Fifty Questions You Need Answered Before Starting Your SEO Campaign

An online business owner basically has two choices when it comes to their website marketing efforts. They can outsource it or they can do it in-house. Both of these options bring a number of secondary options to choose from and its up to the business owner to do what is best for his or her situation. Here is a rundown of the possible choices:

Questions I need answered if I insource my search marketing:

• Do I do it myself?
  • Do I have the time?
    • What is my time worth?
  • Do I have the knowledge and skills?
    • Do I have the time to get the knowledge and skills?
  • Is this something I really want to do along with my regular work?
    • Will this take me away from my family?
      • Is this worth the cost of not hiring or outsourcing
    • Will I be able to be effective
      • What if I screw up my site or get thrown out of the search engines?
• Do I hire someone to do it?
  • Do I pay someone to learn search marketing on the job?
    • Do I have the resources to teach or pay someone to learn the craft?
    • Will I have to pay for additional resources such as converences, books, etc.?
    • What if somone learns it and leaves?
    • What if I can’t find someone capable of learning the craft?
    • What if they screw up my site or get me thrown out of the search engines?
  • Do I hire someone with experience?
    • How much is that going to cost me?
    • How do I know they can do what they claim?
    • Will they have all the skills necessary?
      • Will I have to pay additional dollars as they sub-contract out specialty work?
    • Will they expect to attend all the major SEO trade shows?
    • How much will I have to pay to keep their knowledge current?
    • What if they engage in "black hat" activities that screw up my site or get me thrown out of the search engines?
• Do I sub out part of it and do the rest myself?
  • What parts do I do myself?
  • How do I ensure that all the sub-contractors are working in unison together?
    • How do I know who to blame if my search marketing or optimization doesn’t work?

Questions I need answered if I outsource my search marketing

• Do I hire a firm or a consultant?
  • If I hire a search marketing consultant:
    • Can a consultant do everything I need or do I have to do it myself?
    • Will a consultant have all the skills necessary to complete the job?
      • Will the consultant sub work out to other consultants?
      • Will I be forced to pay additional fees sub-contractors?
    • Will a consultant spend enough quality time on my account?
    • Will I be able to get a hold of a consultant when I need them during business hours?
  • If I hire a search marketing firm
    • Will a firm have qualified people working on my account?
    • Will a firm have too many clients to give me quality time?
    • Is the firm a "ranking factory" or will be sure to pay attention to the needs of my audience?
    • How responsive will my search marketing firm be with my concerns?
    • Will my calls get answered?
    • Will my emails be returned?
• How much should search marketing cost?
  • What should be included and what shouldn’t be?
  • Will I get the return on my investment?
    • What kind of results should I expect?
    • How soon should I expect to see those results?
• Will I have to give up too much control of my site?
  • Am I willing to give out sensitive site access information?
  • Will I implement recommendations as they are provided?
    • Can I veto recommendations and still expect results?
• Will I be expected to do anything?
  • How much will I have to be involved?
  • How much will I be allowed to be involved?

Finding some of these answers might take time, but each is essential before moving forward. Only after you have answered each of these questions will you really know which route is best for you.

Stoney deGeyter is CEO of Pole Position Marketing. The Small Is Beautiful column appears on Thursdays at Search Engine Land.