Finding the right SEO agency with the right SEO services for your business can be crucial. With your time spent managing the business and the ever-growing number of SEO providers, it can be a challenge to find a good all-around match that doesn’t just look good on paper but actually delivers.
How to choose an SEO agency for your business
What does an SEO Agency do?
An agency has SEO experts and SEO specialists in different areas of search engine optimisation. By working with them, you should be getting the right mix of strategies and execution to help your business rank higher in search engines, attract leads, and boost revenue. Some of them include developing a content strategy for your blog, SEO website audit, on-page SEO, link building services, link clean-up, content creation, web design, and more. The chosen strategies and quality of implementation will determine your business’s potential growth online
Realistic Offerings
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Look for companies who offer realistic results and don’t use guarantees. SEO is an ongoing process, and no one has the ability to guarantee rankings 100% since the search algorithms are beyond an agency’s control. Any promises for overnight rankings or guaranteed rankings should raise an immediate red flag. Check out the 6 SEO Mistakes to Avoid.
Experience
It’s a good idea to look at how long the agency has been in business. The length of time that an agency has been up and running is indicative of their level of experience. Agencies that have serviced many clients have experience in multiple industries and know what works and what doesn’t.
Choose an Ethical Team
Before researching SEO agencies, it is a good idea for any business owner to familiarise themselves with the basics of SEO. To know how it works, what it is, and how results are realistically achieved is important when it comes to distinguishing between ethical and shady SEO practices.
Before signing a contract with an SEO agency, make sure they are adhering to the guidelines of search engines. Black Hat SEO, which is a term for unethical optimisation practices, can produce quick traffic, but eventually ban you from having any presence online. Does the agency do the work in-house or do they outsource it to third parties in another country?
Expect Transparency
If a company is willing to answer all of your questions and fully clarify any doubts by offering SEO information, this is a good sign. Beware of companies who may be secretive about their process, practices or employees. If they are hiding anything, it’s likely that they are practicing black hat SEO and operating under unethical standards. SEO isn’t rocket science, and nor is it a secret formula. A good SEO firm will share their process, explain why they do things a certain way, and teach you more about what SEO is and how it works.
Cheap, Fast, and Easy Don’t Exist
Although internet marketing is the most affordable method of advertising, proper SEO takes time and funding. Because it isn’t immediate and cannot be done overnight, any company that charges a onetime fee is probably not worth it. Search Engines are constantly changing their algorithms and internet marketing should be a gradual, ongoing process in order to achieve the best results over time. A better way to handle SEO is by monthly or annual contract to ensure that the SEO company is maintaining the results and promoting your site continuously.
While SEO can be an intimidating subject if it is unfamiliar to you, it’s important to equip yourself with some basic knowledge and research your prospective SEO agencies wisely.
If you have any questions about how to choose an SEO agency, do not hesitate to contact us, check our FAQ page to find answers to the most asked SEO questions or follow us on Facebook, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.
