Stephanie Heitman — April 22, 2017 
Search engine optimization, or SEO, can be extremely complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing. Search engines are constantly changing algorithms and adding new requirements for best practices. So, it makes sense that you may consider an SEO company to help improve your web presence.
But, what should you look for in an SEO company? Nowadays, it seems like there are new SEO companies popping up in every office building, promising first-page results and tons of new website visitors without a lot to back it up.
Here are five things you should look for in an SEO company so you know you’re working with the real deal.
1. They Take Time to Understand Your Business
One of the foundations of SEO is consistent, clear content written for searchers rather than search engines. This content needs to be tailored to your business and your location, so if you’re working with an SEO company that doesn’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to your business, you could be in trouble.
A good SEO company takes the time to understand your business: what you do, who your customers are, what your area is like, and what your business goals are. Without this information, they’re unable to create an SEO plan to sets you up for success.
2. They Explain Their Process
So much of SEO can seem like a guessing game if you don’t know what’s happening. You know you’ve found a great SEO vendor when they walk you through their process, explain the changes they’re making (and why), and are knowledgeable about best practices.
3. They Can Show You Their Progress
While SEO is a long-term marketing investment that doesn’t usually yield noticeable results for 6-12 months, your SEO company should be able to show you what they’ve been doing and any results from their work. For example, they may have optimized your website around a certain keyword and can see that searchers are visiting your website from that keyword search as a result. Or, they could show the number of visitors that came in from directory listings they updated for you. Ask your prospective SEO company what types of reports they provide so you can gauge what type of information you’ll receive after starting a campaign with them.
4. They Care About Your Business
Knowing about your business and caring about your business are two completely different things. Your business is important to you, and you want to feel like it’s important to whoever you work with as well. An SEO company that provides a collaborative approach, where they’re comfortable giving you suggestions, answering any questions you may have, and regularly checking in with you, can give you the confidence you need when running an SEO campaign.
5. They Have Examples of Success
You may want to see examples of success from past or current clients before you partner with an SEO vendor. While case studies illustrate results that may not be typical for your industry or budget, you can get a good idea of what it’s like working with that company when you read testimonials from their clients.
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