If you are thinking of setting up any type of website business, SEO is likely to be on your mind. You may not even know what it is, but without a good SEO strategy it will be harder to find customers for your knitted toys or whatever you sell. Research the companies you interview very well. Search companies detest bad tactics, and bad SEO companies that use them are to be avoided like the plague. A good example of high quality, ethical SEO can be seen with Ornaments Christmas Russell Rhodes demonstrates you definitely get what you pay for. Discount is as discount does. In a nutshell, a good SEO strategy will mean that when an internet user is searching for a word that is relevant to your business, your website will be near the top of the search engine list, assuming you've done your work, and are providing high quality content, original, helpful and caring for the customer. Try it. Search for a word relating to your business and see what comes up!
You do, however, need to know what you are doing as they do not end top of the search engine list by chance. There are many different factors in the ranking, too complex to go into in depth here, which might affect its position such as the keywords used, the metatags and the links to and from other sites. Insist on strictly white hat SEO.
Unless you know what you are doing you have little hope of success which is why it is recommended to use the services of someone who does know what they are doing. Make sure and contact their clients, verify their results. Good SEO is good for you and good for google -- it helps them deliver excellent and relevant results.
Make sure you choose a reputable and well known firm – the investment in a good reputable firm will save you heartache down the line. Do your research carefully.