5 Things That Can Help You Evaluate an SEO Provider
SEO or search engine optimization is vital in keeping a brand successful. If you want to improve your digital marketing presence, SEO is a sustainable, long-term way to do that. However, it also has a considerable learning curve, and practitioners consider it both an ‘art’ and a ‘science.’
If you are a business owner, you probably do not have time to handle your SEO. As such, many owners delegate this to a specialist or an agency. If you are looking for a company providing digital marketing services, here are some things you should keep in mind.
Look at this company’s offerings
Hire an agency that can both execute and analyze an SEO strategy. Most places offer more than just optimization, so look over the other services; does the company provide content marketing, PPC advertising, or social media management? Compare different places and their packages, and investigate if they provide white label SEO.
Having a partner who can provide white label SEO lets you offer SEO services later on in your business. Some marketing agencies partner with others as resellers, which could be an option you would want to explore.
Learn what tools they use for optimization
Many SEO tools and programs can improve the quality of SEO on a website. However, the sheer number could prevent you from evaluating all of these correctly. Even so, you should be familiar with the most frequently used ones and whether your potential SEO partner uses them.
Ask them how long it will take to see results
A digital marketing services company that promises short-term results is being dishonest. SEO will not take just one or two weeks; if the agency you’re talking to says this will happen when you sign with them, it is best to look for another partner.
SEO is not an instant fix; it needs effort and time before showing results. Companies that promise quick wins are probably inexperienced or using black hat SEO techniques, which will end up hurting your ranking.
Ask them how they track results
Find out how the company plans to measure progress and how they plan on reporting it to you. If you cannot track your company’s growth, or if the agency you are hiring cannot do that for you, any increase in traffic you see will be temporary. Comprehensive reporting needs to be part of the SEO package your partner delivers.
Look for testimonials or reviews on their site
Check social media platforms, look at the company’s website, and find out how past or current clients feel about working with them. If the company has negative reviews, read them carefully, and check if they addressed the issue. Their response to this “bad publicity” also matters!
Conclusion
As a business owner, one of the best things to learn is how to delegate tasks appropriately. Since many things compete for a chief executive’s attention, learning how to evaluate a subordinate or a contractor for their readiness to take on a task is essential. When you know how to assign duties, you can free up time for other vital tasks while empowering others.
Super-charge your online presence when you partner with Analytics & Beyond. As a premier Toronto SEO agency, we are committed to helping our clients grow through organic and paid strategy. We serve companies all over North America; contact us and let’s talk about building your brand today!