How To Choose The Right Seo Company: A Practical Guide

Today, the success of your business strongly depends upon its presence on the Internet. People spend a lot of time online. Shopping or searching for services from your laptop or smartphone is taken for granted. 

But if you want your customers to find you on the web easily, you have to make your page stay high in the search feed. In other words, your business site needs search engine optimization (SEO). Great news: you can entrust it to one of the SEO companies who will professionally handle this complicated task for you.

However, you have to be careful when you pick up an SEO agency in order not to waste your time and money. Indeed, they’re all different and it might be not so easy to find the one that will help skyrocket your business. In this guide, we’re covering the most important things you have to take into account when you choose anSEO company. Interested? Let’s dive in! 

Why Your Business Needs A Reliable SEO Agency

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Before we give you some insights on how to choose an SEO company, we want to explain why your business needs SEO services. In fact, SEO agencies perform a lot of tasks. Let’s take a closer look at the key activities SEO includes, and their value for your business.

1. Search Engine Compliance

There are certain standards run by the search engines, which permit or restrict websites in the search feed. These rules are mainly based on the technical characteristics of the site. An SEO agency will take care of the technical structure of your website to make sure it can rank online. 

2. Website Optimization

So what does website optimization mean? It’s a bunch of activities aimed at improving the performance of your website: driving more relevant traffic, boosting conversions, and, finally, generating more revenue for your business. First of all, website optimization involves creating quality content, making your site elaborately organized and user-friendly. An SEO company will do it for you, utilizing advanced strategies and tools.

3. Web Traffic Optimization

It’s a no-brainer that your revenue directly depends upon the amount of traffic that is driven to your website. SEO professionals will choose the best strategy to drive the relevant traffic to your site and generate whopping sales.

How To Choose The Best SEO Agency

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So now, when you’re familiar with the core functions performed by SEO experts, let’s get down to business. We’ve prepared a couple of tips that will help you make the right choice.

Where to Find your Perfect SEO Partner

Before selecting one from the numerous SEO companies, you’ll naturally wonder from where you should start your search. A word of advice: to begin with, consider your fellow businesses who have already taken advantage of the SEO services. It will let you estimate the results as well as learn which strategies and tools the certain SEO agencies apply. 

In case you’ve got nobody to discuss the SEO vendors with, there’s another tip. You may turn to online services that provide reviews on SEO agencies. We recommend you checking out Clutch.co and Webdesignrankings.com. These websites offer the extensive data on SEO services providers. You’ll find the lists of SEO agencies and the most accurate information about each of them, like review scores, employee count, budget, and more. To your advantage, you can apply filters to sort out the companies according to your preferences and needs.

Finally, why not do an online investigation to study the SEO services market?

Experience Matters

We are sure that experience is one of the key indicators when you are selecting the best SEO company for your business. Without a doubt, an agency that has experience in SEO will stand out from others. Do a research on how long the company exists and the number of projects its team has completed. 

Big or Small?

Another choice you’ll have to make while picking up an SEO partner, is the size of the company. It’s up to you, which company to hire, either a giant corporation or a smaller agency. Yes, large companies may have exciting experience in SEO and can provide you with multiple case studies. However, there are a couple of things that speak for the smaller ones. 

First off, small agencies highly appreciate each and every customer and really do their best for your great results. Plus, they are more flexible than the big corporations. What is more, small SEO companies provide more personalised services and are fast and efficient when it comes to taking important decisions. Finally, small agencies charge less for their services if compared to the big ones. 

Rely on Facts

Pick up an SEO company that has a record of successfully completed projects. A good SEO agency will provide you with case studies that show the real SEO return on investment. Without this information, you risk failing to achieve your goals.

Go For Clear Communication

A reliable SEO company is always open to communication and can offer several communication options. Plus, the experts should be clear with the strategies they apply to your website optimization.

Consider the Pricing

Searching for an SEO partner, you will definitely investigate the price rates and how they vary within different agencies. Keep in mind that good SEO services are costly. If you want to achieve best results, avoid companies that offer prices which look too low as for a quality service. 

