Getting the SEO right for your website can mean the difference between whether or not people find you. And that’s a big deal. Most small businesses nowadays rely heavily on their name coming up near the top in response to the right Google query — rather than being hidden somewhere on page seven.
The good news is that there are SEO agencies everywhere, who all claim they can get it right for you. The bad news is that only a minority really will deliver on that promise. So how do you pick out the right SEO agency? Well, finding out how they measure up to these five questions will go a long way to giving you an answer.
1. Do They Promise the Earth?
Have you come across SEO agencies who guarantee to get you on page one of Google? Or even to get you to the top spot?
The reality is that, however brilliant an agency is, they can’t reliably deliver very specific promises like that. So beware of any SEO agency that makes promises about specific ranking improvements or claims they can tell you exactly how long it will be before you’ll start seeing the improvements.
2. How Much Work Will You Need to Do?
Is an SEO agency telling you that they’ll achieve all the improvements they’re promising without you having to do a stroke of work?
Working on your SEO is a partnership between you and the agency, not something the agency does behind the scenes. Yes, the agency will provide a comprehesensive plan and carry out much of the work, but some it will be down to you. If there’s no work for you to do, then be suspicious.
3. What Will the Reporting Cover?
The agency you select should provide you with a monthly report of your SEO’s performance. But do you know what should be in that report?
Though it may vary slightly, there are certain elements that must be in the report. It should cover what rankings have moved, an executive summary and a list of tasks completed in the proceeding month. If the agency isn’t promising to provide any part of this, it’s worth asking why.
4. How Long Does an Average Client Stay with the SEO Agency?
One key way of assessing an SEO agency offering its services is to find out about their existing clients, in particular how long clients stay with them.
Not all clients will be long-term. Some projects are naturally only three or six months long, but really great SEO agencies will have clients they’ve been working with for years. If they can’t provide at least a few examples of this, there has to be a question mark about them.
5. Do They Listen?
Does the agency tell you they’ll come up with a list of keywords without the need to talk to you about it?
Yes, SEO is data-led, but the keywords being targeted need to match your strategic goals for your company. An SEO agency can only achieve this by talking to you in depth about your business as a whole and finding out what you’re trying to achieve.
Do you want to find out more about what to expect from an SEO agency? Get in touch with us to talk about how to give your SEO a boost.
