Search engine optimization (SEO) can be a difficult concept to understand and implement on your own.
Often considered somewhat mysterious by nature, SEO is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of traffic to your site by increasing your site’s visibility.
SEO can be difficult and is often misunderstood, but it is critical to online success.
On average, organic search accounts for 51% of the traffic businesses receive. Investment in SEO services are projected to rise to $79 billion this year.
If you’re wanting to increase your web traffic and search engine visibility, you may be considering hiring someone to get your SEO on the right track. The problem is, there are a lot of companies out there who make false promises to earn your business.
Let’s take a look at some things you should look for when hiring an SEO company.
But First… What Are You Looking For?
As with anything, do your research and your due diligence before lining up SEO agencies.
Know what you’re looking for beforehand. Sit down with your team to outline what you are trying to accomplish with SEO. Are you looking to boost sales for one of your products by using specific keywords? Are you wanting to increase your conversions? Outlining your goals ahead of time and finding a company that can meet them will avoid disappointment or financial loss in the long run.
Treat The Process As Though You’re Hiring An Employee
When you’re considering hiring an employee, there are usually a few steps involved. For example, you outline what it is you’re looking for, you interview potential candidates that meet your qualifications and then, once you find someone you like, you check references to see if their actions line up with their words.
Hiring an SEO company is very much the same process. Rather than Googling “top SEO companies” and choosing the first few that are on the list, an option is to go by word-of-mouth first. Some companies that are trying to rank highly on Google for SEO purposes are in desperate need of the business, meaning that they may not have a lot of experience. One effective method of finding a reputable company is to consult your professional circle to see who they would recommend and who they have had success with.
Once you find a company that appears to align with your company’s vision, set up a time to sit down with them for a consultation and be sure to ask a lot of questions. If you’re unsure of what questions to ask, Moz has a great list.
Watch Out For Companies Offering Cheaper Prices
The saying is often true: you get what you pay for.
With SEO, the same rule applies. While you don’t want to break the bank on SEO services, you should expect to pay a reasonable price for SEO to receive high quality service. Cheaper SEO companies may even use Black Hat SEO tactics, which would be detrimental to your business. Black Hat SEO are tactics that violate search engine rules. Examples of this include buying links, keyword stuffing and cloaking. Black hat tactics eventually lead to your website being demoted, causing Google to ban your website or rank it very poorly.
Are They Transparent With Their Strategies?
Communication is key in any relationship. From the get go, your SEO company should be transparent with their strategies and what tools they use. While you should have access to all the tools they use to measure your KPI’s–Google Search Console, Moz, Google Analytics, etc–you probably won’t have the time or the know-how to analyze the data on a consistent basis. This is why it is important to foster a trusting relationship with your SEO company. Good SEO takes time and it is not something that provides immediate results.
Check Out Their Past Projects
Take the time to examine previous projects they’ve completed. Check their rankings of their past projects to see how well their services have helped their clients’ sites, as higher rankings mean that they’ve provided quality service. Ask the company for references and they should be willing to provide you with some. If they aren’t willing to provide references or they appear uneasy, take that as a red flag.
At Netgain, we’ve been providing quality services for over a decade. From SEO strategies to web design and marketing, we can help your business. Find out more about the SEO process by reading our SEO FAQ or giving us a call today at (888) 797 2455.