After a bit of research, you might have come to the conclusion that you need to hire an SEO expert to help your website and your company. A lot of businesses tend to take this route because SEO is an integral part of success, and external companies are professionals. To be honest, there is no better place to turn.
Still, that doesn’t mean that everything is going to run smoothly. There are plenty of mistakes you can make, so you have to careful and ask the right questions. Only with the right question will you get the right answers.
#1: Can I Have A List Of Your Clients?
A client list will tell you a lot about a company. When you look at a list of clients, both past and present, you should be impressed. If you are not, it tells you something about the persons they are working with, which tells you a lot about the company. They don’t have to be big names, but the clients should have a reputation. Also, their client list allows you to follow up any questions you have with an unbiased source. Instead of asking the people who are going to tell you what you want to hear, you can ask the clients. Only then will you get a better indication of the company’s skill level.
#2: What Are Your Qualifications?
Due to the Internet, some people don’t need to go to college or university to learn about SEO. There is nothing wrong with learning your trade outside of education, as long as you can prove you have experience. Qualifications or accreditations are evidence that you have the ability to do the job that you say you can achieve. If they have not been involved in formal education, a reference from a past employer is always a good idea.
#3: How Will You Improve My Rankings?
The main job of any SEO company is to improve your search engine rankings. Now, it is all well and good saying they can do it, but how do they plan to achieve their goals? What methods are they going use and why will they work? Just because you are not an SEO expert doesn’t mean you don’t want to be in the loop when they make decisions. After all, those decisions affect your company. At the end of the day, they are offering advice, but you are the one who has to make the big decisions.
#4: Can You Guarantee My Ranking On Search Engine Sites?
If they answer ‘yes,’ run a mile. No self-respecting SEO experts will commit to your ranking because they know it is impossible to guarantee anything. What they should say is that they create a plan and a strategy and do everything they can to get you as high up the rankings as possible. Then, after a period, you can both review your progress and your partnership. Anyone who tells you that they can achieve a number one ranking is probably a bogus and unethical vendor.
#5: What Rules Do You Follow?
As rules go, there is not a whole list of them that prevent you from increasing traffic to your site. However, there are a few big ones that you need to be aware of and that you need to avoid. Okay, there is no SEO police force that will put you in handcuffs because it is all legal. But, there are big players in the game that penalize you for not undertaking certain practices. For example, it is essential that they build links organically and naturally because search engines hate fake links. Also, it is important to use Google-owned technology because that ranks higher than other technology.
#6: What Is Your Experience?
Although skill is very high on the list of desirable traits, experience is just as important too. With experience comes knowledge. You will find that the majority of the people who are experts in any field will have put in masses of time and effort to become a person of respect. The experiences that they go through are the things that allow them to tackle the problems that will undoubtedly occur. Because they have seen it all before, they have an answer for everything, and that is invaluable to your business.
# 7: What Are You Fees And Payment Options?
Don’t be fooled, though. The price is probably the main sticking point in negotiations because you don’t want to pay over the odds. On the flip side, their services are not going to be cheap. So, what are you options? Hopefully, they will have payment options that allow you to pay them over an agreed length of time. That way, you can subsidize the cost. Or, they might not offer you a contract verbal contract instead of a written one. A no contract SEO company may suit both you and them for financial reasons. Before you make your choice, make sure you understand every possibility available.
#8: How Do We Communicate And How Often?
Communication practices vary depending on the company. Obviously, you want a company that best suits your needs, not that best suits theirs. If that means that you want a daily report, that’s what you need to find. Anyone who doesn’t communicate in the manner that you want, or who doesn’t communicate on a regular basis, usually does not fit the bill. Remember, you are looking for someone who can be flexible and professional at the same time.
#9: How Do You Measure Success?
Finally, how do they measure what is successful and what is a failure? The distinction between your opinion and their opinion could be massive. For example, you may believe that a successful SEO campaign is one that increases traffic and converts users into customers. They, on the other hand, might just see success as a steady stream of traffic and leave the rest down to you. It is vital that you communicate and write down your expectations before you sign on the dotted line.
Otherwise, it could be a massive waste of time and money.
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