First, let’s
clear up some misconceptions about SEO firms. If you find yourself thinking any
of the following, question your assumptions.
This SEO firm has a nice website; I bet they’d be good to work with -
A nice-looking website does not a good SEO firm make. If you’re looking to hire an expert Strategic Analyst or SEO Consultants that can also take care of designing your new website, then yes, you should probably consider how good their own website looks. But if you’re only looking for top-notch SEO, some of the best firms have websites that are decidedly second-rate.
What filters do you use to identify the difference between a great SEO company and one that is not?
I
would say track record is the biggest filter; check how long they keep their
clients for. If I see a company that has SEO clients come and go, year
after year, they’re probably more concentrated on the sales side; getting
clients in and then really losing it on the operations side. Whereas a
company that has clients for 5+ years, they would really stand out as a good SEO
company.
What methods do you recommend to others when trying to vet or choose an SEO agency?
A lot about a company who admits, ‘we’re good at On-page but we might not be as good at off-page’. Look at their legacy of clients, how long they has been there, how happy they are, what kinds of testimonials they give, and what kind of case studies they provide. If everything’s out in the open, everything looks good and if they’re being forthright about everything, then those are really good signs to vet an SEO company.
Decide what you need –
Do you need link removal, reputation management, a onetime SEO audit, ongoing SEO, link building, PPC management,content marketing, or one of the other 20 services SEO firms frequently offer? If you’re not sure what you need, start by figuring out the job to be done. Do you want to grow sales by 20% over the next 12 months, or leads by 50% over the next six months? Is your goal increased rankings, or do you just need the boss to know that someone is working on SEO and then you can check this bothersome item off your to-do list? Have a goal in mind by which you will measure the success of your engagement with your SEO firm, and make that goal the center of your communication with them. If you can’t measure how successful your SEO efforts are, you’re less likely to be successful with them.
Get multiple consultations, but keep
it secret-
Once you know what you want, sit down with an SEO firm, in person or by phone or email, that seems reasonably qualified and ask them to help you figure out what you need to do. Most SEO firms will gladly offer a free consultation because they know by doing so they have a chance to impress you and win your business. This time will also help you to know if you like the firm and the people you’ll be working with. By the end of the consultation, which may take a few days if the SEO firm needs to go and do research on your website and industry, you should received a proposal with the services you need and pricing for them. Then, unless you’re in a time crunch and love the first firm you’ve met with, go do the same thing with one or two other firms to have a basis for comparison. But don’t advertise this. When you tell an SEO firm “I’m shopping around,” or “I’m talking to other firms,” this doesn’t always make them compete harder for your business; it may make them compete less. This is especially true of some of the best SEO firms, where clients are fighting to work with them rather than the SEO firm fighting to work with that client.
Finding the Right Firm for You-
When
searching for an SEO firm, in addition to cost, you’ll want to consider whether
you trust and like the people you’d be working with, whether they’re local and
available for face to face meetings if that’s your preference, and whether they
have worked with your type of company before and know exactly what to do
without having to become educated about your industry. Those are topics for
another day. Knowing what SEO costs and what you should pay for it is a big
piece of the puzzle. Hopefully the information above will help you as you make
your decision.
Once you know what you want, sit down with an SEO firm, in person or by phone or email, that seems reasonably qualified and ask them to help you figure out what you need to do. Most SEO firms will gladly offer a free consultation because they know by doing so they have a chance to impress you and win your business. This time will also help you to know if you like the firm and the people you’ll be working with. By the end of the consultation, which may take a few days if the SEO firm needs to go and do research on your website and industry, you should received a proposal with the services you need and pricing for them. Then, unless you’re in a time crunch and love the first firm you’ve met with, go do the same thing with one or two other firms to have a basis for comparison. But don’t advertise this. When you tell an SEO firm “I’m shopping around,” or “I’m talking to other firms,” this doesn’t always make them compete harder for your business; it may make them compete less. This is especially true of some of the best SEO firms, where clients are fighting to work with them rather than the SEO firm fighting to work with that client.
Finding the Right Firm for You-
Once
you’ve determined whether your needs for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or PPC are temporary or ongoing, what size of a Best SEO Services Company in India, matches your business, and whether your target market is niche or broad, local
or global or somewhere in between, you’ll be in a position to better understand
what you can expect to pay for SEO and why.
Think long term-
Last, but
certainly not least, don't forget to ask where you see yourself in a year or
two, and make that a part of the conversation. Are you aiming to bring the work
in-house eventually, or will this stay outsourced for the foreseeable future? A
good agency will be ready with a plan to help on-board or even help train a
future replacement, and definitely won't hold your account or data hostage.
Scale is an important part of the long term picture too. If you're growing quickly into a rich market and could reasonably expect to double, triple, or 10x the scale of your campaigns in the near future, make sure you share your intent and find a partner who will be prepared when the time comes.
Scale is an important part of the long term picture too. If you're growing quickly into a rich market and could reasonably expect to double, triple, or 10x the scale of your campaigns in the near future, make sure you share your intent and find a partner who will be prepared when the time comes.
