[UPDATED] 5 Tips on Choosing the Right SEO Agency for Your Business

Research shows that the top 4 results of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) already own 75.7% of the search traffic. Beyond that, your customer might not be able to find you at all.

With this, search engine optimisation (SEO) is a powerful mechanism to boost your digital presence and develop a winning online brand.

But SEO involves a lot of work. And with Google constantly updating its metrics and algorithm, it’s confusing to know what can help your website rank high on search engines.

It’s also a long continuous process before you can finally see any result.

Teaming up with an SEO agency you can fully trust is crucial to your online success. Countless firms will offer you a rank boost, double the traffic, and other guarantees. How do you know that they’re not merely a baiting scheme?

Read on to learn important tips on choosing the best SEO company for your business.

5 Ways to Find the Right SEO Agency for Your Business

Have clear goals in mind

Before you go shopping around for an SEO firm, consider what work needs to be done. Are you starting from scratch with no web presence? Looking to improve your product’s search visibility? Are you at loss on why your traffic’s declining? Or do you want to appear on more local searches?

Defining your objectives helps you quickly filter through a list of SEO agencies. You can identify which of them has the capacity and the right services to meet your needs. You’ll also be able to pinpoint what key performance indicators (KPIs) apply to you and assess which agencies understand them best.

Remain vigilant on SEO guarantees

Anyone promising snap results is an obvious scam. No reputable SEO agency can guarantee you’ll immediately climb to the top of search results, increase your revenue by a certain amount, or double your traffic by the end of the month.

Your SEO efforts might show results only after three to six months. You’ll be frustrated — which is understandable — especially if you’re paying a considerable amount on managed SEO services.

It’s tempting to find an agency that can help you get quick results. If you do, there’s a high chance they’re integrating black hat SEO practices. Nothing good comes out when you work with an unethical company. Google is notorious for deindexing websites that apply underhanded tactics such as keyword stuffing, cloaking, comment spamming, and building link farms.

READ: 5 Surefire SEO Techniques That Supercharge Rankings

Consult word-of-mouth referrals

It’s common to see testimonials posted on SEO websites. But they’re not the type of referrals you should consider. They’ll likely filter out low-star remarks and highlight positive reviews.

You can’t just type in “top SEO companies” and believe the results to be true. Remember, you’re reaching out to people who know what it takes to rank high online. While this might be impressive proof that they know what they’re doing, it doesn’t guarantee they offer great service.

Read forums and review pages on unbiased accounts by different clients. You can also ask your friends in the business for suggestions. If you can, reach out to your prospective SEO agencies’ clients. Ask them how long they were able to see results, how much they spent, if the action plans worked and if the support quality is satisfactory.

Assess how well you’ll communicate with them

SEO is not something you leave to the experts without your supervision. Along the way, you’ll want to express new goals, raise concerns, request actions, and other matters pertaining to your site’s performance. Your active participation is important.

Check how well you’ll be able to communicate with a potential agency. Give them a call or schedule a consultation. Include in your discussion the frequency of updates, point of contact, type of metrics, and the level of detail you can expect from their updates.

An up-close encounter with them will help get you the answers you need, plus an evaluation of their performance, professionalism, and reliability. Remember, SEO results take time. It’s essential to have a well-defined communication plan that’s built on mutual respect and trust.

Consider your budget

Compared to outsourcing your web design, SEO work is a continuous task. As important as it is, you don’t want to spend beyond your means. It makes sense to look for a reliable SEO firm that can work around your budget.

Fees may differ across the board. Agencies who are starting out might charge a monthly flat rate while others may charge per hour, webpage, or campaign. Some may ask for a specified one-time payment amount that already covers all associated work that they’ll do for you.

Look into what the pricing entails and assess whether the options are applicable to you. There are basic SEO services that take care of keyword research, diagnosis, implementation, and reporting. The more advanced ones can include content management. Pore over what you need right now and upgrade as you grow.

READ: 7 Cost-Effective Tips on Increasing Traffic to Your Website

Team Up with the Experts

Planning for SEO means you're in for the long haul. Initially, it would seem like there's no progress at all but trust the process. So, when looking for an SEO agency, ask "Who can I trust the process with?"

The right SEO agency understands your business, efficiently targets your goals, and expertly puts the plan into action. Here are tips to help you make the right choice for your business. The good news is you don’t have to wander too far. Schedule a call with our SEO experts to get you started today.