Everyone is claiming to be the ultimate SEO expert, but who can you trust?  I know it can be quite tricky these days since more and more writers are claiming great SEO expertise and knowledge.  So what do you look for when hiring a SEO writer?  Well, there are a few things to consider:

1. Experience:  How much experience exactly does the writer have?  What work has he/she completed thus far?  Is the work measurable and notable?  All of these questions are extremely important when you’re going to make that consideration.  You need to be aware of the extent of experience and knowledge this person truly has (does it match their claims??).
2. Practice what they preach:  A great way to measure their success is to see how well this writer’s own site ranks amongst the competition.  Now, it is important to keep in mind that ranking changes very often and may not be so accurate.  But if they truly are the SEO experts they claim to be; they will be able to show for it through their overall status and online presence.
3. Clients:  It might be a good idea to actually take a look at their client list.  If they don’t have much of a list; it is crucial to view their previous work to give you an idea of they are capable of in terms of SEO writing.

I remember reading a funny PPC ad that claimed ultimate success and SEO expertise.  They even claimed that they would never subject your company to a PPC campaign, although they had several ads listed through Google Adwords themselves.  I don’t know if I would trust them!

There are a lot of things to consider when hiring an SEO writer.  Ultimately, the decision may come down to the nature of the work you would like the writer to complete:  copy, articles, etc.  Make sure you do your homework, and never fall for scams!