What to Look for in an SEO Agency

So you have decided it is time to step up your online marketing and you are searching for a great SEO agency? Here are some tips to make sure you end up with a company that can add value to your project.

1)    Have a clear goal. The first rule of finding a good SEO agency actually starts within your own company. This is the time to get together the top heads of your business and brainstorm what you want to accomplish by using an SEO agency. Are you looking to improve the visitor experience to your site? Are you searching for a comprehensive ad campaign on social media platforms? Do you just want to focus on Google and raising your rankings? If you aren’t sure, an SEO agency should be able to help you with these questions through a free consultation. However, it is best if you can come up some general guidelines of your goals first.

2)    The most expensive is not always the worse choice and neither is the least expensive always the best choice. In other words, price should be an issue only to some extent. With many SEO agencies, they offer very cheap services with “iffy” if not dangerous results. SEO is not something you want someone messing around with on your site if they don’t know what they are doing. Using techniques that Google doesn’t like, for instance, can get your site “sandboxed” or sent to the bottom of the rankings where it will never be found. Find an SEO agency that is going to grow your business the right way with a fair price. Get a couple of quotes from several companies to compare.

3)     View their history. Ask for some examples of projects they have worked on in the past. This is a bit better than a list of just references because you can actually see what they did. How long did it take before they saw results? How long have clients been using the agency? SEO is a great way to increase sales quickly. Make sure your SEO agency knows what they are doing by knowing how to answer these questions.

4)    Meet in person if you can. If not, it is fine to talk by phone, but nothing beats a face to face meeting to develop trust. SEO is an industry where trust is incredibly important. After all, this company is going to have access to one of your greatest assets. You should feel either over the phone, through e-mail, or in person, that you have an excellent rapport with the company. Do they offer quality customer service? How many of your questions are answered before you sign the contract? This is a good indicator of how far they are willing to go to make you happy.

Finding a good SEO agency also comes down to using word of mouth. Talk to some web savvy business partners, friends, your social network, or Internet contacts to get some good referrals. Ultimately, doing your homework, taking your time to evaluate your options, and building a good relationship will lead you to your SEO partner.