There are many factors that determine your organic search ranking. Some of these include link quality, content relevance, a business’s page authority, and the effectiveness of its social media campaigns. However, for many businesses, getting the right SEO company that understands how to rank websites on search engines is one of the most important factors in their success.
The main reason to hire an SEO consultant or agency is to get better traffic to your website. There are many SEO companies out there claiming to rank you in the top positions. Some promise that they can rank your website with the best SEO keywords & time. Other agencies will claim to have proprietary systems that will 10x your leads in just a few months.
So how do you know which company is worth trusting? Here are some tips on how to choose an SEO company that can help you reach your goals.
Find the Right Consultant
The first step is to find a SEO consultant who not only understands search engine optimization and technical SEO, but who also understands your industry or niche. A good SEO consultant like Two Labs LeadGen should know how to increase organic traffic, maximize your investment, and minimize the time it takes to move the needle.
A good consultant will have years of experience with Google’s algorithms and keep up with current digital marketing trends, such as social media and email marketing. Make sure your SEO consultant has a proven track record. Moreover, they should be up-to-date on Google’s updates and the latest SEO techniques.
Be Specific About Your Goals
Define specific goals, don’t just say “I want to increase traffic to my site”. There are many ways an SEO using deceptive practices can “boost” traffic numbers to your site; its just typically not the right traffic, and many times its not even real traffic. Sure, that may trick Google into thinking you may be relevant, but unqualified traffic is never going to turn into a lead or a sale.
Avoid SEOs with “Secret Tactics”, “Magic Bullets”, or “Plans That Fit Everyone”
If your website isn’t getting enough traffic or leads, you should consider finding a third party to boost your business sales. An SEO consultant will provide you with a list of alternative ways to promote your website. A successful SEO consultant will advise you to consider different sources of traffic. There is no one SEO tactic that will bulletproof you from what Google will do next, so you should look for a consultant who uses many tactics to generate traffic. Above all else, avoid the SEO who guarantees page one results!
A good SEO consultant will share their process, explain why they do things a certain way, and teach you more about what SEO is and how it can work for your business. If a consultant can’t explain what they are going to do, how it works, and what results you may be able to expect, find a new consultant.
An agency who isn’t willing to be transparent about their SEO process probably has things to hide and you just might end up like the many business owners who have told us they “just don’t know what this agency is doing for me”.
Find Out What You are Getting for Your Money Before Signing
A number of agencies and consultants will want to sell you on their SEO plan that promises rankings and more leads than you can handle, when in reality they will spend hours on a lengthy Discovery Session or process and leave you with some reporting and a high-level plan for the entire first month’s retainer.
Instead, find a consultant or agency who comes to the table with ideas specific to your business and location. Someone who has done and audit of your business and local competition, and that has a plan of specific actions they will take starting on day one! Every day that your business’ SEO isn’t being worked on is a day that leads are going to your competitor(s).
Play the Long AND the Short Game
‘Good, Fast, and Cheap’ doesn’t exist, but a good consultant can move the needle quickly.
The reality of SEO is that it takes time and money, but chances are that there are quick wins in almost every business that can move the needle in a short amount of time. Wether its poor on-page content structure, an unoptimized Google Business Profile, or simply a lack of quality content, almost every client we work with has things that are both easily identifiable and easily fixed that can help boost your search presence without months of work or budgets spent.
You Need More than Monthly Reporting
Before agreeing to with with an agency or consultant, find out how they quantify results AND what happens if their work doesn’t produce them. Traffic and analytics reports are great, but more importantly, how is the data being interpreted into actually business data that meets your specific goals? What is working or not working?
The best SEO consultants re-evaluate your marketing plan monthly based on results and changes from previous work, algorithm changes, and what your competition might be doing now that they weren’t doing when the initial research was done.
In short, make sure they aren’t just showing you numbers, but analyzing and interpreting the observations to help meet your goals and grow your business.
Conclusion
If you are in the market for a skilled SEO consultant to handle your online presence, be sure to review the topics in this article and search for an SEO with relevant experience in your industry. For example, if you’re a roofing company, you will want to hire someone with extensive experience in Roofing Marketing and SEO.
There are many good SEOs who really can accelerate your business growth with ethical, transparent, and effective SEO practices. You just need to have the knowledge and understanding of how to find the right one for your business and your budget.
