Choosing an SEO Agency
SEO has changed a lot over the last decades. With every new SEO update comes more rigorous regulations on what can and what can’t be done. Once you have read the introduction to SEO and its history and then figured out your SEO keyword planner, its time to choose an SEO agency!
Do a lot of research on the types of SEO Agencies that exist around you
There are all kinds of digital agencies out there. The one you choose to go with is dependent on your needs. Let’s list some of the option you can go with.
Digital Marketing Agency
An agency that labels itself as a digital marketing agency will take on a lot of different digital endeavors, and its team will reflect this. If you’re a small business that’s just starting out with SEO this type of agency will be sufficient. Their wide skill-set and knowledge on the digital world can also be of benefit to other areas of your business.
Web Dev Agency
A web dev agency is slightly more specialized than a digital marketing agency. Their primary focus is websites, and websites and SEO come hand-in-hand. If an agency specializes in web dev make sure they are also well-versed in SEO. Experts in web dev that aren’t experts in SEO are a waste of everyone’s time. So be certain of this as I would personally recommend having both your website and SEO done by the same agency.
SEO Agency
If you have an established business and you need a lot of keywords ranked in a competitive market you need the crème de la crème of SEO Specialists. These guys and gals know the algorithms like the back of their hands. The more competitive the market you’re in the better the SEO agencies/specialists representing your competition are. They will also request all kinds of changes be made to your website, so have your web dev person ready.
Find A Local SEO Agency
There are quite a few things to avoid when looking for an SEO agency.
Do they a website with outlandish claims?
There are still a lot of black-hat SEO techniques out there. Just because a lot of the old-school tricks don’t work doesn’t mean there aren’t any out there.
No physical address available on their website?
If the person answering the phone sounds foreign and if there isn’t an address anywhere, go waste your money elsewhere. SEO is a very important part of everyone’s business, having honest and credible SEO specialists is crucial. You want to be able to have the option to see them face-to-face, at least once for the discovery meeting.
Does it sound too good to be true?
Anyone that claims that they can give you the results you want in less than three months is full of *poop emoji*, don’t get lured in by the low-cost offer. SEO is an investment not an expense, this is no place to be cheap. I guarantee it will come back to haunt you.
Find someone with proven case studies that you can cross-reference
If an agency claims that they have done x, y and z, don’t just take their word for it, check for yourself. If they don’t have any real case studies then they are most likely scammers. At IMPRiNT Digital Agency we show our potential clients our case studies. Just go look at Geneticist Inc. We have ranked over 20 keywords on the first two pages of Google. Don’t believe us? Just search “What is a Biorepository” or “FFPE Tissue” to see for yourself. It’s very important to go through the process of cross referencing claims manually on Google.
Don’t get ripped off
Pricing is primarily dependent on two things: the number of keywords you wish to rank for and the competitiveness of your market. Don’t fall for cheap offers, and don’t get ripped off. Make sure to do your SEO research before approaching any digital agency. If it sounds like you don’t have a clue you’re most likely going to get taken advantage of.
Unfortunately, once you’ve found the SEO agency that’s a perfect fit, you can’t just sit back and relax. They need to provide a timeline of what they’re going to do for your business. They also need to show you the methods they use. Hold them accountable if they don’t perform. I’m not trying to give digital agencies a bad name I’m just trying to help you avoid the few that aren’t worth your time or money.