5 Ways to Find an SEO Agency for Your Business
Has your digital marketing plan stalled, or are you unsure how to start one?
Then hiring an SEO agency full of seasoned professionals should be at the top of your priorities.
When you find and partner with the right team, you can focus on your business while they create your brand awareness and enhance your online presence.
However, finding the right team is easier said than done.
This article will focus on five tips to help you through the vetting process of finding the team you feel can establish brand awareness and increase your client base. So let’s begin.
5 Ways to Find an SEO Agency for Your Business
1. Establishing Business Goals
What do I expect from them?
Before you go headfirst into your search for the right team, you must set your own goals and expectations.
Your website may need updating and refreshing. You may need advice on conversions or need to attract more subscribers to your blog or YouTube channel; or even an email marketing campaign. The right team will be able to cover all these areas and more.
However, at the start of this process, it is up to you to clarify what you want to achieve with your marketing budget. Speak to your team or your business partner(s). Discuss what areas you should be seeing more results from or areas you need to start marketing.
Make a list of any marketing ‘pain points’ you and your team are experiencing. Be sure not to be the business owner that paints a rosy picture of an agency and its team; if you have problems, make a list and discuss them.
2. Finding your Ideal Match
Which agency can I work with to reach these targets?
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The first hurdle to overcome is not choosing the first companies you see on a search. The SEO companies or professionals at the top of the SERPs will deserve to be there; however, that does not mean they are a good fit for your business.
If you find an SEO company with experience in your industry or niche, that’s great. However, if they specialise in SEO for corporations and big brands, that could be a bad fit if you are a small start-up.
Go local first. Look for local agencies as they will know the town/city and residents, plus they are easy to get feedback on from your community. One of the new search terms that the pandemic has pushed forward is that after you enter a search term, the phrase ‘near me’ appears, so this will supply a list of local SEO companies to do some background research on ελληνικά κανάλια εξωτερικό.
Speak to business owners in your circle. Word of mouth is an excellent way to find reliable agencies, especially if you are looking locally. You will know others within your industry, from suppliers to contractors; it never hurts to ask around.
3. Get a Personal Consultation
If you do decide to go local, then this is a must. If you cannot find someone suitable in your town or city, then a lengthy phone consultation should be the minimum you look for to get started.
Sitting down with who could eventually become your campaign manager is a good start.
The interview process should be lengthy, with many topics covered and the agency looking to gather as much background information as possible.
Goals and targets should be discussed. As mentioned at the start of the article, if you have problems, don’t feel embarrassed or cover over any cracks, be honest. It will go a long way to the agency developing a strategy to get you moving in the right direction.
TIP: Be careful if an initial interview lasts around 20 minutes. Establishing a background on your business, what marketing has been done, and a full evaluation takes time. There is a lot to discuss at this point.
4. Experience and Case Studies
Have you taken on projects like mine in the past…and can I see them?
Experience is the common denominator between success and failure in SEO in 2022.
A reputable SEO company will have plenty of case studies for you to look at, and you should never be shy of showing them to a prospective client.
Many agencies can have certificates and milestones on their wall. Still, a list of satisfied customers with a healthy online presence is what you want to see.
Here are a few tips on how to do a little research to know these are real case studies and not just for show:
Review the Websites. Online platforms such as Facebook and Google show star ratings on SEO companies that indicate their reliability and results. So take time to look at their Facebook page and Google ratings.
Proven Performance. What you are looking for is that some of the previous or current work is of a similar size and fit to what you are looking to achieve. As mentioned earlier, a company can have 5-stars and be top of Google. Still, if they specialise in helping corporations and you are a team of only five people, it might not work.
5. Communication and Transparency
How do I know where my campaign is at?
Communication is the key to success. When you have your initial interview/consultation, you want to leave that meeting knowing you will have a designated campaign manager.
TIP: This is where working with a more modest but experienced agency could benefit.
Having someone that knows your campaign inside out is essential. We look to stick with the same doctor and dentist for as long as possible, as they know our history.
Reporting Transparency. In the past, many SEO companies would deliver monthly reports with graphs and statistics to show their work.
TIP: In 2022, if a company still reports like that, move on to the next one.
With the new surge in analytical tools SEO companies and professionals need to use to keep on top of your campaign and competition, reports should be regular and detailed.
Here are some good questions to ask in your first meeting:
- How often will I get reports?
- What will the reports show me?
- Can you explain them to me in basic terms if they are technical?
- Will I have a designated account manager I can talk to any time?
You are investing for ROI, and they are there to provide that, so in a business relationship, transparency is the key.
Reporting should provide a breakdown of your monthly SEO spend and some live and active links, citations and local listings for you to see your business in the public domain.
Honest dialogue and reporting go a long way to long-term success. Remember, SEO professionals are not magicians; organic SEO can take time, depending on where you are. But you are in the process of building trust in each other and your online status.
Bottom Line
For everything covered in this article, remember that every SEO campaign is unique, just like human fingerprints, so one solution NEVER-fits-all in SEO. Some projects will take longer to hit the target for many reasons, such as competition and how much clean-up work needs to be done before SEO can take hold. You’ll have long-term SEO success if you can balance expectation with patience. Good luck in your endeavours.