Check Out the Range of Services

A good SEO company will offer a range of solutions for your business. However, be wary of agencies that have too many positions on the list. There might be a catch.

Study Reviews

That’s great if your potential SEO partner can provide you with valid references or reviews.  It’s easier to make a decision about a certain agency when you know the results of its previous collaboration with other businesses.

Ask for Certifications and Awards

To be an expert doesn’t mean to stop learning. It’s highly valuable when an SEO company has certificates that prove the expertise of the team. Needless to say that company’s awards will be a big advantage as well. 

What Kind Of Agencies You Should Stay Away From

Now you’re familiar with the main things you need to keep in mind while choosing an SEO partner. So it’s high time to talk about what you should avoid if you want to save your time and money. 

Too Cheap to Be True

As we’ve already mentioned, the good SEO services are costly but you’re going to be satisfied with the results. SEO agencies that offer low prices tend to be less goal-oriented. To top it off, they don’t usually provide sustaining services after the work is done. Of course, it’s all up to you, but we believe that it’s worth spending more and getting a reliable and long-term SEO partner.

Content Is Their Only Focus

Indeed, the content of your website is highly important if you want to rank out your competitors. Anyway, even the best content won’t generate the expected results if it’s a single player. So you’d better keep away from agencies whose only strategy is content. Remember: a quality SEO service involves more than just content. The true professionals employ a range of strategies to maximize the results of your online efforts.

They Promise Results That Don’t Sound Real

If your potential SEO partner promises the top rankings and enormous traffic, continue your search with another company. The search engines have a complicated algorithm. We mean that a tiny update on your website can influence the ranking and your site can either improve or lose its position. So no one can ensure bringing you to the top before none of work is done. Just keep in mind: real SEO experts will never give you guarantees as they clearly understand how the search engines work. 

They Don’t Offer Clear Communication

Be wary of agencies that don’t include the ongoing communication with the customer into their services. They are usually ready to talk to you only when the work is done, and you might be disappointed with the results. Is that what you want? If your answer is “No,” then go for an SEO company who are ready to keep you informed at any stage of their work. A reliable SEO partner will always provide you with the information on what is already done and what is being currently carried out.

Don't Stick to the Local SEO Services Market

We’re sure that in a bunch of cases the local SEO companies are really good players. Why? The answer is quite simple: they are familiar with the demographics, and apply the tried-and-true strategies that can boost your traffic within your area. But let’s say you don’t want to limit your sales to the locals, and we believe it’s fair enough. So if you focus on wider audiences, you’d better not pick up a local agency. Also, make sure that your potential partner has experience in working with the overseas audiences, if you need it for your business.

Say “No” to Black Hat SEO

Want to know a secret? Some SEO companies use a bunch of techniques that are usually referred to as “black hat SEO.” These strategies are aimed at boosting the ranking of the site and thus driving more traffic. They include keyword stuffing, hidden text, cloaking, participating in link schemes, and more. The truth is, all this stuff ruins the quality of your website. What is more, you even risk being removed from the search index. To top it off, the black hat SEO is unethical and strongly disapproved by SEO experts. So steer clear of the agencies that are likely to do this kind of SEO.

What You Should Ask an SEO Agency

We’ve also prepared 10 questions you should ask your potential SEO partner. The answers will help you take a closer look at the services the agency provides, and understand the company’s approach to SEO.

1. What does success mean to you? How do you measure it?
2. What do you know about about our industry?
3. How will you adapt your SEO strategy to our business?
4. Which tools do you employ?
5. What do you do to stay up-to-date, in terms of search engines?
6. How much time will it take to see the first results of our partnership?
7. What is your approach to link-building?
8. Do you employ black hat SEO techniques?
9. What can we do to help you in your work with our website? 
10. How often and in which way do you report on progress?

These questions will help you spot a qualified SEO expert. A real professional will give you clear and precise answers.

To Wrap It Up

Search engine optimization is a complex process that needs assistance from the experts. So if you want to make the best of your online presence, you can’t do without hiring anSEO agency. There are a lot of things you should take into account while picking up thebest SEO company. Consider our tips and find your perfect partner. Anyway, if you still have questions or need more information on SEO, we’re ready to help you.