1. Initiate your search for an SEO agency by considering the needs and preferences of your stakeholders.
Key factors to consider include:
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- Budget: Determine the allocated budget for SEO services.
- Goals: Clearly define the objectives and desired outcomes of your SEO campaign.
- Involvement: Decide on the level of involvement your team will have in the collaboration with the SEO provider.
- Point of contact: Assign a primary contact person within your organization to liaise with the SEO agency.
- Location: Determine whether you prefer to work with a local agency or are open to remote collaboration.
- Time zone: Consider whether aligning with an agency in a similar time zone is preferable for communication and coordination.
- Specialization: Identify whether you require general SEO services or specialized expertise, such as local SEO.
- Miscellaneous: Factor in any unique aspects of your business or past outsourcing experiences that may influence your decision-making process.
2. Understanding your team’s expectations and requirements facilitates:
- Streamlined agency selection process
- Provide accurate information to candidates regarding your expectations, timeline, and SEO strategy
- Selection of the most suitable SEO partner for your organization
These considerations ultimately save time, money, and potential complications for your team and business. Research the characteristics of reputable SEO companies
Next, invest some time in exploring the key attributes that define a reputable SEO company. Look out for the following distinguishing features:
- Case studies: Review case studies showcasing the agency’s ability to deliver results that meet or surpass client expectations.
- Certifications: Check for certifications such as Google Premier Partner, awarded to the top 3% of agencies by Google.
- Reviews: Read client reviews to gain insights into the overall client experience, including both positive and negative feedback.
- Awards: Take note of any awards received by the agency, recognizing outstanding performance in areas such as results, service quality, or innovative approaches.
- Transparency: Seek transparency in the agency’s practices, ranging from transparent pricing to comprehensive documentation of SEO work.
Consider creating a structured evaluation framework, such as a spreadsheet, with columns for these features (case studies, certifications, reviews, awards), allowing you to record your observations and comparisons systematically. This approach enables you to streamline your vetting process and make informed decisions when selecting an SEO partner.
Additionally, look for the following supplementary indicators of a top-tier SEO company:
- Experience: Prioritize agencies with extensive experience spanning several years or decades in the SEO industry.
- Reporting: Ensure the agency provides regular and comprehensive reports detailing work progress, achievements, and other pertinent metrics.
- Team: Assess the composition of the agency’s team, ensuring it comprises diverse specializations capable of delivering a comprehensive SEO solution.
- Client ratio: Opt for agencies with a lower client-to-staff ratio to ensure personalized attention and dedicated support for your account.
Equipped with a clear understanding of these criteria, you can navigate the process of selecting an SEO agency with confidence and efficiency.
3. Compile a list of potential SEO companies
Once you’ve established the criteria for identifying a top-tier SEO company, it’s time to begin researching potential agencies. Based on our analysis, businesses commonly explore several avenues to discover reputable SEO agencies, including:
- Referrals
- Online search
- Social media
- Industry conferences or events
Referrals serve as an excellent starting point, often connecting you with high-quality SEO agencies that have earned the trust of their clients.
If referrals do not yield satisfactory results, proceed to conduct an online search.
When conducting online searches for an SEO company, it’s essential to refine your search criteria effectively.
For instance, if your priority is to secure the services of a reputable SEO company at a competitive price point, avoid generic searches for “cheap SEO agencies,” as these may lead to subpar providers offering services at low rates, which may not align with your requirements for quality and reliability.
Typically, your search results will include listings from third-party review platforms and the official websites of SEO agencies. Armed with the insights gained from our earlier guidelines on identifying a reputable SEO company, you can streamline your list of potential firms and proceed to evaluate them using the following steps.
4. Examine case studies
Case studies serve as valuable resources in the selection process of an SEO company.
When assessing case studies provided by a search engine optimization firm, pay attention to the following elements:
- Objectives: Determine the goals set by both the client and the agency.
- Metrics: Analyze the metrics used to gauge performance and ascertain if they align with the client’s objectives.
- Timeframe: Evaluate the duration of the campaign and the timeframe used to measure progress.
- Testimonials: Consider the client’s feedback and their overall experience with the agency.
To delve deeper into case studies, consider taking additional steps such as:
- Validating the existence of the featured client.
- Scrutinizing the featured client’s website using tools like Screaming Frog.
These additional measures can help verify the authenticity and credibility of the case study. If you received a referral to the SEO agency, the recommendation from a trusted source can provide sufficient validation of the agency’s work and its case studies.
Overall, thorough research will provide insights into:
- The agency’s flexibility in meeting client requirements versus utilizing standardized SEO strategies.
- The agency’s approach to measuring success, whether focusing on revenue or rankings.
- The execution process of the agency’s SEO strategies.
- The types of companies the agency typically collaborates with, such as business-to-business (B2B) enterprises.
This comprehensive understanding will aid in determining if the agency is the right fit for your SEO needs.
