Partnering with an SEO company that will be able to support your SEO goals for the long term is essential now more than ever. You need to find one that’s reputable, trustworthy, and has a team that’s willing to roll up their sleeves to boost your brand’s online visibility.
However, you may be in need of help in finding the right SEO services for your business at this time. Here are some tips to help guide your decision, and in seeking the best-fit partnership for sustainable business success.
SEO Services: When do you know if they’re right for you?
While paid ads are a good way to organically improve your online visibility, you would need long-term SEO marketing strategies for your brand to really thrive. For starters, here are some key things to consider before closing a deal with an SEO company:
- The company’s area and level of expertise
- Pricing options
- Client/campaign portfolio
- Specific plans of action
- Tools they use
- Timeline of process and results
An SEO company’s answers to these questions have a significant effect on your digital campaign’s outcomes. These will also influence the dynamic in which their team and your work together. Now that you know which things to keep on top of mind, how exactly do you find the right SEO services provider for your business?
1. Look for social proof.
A provider’s SEO expertise will speak for itself, without requiring too much explanation from their end. One of the best ways to check their track record and credibility? Client reviews.
Reviews, testimonials, and word of mouth are powerful forms of social proof that will help you determine whether a digital marketing agency has the capacity to deliver quality results to your brand or not. These also put a face to the provider’s claims and help build initial trust — something essential, especially in SEO, where it’s quite easy to drown in a sea of technical concepts.
2. Get into the specifics.
Reviews? Check. Next: case studies.
It’s also important to look beyond reviews and dig deeper into specific case studies. What were the challenges of the client they helped solve? What were the action plans set and metrics used to attain the campaign goals? What were the results; if any, were these quantifiable? Looking into case studies gives you an overview of what the agency can and can’t do and a quick background on how they drove an SEO campaign from start to finish.
3. Map out the metrics.
Aligning specific goals with those of an SEO company often proves to be the easier part. The bigger challenge comes in when you and the agency don’t align with metrics and KPIs.
To avoid clashing with metrics or tracking the wrong KPIs, identify the ones where you could meet halfway through. Be it conversion rates, organic searches, or keyword performance, find an SEO company that’s able to measure your page’s performance and afterwards produce digestible, data-driven results.
4. And of course, gauge your budget!
As the founder of your business, you know your figures by heart. So when looking for the right SEO marketing partner, you more or less have an idea of how much you’re willing to spend for SEO services, both for the short and long term. As we’ve included in our list of things to consider before inking the deal, know more about the company’s pricing options and what plan (if they’re subscription-based) would best suit your business.
5. Bonus: don’t underestimate the power of communication.
Far too often, we hear about horror stories of client-agency relationships taking a turn for the worse. This usually results from slow turnaround times; issues in budget talks; and poor results — all because lines of communication between both parties have broken down.
Working on your SEO campaign may take months, even years. This is why it’s important to seek the services of a company that knows how to both listen and provide valuable suggestions while being transparent about results and all data. Trust is two-way; it is only through effective communication that barriers are broken down and working relationships remain fruitful.
The right SEO service should fit your business like a glove.
In this current business landscape, businesses are almost required to have the best-fit SEO company to back them up. After all, SEO helps level the playing field and gives brands equal opportunities to get discovered — that is, if it’s done correctly and strategically.
Be diligent in your research; know your needs and budget, and invest in an agency that’s willing to put in the hard (and results-driven) work for you. Eventually, you’ll find the right match for your business!
