

A "black hat" SEO company engages in SEO strategies that go against Google's guidelines. It may initially seem easier to use black hat SEO tactics to get your site ranking for important keywords; however, these ranking boosts won't last long and they have potentially devastating repercussions, like getting your site banned from Google. If you notice your SEO company mentioning any of these tactics, it's time to step away:

• Link Farming
• Idealistic Promises
• Low Quality Content
• Keyword Stuffing
• Duplicate Content
• Mirror Sites
• Hidden Links
• Cloaking

They Promise You The #1 Spot In Search Rankings

Many companies use ranking guarantees to pull in new clients; however, it's hard not to let your eyes roll into the back of your head whenever you hear this desperate claim. Sure, it's possible to attain a high ranking for competitive keywords, but it's never a guarantee.

SEO companies typically promise #1 rankigns because peopel still ask for it; in fact, many people assume they can get to #1 on Google in a few weeks by paying Google or tinkering around with their site's "backend". Unforunately, the reality is quite different.

You likely won't jump to #1 within a few weeks unless you're in a brand new industry or a super niche one. You want to find a company who will set realistic expecations regarding how long it will take to rank well for certain keywords.

They Offer Bare-Bones Services

If you're working with an SEO company that doesn't offer a wide variety of SEO services, your site may be held back from achieving full potential. Simply, a well-rounded company should have experience engaging in several SEO related disciplines. Whether it's website design, content marketing, link building, or social media promotion, there's quite a few elements that can augment your current SEO strategy.

Obviously, it's not essential for the company to use every SEO tactic to achieve encouraging results; however, it's assuring to know that a company is capable of helping your website grow from all perspectives. Additionally, in order for the company to best customize an effective strategy for your business, they need to be well versed in multiple solutions.

ImageWorks, LLC | CT SEO Company

While professional SEO services can offer many opportunities to your business, you should never depend on SEO alone for the growth of your business. The companies that thrive on the online world have a comprehensive approach and utilize both online and offline marketing strategies. SEO can be a big piece; however, it is only one slice of the marketing pie.

By integrating all of today's Web tools such as SEO, social media, pay per click, and blogs, ImageWorks, LLC can turn your site into a lead generation tool.