Good SEO takes a lot of hard work, attention to detail, and careful planning. Because search engines provide a huge amount of potential traffic, a strong, solid SEO and internet marketing campaign is imperative. An SEO campaign done correctly results in increased sales, branding, and exposure; an SEO campaign done badly will at best get you a couple links and at worst, get you banned.

With this in mind, here are a few tips to think about and ask your SEO company:

1) Do they provide an overall package? Meaning, do they offer a solid search marketing campaign that includes off-site and on-site optimization, web development and writing services?

2) Do they give you a complete competitor analysis? This arms you with a more accurate understanding of your competitors and how hard or easy it will be to rank you for your chosen keywords.

3) Search engine marketing strategies vary in price, but beware of ridiculously cheap companies; you won't get the value for your money and you may actually hurt your site. Ask for client testimonials and ask to see other sites they've done.

4) If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. For example, if they say they will have you on the first page in under two to three mos, be wary. SEO isn' an instant process; its a gradual building whose end result, if built correctly, can do amazing things for your company or website.

5) The search engine marketing company you choose should ideally have several top ranking sites for different sets of keywords.

6) Make sure they aren't using techniques that are "black hat" e.g. methods that can get you banned from the search engines. The best and most common example of this is spamming.

7) Consider a blog or content management system to supplement or even replace your current site if you are a small company. This is ideal for anyone from large or small companies. Blogs, if updated often enough, can greatly increase your SEO. For best results, the blogs themselves should be optimized too.

8) Before going outside your own country for SEO, think twice. While there are a number of excellent SEO companies around the globe, companies are only subject to the laws in their country. For example, say you are in the US and you contract with a firm in India and they don't deliver at all or to your satisfaction. It may be virtually impossible to get your money back, and vice versa.

9) Look for results and a proven track record over all other qualifications; actions and results speak far louder than words.

10) Find an SEO company with good customer support; this can make a huge difference in managing and handling your project.