There’s only one right answer to this question. Legitimate firms target mainly Google and Yahoo, and they’re eagerly anticipating the release of MSN’s new search engine technology, due to be released by the end of this year. Some estimates have Yahoo! and Google accounting for over 90% of all Web searches.
If your prospective consultant guarantees you top rankings in JoeSchmoSearch.com and tries to tell you that this will drive solid traffic your way, do yourself a favor and don’t hire him.
Here is a list of important questions to ask and answers to look for:
How long will it take to optimize my site?
It typically takes between three to twelve months to rank in the top ten for a competitive search term. There are a lot of factors that must be taken into consideration such as the amount of existing optimization done to the site (if any) and the level of optimization for your top existing competitors for your target search term. (Are you going up against Amazon.com or are you going up against John Doe’s sporting goods store in Connecticut?)
What will you be doing to the site itself?
There are three distinct facets of search engine optimization. Your SEO consultant should be concerned with all three. The first is on-page optimization. This covers HTML coding (metatags, headers, etc…), content optimization (including keywords in your written text), internal linking structure of your individual Web pages (creating a site map), and several other on-page factors.
The second is off-page optimization. This covers inbound link acquisition, the building and management of a substantial inbound link portfolio (the quantity, potency, and relevancy of your backlinks), and the utilization of proper anchor text for your inbound/outbound links. This is an ongoing process.
The third—and most overlooked—component is content production. In order to build a truly sound SEO foundation, a site must constantly be growing in terms of indexed pages of relevant content. The more individual Web pages filled with relevant content, the better a site will rank in the major search engines. There are various ways of creating substantial amounts of content. Two popular alternatives are article writing (via an article or content management system) or creating a discussion forum. If the prospective SEO consultant highlights the importance of content building, then chances are that you’ve found yourself a winner.
A word of warning: A large Fortune 500 company that I consult for has been approached recently by several large SEM (search engine marketing) companies that are mainly pitching pay-per-click, but are employing a shady marketing technique that implies that they have a “preferred” method of getting Web pages indexed in organic search. They claim that they have a specialized XML feed that somehow bypasses search engine robots, and will get you solid ranking in organic SERPs. Stay away from any of these fantasy trips. There is no secret magic formula for ranking well in SERPs.
Search Optimization 
/ 18 
