Dave Sutton November 23, 2020 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a crucial part of ensuring your business’s success, particularly if you strive to dominate through digital channels. Unfortunately, SEO is a rather complex matter, with many experts deeming it both an ‘art’ and a ‘science’—never mind the fact that it’s constantly evolving and requires regular, consistent attention.
It’s because of these issues that many business owners make the decision to outsource their SEO requirements. If this is an avenue that you’re currently exploring, you’re probably wondering how to go about hiring the right company. Here are some tips to consider as you’re looking for help:
Investigate the Offerings
To be strategic and cost-effective, hire a comprehensive digital marketing agency with SEO capabilities to do your analysis for you, rather than a specialist that focuses on SEO exclusively. Most agencies offer affordable digital marketing packages, which benefit you more because they cover everything from SEO to content marketing, social media, PPC advertising, and more. Why do SEO alone and pay top dollar for the privilege? In any event, take a close look at the services and compare before making a decision.
It’s also wise to investigate whether the company in question offers white label SEO, especially if you are considering providing SEO services as part of your business moving forward. There are marketing agencies that will work with you as an SEO reseller, which enables you to offer SEO without needing to be an expert in the matter.
Find Out About Their Tools
There are plenty of helpful SEO tools and programs out there that can drastically improve the quality of the SEO on your website. Ensure that you are clued up regarding the best tools and inquire whether the various potential SEO companies on your list make use of them.
How Long Will It Take to See Results?
If the company promises results in the short-term—instantly or within a week or two, say—you will definitely want to be careful and probably continue your search elsewhere.
The reality is that SEO is not a quick fix or an overnight process. It takes time, resources, and effort. Companies promising fast results are, frankly, either being dishonest or they are simply inexperienced. It’s also likely they’re using black-hat techniques, which could land you in the Google penalty box!
Inquire About Measuring Progress
There is no point in putting in the effort to put SEO best practices in place if you are unable to track your progress or the results. Always find out how the companies in question plan to measure progress and how they will convey these figures back to you. Comprehensive reporting should form part of your SEO package.
Find Reviews and Testimonials
Scour each company’s website for clues, but go to other review sites for testimonials to get a feel for how past and existing clients feel about their services. Check their social media platforms for reviews and comments on their posts. If you spot a negative review, look into how the company handled it. This will tell you a lot about what to expect from dealings with them in the future!
The Takeaway
Like a lot of things in life, sometimes it’s easier (and better) to let an expert handle the dirty business for you! Don’t let bad SEO hygiene stand between you and your next customer. Remember, you only have 6 seconds to give them a reason to care, listen, engage, buy, and stay. But, if they can’t find you, or you’re buried on “page 2”, you won’t even get your six-seconds.
Now that you know how to scope out a great SEO company, you will be one step closer to impressive rankings, improved website traffic, and a host of new leads.
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