How to Choose a Great SEO Company

Investing in SEO can be good or bad for your business, depending on who you hire. Learn how to find the right SEO service here.

Search engine optimization continues to be an integral part of digital marketing. Big and small businesses use SEO to increase the number of web visitors they get. The more visitors, the higher their revenue. Unfortunately, many have been deceived by so-called SEO gurus who promised them a page 1 ranking if they use their services. Some businesses spend hundreds of pounds on SEO services and are not really getting any significant return on their investment. So the question many are asking is, “how to choose your SEO company”?

Warning Signs

Before you begin your search, take a look at the following signs so you’ll know which SEO specialists to avoid:

1. Making Promises That are Too Good to Be True

Some self-proclaimed gurus will tell you that they can get your website to the top spot for your keywords in a month or less. They say this without even bothering to do an audit on your site or checking your competition. Usually, these people are either a fly-by-night outfit or they use black hat techniques that can get your website penalized by Google. What they do is build thousands of backlinks to your website in just a short period of time, and this will always look suspicious to Google.

2. Claiming to Have a Secret Method

The truth is – there’s no secret to effectively increasing your rankings. It’s all about finding the right keywords, building high quality links, providing great content and giving your readers a positive experience on your website. All these require a lot of time and hard work to implement but that’s really all there is to it. So if someone claims they have an inside contact at Google HQ, stay away.

3. Charging Very Low (or Very High) Rates

Those who charge unbelievably low rates are probably newbies who don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re cheap because they use the easiest techniques in the book – the ones that don’t work. Every  specialist worth their salt knows it takes time to make work, and they charge a fee commensurate to their efforts. On the other hand, you may come across firms charging exorbitant rates. While some are warranted (i.e. you have very tough competitors or your website needs a lot of work), you have to be wary of those who are overcharging their clients.

4. Not Providing Any References

Any business who provides great service can easily provide a prospective client with references. Similarly, you’ll know if a particular search engine specialist is good if they can quickly furnish you with references from satisfied clients.

What Questions Should You Ask to Get Good  Companies?

The following are the most important questions to ask a prospective  company. Also listen intently to their answers as these will help you decide the best agency for you.

1. How will you pick the keywords for my website?

The provider must have a tool specifically for keyword research. It should help them determine which keywords have the most potential for your niche, which ones have low or medium competition, and so on.

2. How will you analyze my competitors?

Reputable firms always analyze your competitors to determine which ones are doing well (in terms of ranking) and what methods they use to achieve their position in the SERPs (search engine results pages). They should be able to provide you with a comprehensive competitor analysis report.

3. How much do you charge?

Choosing an agency that charges a flat rate is never a good idea. Each client has different needs. One client may require intensive work while another may need very little work. Charging a flat rate means they exert the same amount of effort for every client and this can be disadvantageous to you, if your site needs a lot of work to rank.

4. What strategies do you use?

An experienced specialist y can use a combination of methods to provide the best outcome for your website. The strategies they use will really depend on your site’s needs. They will assess your site’s content, navigation, design and links and from there, they can recommend what techniques to use. If they don’t conduct a site audit, stay away.

5. How soon will I see results?

Results will vary depending on your niche and level of competition. But you should see some positive changes in website traffic within a few months. On the other hand, if someone promises results in a week or so, don’t trust them. They may be using black hat techniques that could get your site in trouble with Google.

Keep in mind these tips and you can avoid making costly mistakes that will not only waste your money but also hurt your website’s ranking in the search engines.