SEO is key to a successful digital marketing campaign in today’s era. Businesses of all sizes are now depending greatly on a solid SEO strategy to build their reputation and promote their brand.
If you’re among the thousands of companies looking to team up with a local SEO company, you definitely want to stick around a little longer here. We’ll explore seven of the most important things to consider before hiring an SEO company.
Keep in mind that search engine optimization is an ever-changing practice as algorithms are being updated on a regular basis for a better user experience. Between managing your business, dealing with customers, and supervising your employees, you may not have time to prioritize keywords, search rankings, and organic traffic anymore.
Hiring a team of SEO experts is the way to go if that’s the case. The question is, how do you choose an agency that’s best for meeting your business goals? Consider these seven things:
1. SEO Expertise
While this may sound like a no-brainer, we believe it deserves to be in the list.
Find a local SEO company that has search engine optimization as the primary service and main focal point of their business. You may choose one that focuses on mastering a few other services, with SEO as their number one specialty.
See to it that they always keep up-to-date on the latest SEO guidelines too.
2. Years of Experience
A seasoned local SEO company with at least 10 years of success in the industry will assure you that it has been refining and improving its search engine best practices ever since it started.
SEO agencies that are more than 10 years old have overcome countless challenges brought about by business cycles. This shows how persistent they are in achieving their goals despite the trials and setbacks. And, that’s exactly what you need in an SEO company.
3. Case Studies
Anyone can tell you they’re a 100% proficient SEO company. The truth is, there are many who are just pretending to be one these days. That’s why you should perform a background check by asking for samples of their previous work.
Be sure to look at their previous SEO campaigns to get a clearer idea of their skills and services. You should see an impressive track record, specifically a history of increasing traffic and higher rankings for their clients.
You might also want to consider searching them on Google to determine their ranking in the search engine. If they don’t rank high as claimed, turn them down and find another local SEO company. Stay away from companies that make false claims or exaggerations about a successful history.
Don’t hesitate to ask them for specific case studies. If you’re contracting them to get you ranking in the local pack, you should be looking at local SEO case studies. Just because someone can drive a bunch of traffic to a blog doesn’t mean they fully understand local.
4. Too Good to Be True
Another red flag to watch out for is an SEO agency that makes promises that sound too impossible to achieve.
For instance, if it promises first page rankings on Google by buying loads of links or an SEO package, then you better keep your money and decline their offer. Any legit and reputable company will tell you that it takes a lot of time and effort to get to the top.
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5. Positive Reviews
As with investing in a product or service, it’s important to read online reviews first.
An established local SEO company should have a flood of reviews over time, with most of them coming from satisfied clients. Then again, you couldn’t trust any agency whose reviews are all highly favorable, without a single negative feedback. Settle for one that has at least a 4.5 star rating.
Also, don’t opt for a company that has plenty of positive reviews in just a short amount of time. Chances are, those reviews aren’t from actual clients.
6. Tools of the Trade
It’s not about knowing every tiny detail about the tools an SEO agency uses; rather, it’s about knowing they’re able to explain how these tools play a significant role in boosting your search engine strategy.
For a local SEO company to earn trust, it should have all the tools needed for completing tests, conducting audits, and whatnot. As their potential client, you should have an understanding of how they perform research, monitor backlinks and rankings, and analyze competitors.
Additionally, the company must be able to explain why they use certain tools, as well as the successes they’ve experienced with other companies who have used their services.
7. White Hat Practices
One of the ways to learn whether you’re dealing with a phony SEO company is by asking them to give you a detailed list of what they will do on your website.
If you notice any black hat practices, such as keyword stuffing or the use of invisible text, that should be enough reason to find another agency. Why? Websites that apply black hat SEO are bound to get punished, or worse, removed from search results.
These sites may be appealing at first, but eventually, they will incur penalties from Google.
The Search for an Effective SEO Company Starts Today!
Now that you know all the important points to consider in hiring a local SEO company you can trust, it’s time to begin your search.
Working with the right SEO agency is a critical step in growing your business and taking it to the top of the success ladder. Don’t fall for those who promise you overnight success, but go for one that’s sincere about helping you reach your goals in a reasonable span of time.
Digital Web Services (DWS) is a leading IT company specializing in Software Development, Web Application Development, Website Designing, and Digital Marketing. Here are providing all kinds of services and solutions for the digital transformation of any business and website.
