Reseller seo

[dad7more]

so i have a web design firm and, when i decided i need to offer seo services i originally went with an seo reseller company.

i decided to try them out on myself so i gave them 4 keywords to rank for and tried them for about 6 months.

when they started, our website was in google oblivion for those 4 keywords. after 6 months some keywords are on page 1 and some at the top of page 2. the ones on page 1 are the ones i also optimized for by putting the keyword in a footer link in all my clients' sites.

when i look over what they did they either wrote cheesy articles that link back to me and posted them in random places or they commented on people's blogs linking back to me. but it seemed to work. at least to get me from oblivion to page 2.

now it seems to me these methods are discouraged here but they seem to do at least some good. any thoughts or comments on this?

[bradkrussell]

I've used the same basic tactics on some of my sites before. Sure it works, but you'll get caught out eventually. Half of these sites were hit by Panda/Penguin and now the rankings are way off in page 5+.

My advice - create a real SEO plan that is built with the future in mind. Don't go after short term gains. Try to predict where you want to be in 6-12 months and create a plan around that. Remember, content is king, so start developing some great content on your site and sharing it amongst your social profiles.

If you're unsure about the other more technical aspects of SEO, hire a reputable SEO firm. Have a look at their past clients, their site, their social profiles. Do they look spammy/too good to be true? If so, give them a miss and move along.

[BenRWoodard]

I have experienced the same type of companies.  There are so many of them because this crap SEO still works in some situations.  What you will always have to worry about is building a business on top of shaky ground like that.  It may work for a season but it won't last.  @WilReynolds said recently " why build your business on a one legged stool?  It may work for a season but..."

I would definitely recommend reading through the "Beginners Guide to SEO" (http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo) and evaluate the possible SEO help based on the fundamental methods explained in that.

[lezal]

Tactics like these can work in non-competitive areas where few back links are present but in the long run they are unlikely to significantly improve your SEO and most likely won't secure you the number one spot. Tactics like these also leave you in a weak position when tougher competition comes along.

My advice is to find a real search engine optimizer who knows the game and understands the implications that recent Google updates have on these strategies and as a result on your site.