If you are wondering which SEO company to choose, you might be unsure about how to decide. How do you know which agency will get you the results you need online? Which agencies are good, and which are bad? You have heard the rumors of ‘bad agencies’ and you want to make sure you choose an awesome one that improves your SEO rankings to generate more sales/inquiries!
A little research can help you to figure it out. Look at reviews, case studies and the content on the company’s website. Do they look like a company you would use?
To help you on your quest, we have 5 amazing tips to help you find a suitable SEO expert to manage your campaign effectively.
Let’s get started!
Understand your SEO goals
In order to find the right SEO company, you need to know what your SEO goals are. Which areas of your online presence do you want to improve? You might need a new website, or you may benefit from some on-page SEO to optimize what you already have in place.
There are lots of FREE SEO Tools out there that will help you to figure out what is wrong with your website and what needs fixing, however, SEO is so much more than just ticking a few boxes to pass a report. The best SEO agency will be able to provide real data regarding the areas that need improving and explain what benefits it will have for your website online.
Find an SEO agency that tracks your data
Your business is different from every other, so your data should be unique. Make sure you look for a company that tracks and measures your online data, using tools like Analytics and Search Console to measure web traffic and click-through rates, as well as rank tracking software to see where you sit for your primary keywords. You might want to take it to the next level and track phone calls and contact form submissions so you can compare inquiry levels month over month.
An awesome SEO agency will find out what your goals are from the start and track all data to show you what success looks like.
Look at reviews, testimonials, & case studies
90% of all buying decisions online come from reviews, so don’t forget to read through testimonials and online reviews. Explore the company’s website or look for answers on Google to see how they have been rated previously.
This might be hard to find if they’re a relatively new company, but don’t let this put you off. If you like the look of a company and what they offer, ask them if they have any examples of success stories. You could even ask for a reference from a client of theirs and speak to them directly. This lets you know what they are like to work with and give you peace of mind knowing that other clients think they are awesome.
Take them up on their offer of a free consultation
Most SEO agencies will offer a free consultation to try and get the ball rolling and get you talking about your goals. This is a good opportunity to get an idea of who you’ll be dealing with during your SEO campaign. Will you be dealing with a dedicated SEO account manager or will you speak to a different person every time you pick up the phone? Have a clear idea in your mind regarding the type of agency you’d like to work with throughout the process and this will make it easier for you to choose.
Feeling comfortable is incredibly important. Good agencies will build trusting relationships with their clients and the opening consultation is a good opportunity for you to gauge how well you connect. You could also consider their passion, their attitude, and their sales techniques. If they are overly pushy and trying to sell you the dream, it’s probably too good to be true and it might be best to look elsewhere!
Define your SEO budget
Most reputable agencies will have a lot of sizzling reviews online. Chances are, these are the agencies that charge premium prices too. Why are their prices so high? Probably because they get results for their clients 99% of the time. But the SEO agency you choose should be affordable too. You shouldn’t have to worry about fronting the bill for your monthly retainer each month – this isn’t an efficient way of working and no one should stress about how they are going to afford their next bill.
Some agencies will charge extremely low prices ($50 per month) and others will only take clients who can afford to spend over $2000 per month. Before you get started, it’s imperative you figure out how much you can afford.
Author: Post written by David Williams, founder of Power SEO and SEO Account Manager @ Design365 Solutions Ltd, one of the leading North East SEO agencies – with offices in Durham and Newcastle.