Getting the right SEO agency for your business can be somewhat challenging if you lack a basic understanding of SEO. Let me be the one to tell you that not all SEO agency has all it takes to get your business at the top of significant rankings. And what makes it dicier is that they will all promise to deliver according to your desired expectation when negotiating the contract.
In light of that, it can be somewhat challenging to tell the competent SEO agencies apart from the unprofessional ones. So how do you identify the right SEO agency that can deliver the best result that suits your business? That is what you are going to unveil in this article.
As an SEO expert, I will tell you seven essential questions you need to ask the prospective SEO agency you want to work with before you agree to give out your hard-earned money. Meanwhile, it is crucial for you to know that you are not supposed to ask your prospective SEO agency all these seven questions. You would have to evaluate questions 1, 3, 4, and 7 personally, and feel free to put the remaining questions directly to the SEO agency representative.
1. Check their track records
If the SEO agency you want to hire has not been serving their previous clients satisfactorily, they can’t give you what you want. That is why the past results and reviews about the SEO agency matter a lot. So, how do you know about the agency’s past results and reviews? Don’t fret. The internet is your friend.
Mind you, visiting the testimonial page of the SEO agency will not give you the objective information you require. Hence, finding the SEO agency on independent testimonial pages such as Yelp, Google My Business, Capterra, and the likes is better. Learning SEO yourself will also help in choosing the right SEO company for your business success is also important.
When you are on those pages, make sure you check their average rating. You can concentrate more on their 1, 3, and 5-star reviews to know about their poor, average, and excellent performance.
Of course, no matter how good they are, every company would have a few negative reviews. But, if the negative reviews are more optimistic, that’s a warning sign that the SEO agency has not been performing excellently.
2. Ask about their SEO techniques
Every SEO agency has unique SEO techniques and methodologies, so they must be able to provide a breakdown of their techniques and show you proven deliverables they have been using during each stage of their processes.
Ask to know how they conduct their SEO audits, including the actions they take (in steps), and see if they can help your business. Also, you need to know how they conduct their keywords research to drive the right traffic and generate leads. You can also ask about their technical moves as regards Search Engine Optimization.
The aim is to know how they go about the SEO practices to get their clients desired results. If they can provide all of that with tangible proof, you can trust them.
3. Ask how long it takes for them to deliver
Get this straight: it takes nothing less than 4 – 6 months before you will start to see the results of your agency’s SEO efforts. From experience, Search Engine Optimization is not an overnight achievement. So, any SEO agency that promises to deliver in few weeks is nothing but a scam. It’s either they are just trying to impress you to patronize them, or they are planning to engage in some illegal practices Like PBNs and other Grey hat techniques, that can bring penalties that would harm your business.
Though SEO agencies can deliver some impressive short-term results, but it’s always rare, and you should not expect it as well. Hence, you need to ask the SEO agency when you should be expecting results. If they sound too early, you need to be suspicious.
4. Ask about their previous SEO projects
After you have known about how long it takes for them to deliver, it is time to ask them for a detailed report of one of their previous projects. Seeing what they have practically done for a previous client (especially if the client offers a similar service as yours) will give you a clear picture of what to expect when the result finally comes.
5. Ask about their transparency
An honest and competent SEO agency will not mind showing their client every detail of their process. One of the best ways to trust the SEO agency you are about to hire is if they are comfortable giving you the details of what they are doing at every notable milestone. If they can’t be transparent in communications, techniques, and status of their deliverables, don’t bother to hire them.
6. Ask about their reporting methods
A productive SEO agency will love to send you detailed reports from time to time. Why/ that is because they are working with you as a business partner. To know about their reporting methods and frequency, ask for the samples of the report they have sent to their former clients to see the details.
You also need to know the tools they use to prepare their SEO reporting. A few of the most common tools used for SEO reporting include Google Search Console, Google Analytics, SEMRush, Ahrefs, and Moz. Ask the SEO agency if they will give you free access to the tools to check if the metrics they send to you are accurate.
7. How about the commitment on your end?
Have you ever questioned how much it would cost you to in terms of time and money to evaluate the works of your SEO agency? It’s something you need to discuss with the SEO agency before you agree to hire them.
Know how much commitment you will be giving on your end, and the costs bring desired results to your business in the long run. It is good to work with an SEO agency that will not put much commitment on you.
Final Words
SEO is essential in taking your business to the heights you desire. However, you can only get the correct result when you hire the right SEO agency that understands your business and are ready to deliver to taste. After getting honest answers to the above questions, you and your agency can start working.
