How to pick a good SEO provider!
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is such an important part of online marketing – you need it in order to get your website ranked and found on the search engines. It’s also an ongoing task, meaning you need to be able to dedicate time to it every week or at least every month. You also need to be up to date on all the algorithm changes and the latest best practices to make sure your website doesn’t get penalised or blacklisted.
For many business owners or managers, staying on top of your company website’s SEO is just not feasible in addition to all your other responsibilities. It’s often best to get outside help – hire an SEO expert or, if your needs are great enough, a dedicated SEO agency. The key is to find the right fit for your business.
Here’s how:
1. Look At Their Online Reviews
When you start your search, hit Google, and see who you can find. It’s probably a good idea to go with a business or freelancer who knows how to optimize their own website to get found. Once you have a few options, look at what other people are saying about them online. The person or company name is likely to have some Google Reviews or Facebook Reviews, as well as potential posts from clients on the likes of Yelp or Hello Peter.
2. Ask For Case Studies
Now that you’re ready to talk to your preferred service providers, it’s time for them to prove their worth. Case studies are an important part of the interview process. You want to see if they’ve worked with clients in similar situations to your business, and how successful they were. There’s no point in getting someone who doesn’t know your industry or understand what it is that your business does.
3. Talk To Previous Or Current Clients
Always ask for references. It’s great to look at case studies and the online reviews, but it’s even better to talk to people who have worked with the person or agency you’re considering hiring.
Ask them about the process of working with the specialist, how communicative they are, how good they are at explaining things, and if the client felt confident that their needs were being met. This will give you a good indication of whether you’ll be able to build up a good working relationship with the agency or individual.
4. Don’t Only Look Locally
The great thing about the internet is that you don’t have to be in the same location as the person or agency you hire. They can boost your rankings, even locally, from anywhere in the world, so don’t limit yourself when you start your search.
If the local experts aren’t showing the right experience for your business needs, widen your search to the rest of the state, country or even world. Remember, with the increase in online videoconferencing meetings, you can have regular chats with your specialist, regardless of where they’re based.
5. Get Up To Speed On Black Hat Tactics
While the whole point of hiring a specialist is so that you don’t need to always be up to date on the latest SEO tactics and best practices. However, it’s vital that you know what will potentially hurt your business and your rankings if you get caught by the likes of Google.
This way, you’ll know if the person you’re interviewing really is an expert and if they really will do the work you need them to do. It’s too easy for someone to get you a sudden spike in rankings and then get your website blacklisted by using the wrong tactics.
