For the average business owner, stepping into the field of search engine optimization (SEO) can be a daunting and difficult transition. Indeed, it’s one thing to recognize that your business needs a boost to improve its online presence; it’s quite another to have the expertise to actually achieve it. As such, simply finding the right SEO consultant can prove a frustrating task. Even knowing what to ask an SEO company is tough if you haven’t been keeping a close eye on the latest marketing trends. Still, if you want to ensure that you find the right SEO partner for your business, you need to vet the candidates properly. Here are three questions you should ask before you decide to hire an SEO expert:
How Will You Show Your Work?
This is a great question to ask because it will reveal how transparent a potential SEO expert will likely be during your collaboration. First, a reputable SEO company should be willing to sit down with you and explain, bit-by-bit, how they plan to improve your website’s online presence. Answers you want to hear in this regard should center around how many of your web pages need on-site SEO assistance, what off-site measures they’re willing to take to better your website’s domain authority, and how many hours they’re going to devote to your projects per month. Agile marketing companies will also likely have a multi-faceted plan to accompany their proposal. So don’t be surprised if they want to roll out contingent strategies later on based on your initial results.
Secondly, asking how an SEO expert will show their work will grant you insight into what kind of results you’ll likely see with them. Beware anyone who promises grandiose or over-the-top returns. Smart SEO consultants recognize that getting an SEO strategy off the ground takes time and effort, and promising that your business will skyrocket up Google’s page rankings isn’t usually viable –– or honest. Furthermore, before you hire an SEO expert, you should ask to see how they’d report on your progress. Question what software they use, and make sure that their reports are accessible,
How Well Do You Know My Industry?
Ideally, the SEO company you hire should know your company inside and out. After all, they may be the people creating your content, crafting your social media campaigns, and writing your ads. So enquire about their experience in your industry. Ask if they’ve had any clients similar to you in the past. (Or currently, for that matter. Note that any potential conflict of interest could present a red flag.) What’s more, ask to see samples of their work if possible. You may not be an expert in SEO, but most business owners will be able to recognize shoddy or spammy work when they see it. Avoid consultants that produce slipshod blog posts and web pages.
How Often Will We Communicate?
A reliable SEO expert, like a professional in any other field, will keep you up to date on their efforts and your progress. The more willing SEO marketing firms are to devote time to explaining the reasoning behind their actions, the likelier you’ve found someone you can trust. So-called SEO gurus who only want to communicate with you once a year probably aren’t going to provide you with the hands-on service your company needs.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking to hire an SEO expert, know that you can find a great partner –– even if you’re no SEO maven yourself. Knowing the right questions to ask will grant you the insight you need to make an informed decision. Contact the Leap Clixx team today and put us to the test yourself! Plus, to dig deeper into how to implement SEO best practices to bolster your marketing results, check out our free eBook here:
Topics: SEO