5. Assess client feedback
Dedicate some time to reviewing client feedback across various platforms, including:
- Google Business Profile
- Third-party review platforms like Clutch
- Bing Places
- Social media platforms such as Facebook
While scrutinizing online reviews, ponder over the following inquiries:
- Are the reviews detailed and insightful, or do they appear generic?
- What is the distribution of positive, neutral, and negative reviews?
- What recurring themes emerge in the positive and negative feedback?
- How does the agency respond to reviews (if applicable), and what is the nature of their responses?
Additionally, consider the factors that other businesses prioritize when selecting an SEO company, such as:
- Overall Reputation
- Pricing structure
- Industry-specific reputation
- Years of experience and specialized expertise
- Quality of customer service
- Success in achieving SEO rankings
It’s worth noting that while many businesses emphasize factors like reputation, pricing, and experience, they often overlook the significance of customer service. Hence, pay attention to remarks regarding customer service aspects such as responsiveness, communication, and reporting when perusing client reviews.
By delving into client reviews, you can gain insights into:
- Areas of excellence exhibited by the agency
- Potential areas for improvement or shortcomings
- How the agency addresses and responds to feedback
Once you’ve extracted key takeaways from the reviews, evaluate them through the lens of your company’s specific needs and priorities. For instance, if your organization places a high value on comprehensive reporting and an agency consistently receives praise for its reporting practices, it may warrant further consideration. Conversely, if an agency gets frequent complaints about reporting deficiencies, it may not align with your company’s requirements.
6. Engage with past or present clientele
When you begin conversations with past or present clients, you’re nearing the final stages of selecting an SEO company.
To implement this step in your quest to find an SEO company, you’ll need to initiate contact with the agency. Typically, SEO agencies prefer to discuss with your team before disclosing their client roster. These dialogues serve to gauge compatibility between your respective entities.
Should there be mutual alignment between your organization and the SEO agency, they’ll furnish you with a client roster upon request.
Upon receipt of the client list, it’s prudent to heed the advice of Shirey, who suggests, “Ensure that you reach out to perhaps three to five existing clients of the SEO provider for vetting. Inquire about their satisfaction levels in dealing with the specific company.”
Here are some additional queries you might consider posing:
- How long have you been collaborating with this SEO agency?
- What were your initial objectives upon enlisting the services of the SEO agency, and have you realized them?
- What is the typical responsiveness of the agency in returning your calls or emails?
- How substantial is the time commitment required from your end when partnering with the agency?
- Can you identify an aspect in which the SEO firm could enhance its services?
- Would you recommend this agency? If so, what are the primary reasons for your recommendation?
If the SEO agency declines to furnish a client roster or fails to provide a minimum of three to five current clients for reference, it may warrant reconsideration in your decision-making process. Such reluctance could signify a lack of enthusiastic endorsements from satisfied clientele or an insufficient client base.
7. Seek Deliverables
Deliverables serve as invaluable tools when evaluating SEO agencies as they outline the specifics of what, when, and how SEO services will be provided. Through these deliverables, you gain insight into the tasks the agency will undertake, their timeline for completion, and associated costs.
While many SEO firms do not openly disclose their service deliverables online (with Stratedia being an exception), you’ll need to reach out to these agencies directly to obtain this information. Typically, agencies prefer to engage in preliminary discussions with potential clients to ascertain mutual compatibility before sharing their deliverables.
Upon receiving the deliverables, ensure they encompass the following key components:
- SEO audit
- Keyword research
- On-page optimizations
- Off-page optimizations
- Technical optimizations
- Regular reporting
- Designated point of contact
If you’ve engaged in discussions with the agency, scrutinize the deliverables to ascertain if they align with the specific needs discussed. While not mandatory, the inclusion of bespoke elements tailored to your requirements reflects the agency’s attentiveness to your SEO objectives and commitment to fostering a collaborative partnership with your business.
8. Pose Inquiries
The concluding phase of selecting an SEO company entails engaging with your prospective agencies.
Before committing to an SEO agency, it’s imperative to schedule a meeting with them. Whether conducted in person or virtually, such as via video conference, this direct interaction provides an opportunity for your team to assess the compatibility of the agency with your requirements and objectives.
Examples of inquiries you can pose include:
- How much involvement will be required from my business?
- What is the expected timeline for seeing results?
- What level of experience do you possess in our industry?
- Can you provide details on the cost of your services?
- How do you implement SEO strategies?
For an effective meeting, collaborate with your team and organizational leaders to generate a range of questions. While your team may be interested in aspects like strategy and reporting, decision-makers may prioritize inquiries regarding pricing and return on investment (ROI).
Additionally, ensure that you feel at ease with the agency. It’s crucial to have a sense of comfort in asking questions, expressing concerns, and more. Without this comfort level, establishing a long-term partnership, essential for SEO’s ongoing and lasting impact, may prove challenging.