Introduction
Hiring an SEO agency can seem daunting, but there are plenty of ways to find one that’s right for your company. Let’s walk through some questions you can ask yourself as you start researching agencies in your area.
- What Do You Find on Their Website?
When you’re looking for a new digital marketing agency, you want to make sure that they offer the services and support that will help you to achieve your goals. One of the best ways to start determining whether they’re the right fit for you is to look at their website, which will give you a working understanding of who they are, what they offer, and what’s important to them.
Besides determining the company’s core values and basic services, here are some specific things that you should look out for:
- Blog posts: Producing blog posts shows how much knowledge and experience a company has within its industry, and are extremely valuable for SEO. If the company you’re considering doesn’t publish blog posts at least semi-regularly, they aren’t putting in the effort to maintain their own SEO–meaning they’re either overworked and mismanaged, or they don’t value their own work.
- Social Media Links: Another element that exhibits how much time and effort a company puts into their marketing strategy is their social media presence. Any SEO agency that understands their craft will be sure to maintain a social media presence of some kind–significantly because social media and SEO strategy tie into one another. If the digital marketing agency you’re researching doesn’t have social media links on their site, there’s a good chance they don’t understand the connection between social media and SEO, making them underqualified to help your SEO strategy for your small business.
- Does the agency have a good reputation in the industry?
Another way to ensure that you’re working with a trustworthy SEO agency is by checking their reputation online. If you find positive reviews and testimonials on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+, it’s likely that they provide quality services.
You should also ask for references from previous clients before signing up with any company. Ask the previous clients you are able to get in touch with about their experience working with the agency in question, what results they saw from using their services, and whether or not they would recommend their services again.
Another easy way to check a digital marketing agency’s reputation is to find out whether they are a Google Partner, which lends credibility to their business practice. Find out more about Google Partners in another of our posts here.
- What is their process and experience with your type of business?
When you’re interviewing potential SEO agencies, ask them detailed questions about their process and experience with your type of business. Here are some questions to start with:
- How do they approach SEO in your industry? Are they focused on ranking for specific keywords, or do they have a more holistic approach that focuses on building trust in the eyes of search engines through high-quality content and link acquisition?
- Do they have experience in your industry? If not, how do they plan to learn about it in order to be able to provide effective guidance as an expert consultant rather than an outsider?
- What software and platforms do they use?
If you’re looking for a trustworthy SEO agency, it’s important to know what software and platforms they use. A good place to start is by asking them about the software they use for keyword research, content creation and writing, PPC campaign management, social media management and analytics reporting. Asking this question can also lead to other useful pieces of information, like how they plan to share results with you, what platforms integrate with the platforms they use, and more. If they are able to thoroughly explain what software they use, why they use it, and how information important to you will be communicated with you, you can safely assume they understand their processes well and have taken the time to research the best software and platforms to use.
- Do they have any certifications or special training in SEO and digital marketing?
While certification is not a requirement, or even a replacement for industry experience, it can be helpful to know if an agency has received any special training or education in SEO and digital marketing. The more SEO-specific knowledge and training they have, the better they’ll be able to help you achieve your goals.
When selecting an SEO agency, it’s essential to consider the unique needs of your small business. While large enterprise companies, such as banks and insurance firms, may place a higher emphasis on certifications, smaller businesses like yours can still benefit from agencies with industry-specific expertise. Smaller agencies should possess a solid understanding of strategies tailored to your business type and size, ensuring that they can provide accurate and effective advice to help your small business thrive in the competitive online landscape.
Conclusion
As you can see, asking the right questions can significantly help you in determining what digital marketing agency to choose to handle the SEO strategy for your small business. It’s important to feel confident in your choice before you invest your money in their services. For answers about how to choose a digital marketing agency, or for questions about our own SEO services, contact us here at Hyport Digital today. We’ll be happy to help!
