Are you in the market for search engine optimization services?  Have you come to realize providers are not created equally?  The industry is not officially regulated.  That makes for interesting interactions with the good, bad, and ugly companies.  It's hard to make a distinction when every provider states their services are the best.

Perhaps it's better to look out for things a good SEO marketing company won't do.  Consider the following.

Guaranteed Rankings

There are a number of SEO services that will guarantee rankings.  Really?  That's funny.  Do they have a special relationship with Google which no one else has?  That's pretty special and preposterous.  Any reputable marketing service will not guarantee rankings.  Web masters' previous bouts with Panda and Penguin prove that.  If any service provider guarantees first-page rankings or anything similar, run for the hills.  If SEO is done right, naturally, rankings and conversions follow; but, it can't be guaranteed.

No Presence in Industry

The SEO community is quite lively.  A bunch of people on the computer all day are bound to unite.  You can find a number of brands and individuals online on a daily basis.  A reputable company will not stray from its industry and like-minded personalities.  Rather, a great company will have prominent presence in their respective vertical.  Denying interaction with its own industry?  A reputable firm won't do such.

Lack of Recognizable Workers

So, who are the people that work at the SEO marketing company?  Do you notice any of them writing posts on the company blog?  Does the company have a blog?  Do the workers have their own social media accounts, or possibly hosting their own blog?  Are you unable to find any personalities stemming from the firm?  Reputable service providers employ passionate, efficient workers.  The SEO community is large and easily accessible; but, some companies don't have recognizable workers.  This could be a major red flag.

Little Contact

If you pay another company to do work for you, you'd expect a decent amount of contact, yes?  A respected SEO marketing company will keep in constant contact with clients.  Project managers and assistant managers devoted to each campaign ensure there is always a point of contact.  What if you have a burning question?  What if you change your mind about an initiative?  What if you just want to see how your campaign is coming along?  You're entitled, but possibly frustrated if you can't get in contact with the provider.