Let me start off by saying that there is only one mistake you can make when optimizing your website to appear higher in search engine ranking results.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a talent in terms of applying the correct amount of optimization in order to achieve the best results in terms of website visibility on search engine results. It is therefore important that you use a SEO company who has knowledge of this and suitable experience or you could be making a huge mistake.

Many companies not specialized in Search Engine Optimization do not have the experience necessary most often obtained through trial and error to determine how much effort to put into each of the 100 or so ranking factors that may increase website visibility on search engines.

Your friend, ‘Bob’ for example (or whatever he may be called), has the least amount of knowledge and therefore the highest potential of error when optimizing your website. When I refer to ‘Bob’, I am referring to that friend or friend of a friend or family friend who claims to have done SEO in the past and who can offer it on the cheap. Cheap being way, way, way lower than any professional in the industry.

There is a reason for this. A very important reason. ‘Bob’ is more than likely a black-hat novice SEO (see the article on “What is Black Hat Search Engine Optimization?” for more information on this term) who’s full time job is (something like) a website designer and who may have seen SEO implemented by the SEO professional in his office. ‘Bob’ uses techniques that may be likened to those used by black-hat SEO’s because ‘Bob’ doesn’t know where to draw the line.

‘Bob’ may enter 100 keywords in the keyword META tags, he may enter keywords in the title tag, and even in the META description tag. The point is that ‘Bob’ does not know where to draw the line, and thus ‘Bob’ may very well get you banned in search engines. ‘Bob’ may have the very best of intentions, but if he does not know the industry (and ever changing at that) inside out, then ‘Bob’ is not the right man for the job.

Search Engine Optimization is an art, and therefore a suitable artist should be chosen if you want the critics (search engines) to value your site with the utmost respect. A Shenzhen copy just isn’t going to cut the mustard when compared to a Rembrandt in a top gallery displaying Rembrandt art. In the same respect, ‘Bob’s’ SEO efforts are not going to compare to that of a professional in the industry when displayed on Google’s search engine results pages. ‘Bob’s’ efforts will more than likely be tossed in the trash, just as would the Rembrandt copy from Shenzhen.

Therefore your only Search Engine Optimization mistake would be to assign ‘Bob’ to the job.