Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a vital part of digital marketing and growing businesses online these days. While companies can do it themselves, a good SEO campaign takes a lot of patience, time, and internal know-how. Finding and hiring the right professional SEO agency can lead to real, tangible results for your business.
But how do you know the good SEO providers from the shady, black hat ones? Here are a few tips on how to hire the right SEO agency for your business!
Ask Your Network
One of the best sources for an SEO agency recommendation is your network! The SEO industry is full of shady companies or ones that promise big results but underdeliver. Ask your family, friends, and fellow business owners what SEO agency they use. Your network will give you an honest review and point you in the right direction. At HILBORN DIGITAL, a lot of our customers come to us from other clients!
Read Reviews & Testimonials
Before you even reach out to an SEO provider, take a look online to see what other businesses (that aren’t in your network) have to say about them. Online reviews and testimonials are a great way to see what other clients think of them.
Do Some Research
Do some research before you contact an agency to see if they’d actually be a good fit. Take a look and see if they have any case studies or portfolios for you to review. Check and see if they have experience working in your industry. The more information you have, the more informed you’ll be when making a decision.
Figure Out Your Needs & Goals
A big mistake businesses make when looking for an SEO agency is not knowing what they want or need before reaching out. Do you want to rank higher for certain keywords? Boost your online reputation? Increase sales? You should figure this out before you approach SEO agencies. Otherwise, how can you know if an agency can provide you with results if you don’t even know what results you want? Not knowing what you’re looking for is a quick way to get scammed!
Get an Estimate & Know What’s Included
Once you know what you want out of an SEO campaign and have a few candidates in mind, reach out and see if they can give you can an honest estimate. Estimates will change depending on what’s included, but it’s a good starting point. It would help if you also had your budget figured out at this point so you can cross off agencies that are too expensive. Make sure you ask what exactly is included at each price point to know exactly what you’re paying for.
Ask About Metrics
SEO campaigns can be a little tricky to measure. Different agencies and businesses value metrics differently. For some businesses, it’s all about keyword rankings. For others, it’s all about organic traffic. When interviewing SEO agencies, ask what metrics they use to measure the success of a campaign. This is a great way to see if they’re able to communicate the value of their services effectively.
Schedule a Meeting
Before you sign up with an agency, schedule a phone or in-person meeting. This will give you the opportunity to go over everything again, and it will see whether you and the agency work well together. Your business will have to communicate and work together with the SEO provider, so it’s important that you get along!
Compare Options
Don’t just hire the first SEO provider that comes your way. Feel free to compare options and shop around. A good SEO agency understands that you’re trying to do what’s best for your business and won’t take offense if you’re looking at competitors. Ultimately your decision should come down to who understands your business the best and has what it takes to manage an effective SEO campaign that leads to positive results.
Looking for an SEO provider? Contact us today! Hilborn Digital is one of the top SEO agencies in the GTA, and we’d be happy to help your business thrive online.
