SEO sounds simple at first. You create content and rank to get free traffic. Unfortunately, things aren’t quite that simple.
If you want to handle SEO right, you need to invest in the resources to learn or pay a professional. But when 93% of all online experiences begin with a search, it’s well worth the investment.
Finding an SEO specialist is a great way to optimize your website to rank on Google, but not every SEO expert can handle the job right. Ask the five questions below to ensure the search engine ranking pro you hire will help you rank.
What Services Do You Offer?
There is a lot that goes into SEO. You must create content, perform technical optimizations on your website, and build backlinks to increase your website’s authority. Not every SEO company offers everything you need.
Some will focus on content and on-site optimization, while others will stick with off-site SEO. Be sure to understand the services an SEO company offers and determine if those services will meet your needs.
What’s Your SEO Plan?
Some companies won’t tell you much upfront about what they will do to your website. They’re worried about companies taking that information and doing it independently. But it’s hard to encourage trust when you don’t give a solid roadmap.
A reputable SEO firm should be able to tell you how they will help with ranking higher in Google. They should be able to look at your website, find potential improvements, and tell you how they can get the job done.
What’s Your Reporting Process?
When dealing with something that takes as long as SEO, it’s essential to stay updated on what’s going on. You may not see the results of SEO actions for months, but that doesn’t mean your SEO provider can’t explain what they’re doing.
Reputable companies will give regular reports about these things. You’ll get information about the content created, on-site optimization, and link-building efforts. Ideally, you’ll get a weekly report.
Do You Have Case Studies
It’s not hard to prove results in SEO. You determine what position a keyword started at and measure the position after some time. SEO pros know this and create case studies demonstrating those results.
Ask to see SEO campaign examples from the SEO specialists you speak with. Anyone with prior results should be happy to demonstrate their abilities.
Can You Provide References?
Even if an SEO professional has all the proper credentials, they may not be the best fit for your business. It takes more than skill to offer excellent service to clients.
Ask to speak with references to hear first-hand what the experience is like working with an agency. You’ll learn how well an SEO consultant works with clients and learn about any red flags.
Be Sure You Hire the Right SEO Specialist
You may spend a lot of money before you see any results with SEO. It can take several months in the best-case situations. In the worst case, you can wait even longer.
That’s why you need to do your due diligence when you hire an SEO specialist. Ask the questions above to an SEO agency to ensure they have the skill to drive SEO traffic to your website.
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