Search Engine Optimization or “SEO” is a key online search and marketing service that your company may be considering. This is a pretty important aspect of your business and should not be taken lightly. Just because an SEO company has a fancy website and may possibly come up on google as a “top SEO firm,” or is a large firm that employs hundreds of people, doesn’t mean they are necessarily the best firm out there. You want an SEO company that produces results and has something unique which separates it from others. By doing your homework you can determine whether or not a certain SEO firm is the right fit for you . Here are some tips to help you decipher which SEO firm is your match made in heaven.
Ask yourself what you need.
Is it link removal? Retargeting? Content Marketing? Are you not ranking on the first page for your keywords? If you’re unsure of what services you specifically need, it is important to look at what the task at hand is. Are you focused on improving sales or rankings, or do you just need a general SEO handy-man? These are all things you need to consider and get expert advice on when speaking to an SEO firm.
Always get more than one consultation
Whether it is by email, phone, or in person, it is important to sit down with an SEO firm and discuss with them what their credentials are, their area of specialty, etc. For example, are they primarily a web design company who also happens to do SEO or is SEO their bread and butter?
Many SEO firms offer a free consultation. If an SEO firm charges for an initial consultation, you may want to move onto the next candidate. After your initial consultation most SEO service providers will have drawn up a proposal plan and pricing. Just because you loved the first firm you met with does not mean there is no other firm that would better suit your needs, so it is important to get a second and third opinion for comparison.
References, references, references!
Always ask to see the work a firm has done for other clients, it is the only way to get a definitive idea of the kind of job they will do for you and how well it will be done. Getting to know the firm you are potentially going to hire is just like hiring another employee, you wouldn’t hire them without thoroughly checking their references and credentials, so why should hiring an SEO firm be any different? Ask any business contacts who they use as their SEO firm. Those types of recommendations go a long way.
Your business needs certain key components to really take off and hiring an SEO firm can make sure you have them all. However, hiring the wrong firm, especially one that is unprofessional and inexperienced, could be detrimental to your company. Skip all the hassle and just do the research needed and make sure the firm is truly a right fit for your company. It will all payoff in the end and the benefits will completely worth all the work that was required.
