May 5, 2016, by admin Can Your SEO Company Answer these 10 Questions?

We Can

Have you finally reached the point in your business plan where your website needs an extra boost? Search engine optimization (SEO) is likely the answer you’ve come across. It will help your website be seen by the key customers looking for you and your services.

So you are on your wild search looking for SEO companies that aren’t crooks but who also aren’t charging you an arm and leg. We are here to help you along your journey with the confidence and proper preparation for war!

We have compiled a list of 10 basic questions for you to ask your potential SEO company. With these answers, you will be able to determine whether or not the company is a right fit for you. Most customers who haven’t asked their SEO company these questions are overall unhappy with their results.

1. Have you done work for a business like mine?

It is imperative that the SEO company you have chosen has extensive experience in your business field. Although they might try to sell you the idea that SEO is all the same, its the expertise that makes the difference. If you own a small florist shop and are looking to hire a SEO company to work their keywords in a specific region and on a certain demographics.

It suddenly becomes much more of a challenge for, say a SEO company that mainly serves clients in the pharmaceutical field; where they might not be able to maximize and fulfill your wishes. This is a factor to weigh heavily.

2. Can you show me results?

Even if the agency has not done any work in your businesses field the next objective for you as a potential client is to see the results that are delivered.  Positive results and progression for a websites visibility and conversion rate is the statistics you want to see. Claiming they are a SEO company means very little when there are no case studies to prove that their methods have worked.

3. Do you have any references?

The likelihood of a company openly handing out their references are very slim, but if you do inquire they should be cooperative with you. If there is hesitance or a resistance to your inquiry, we would steer clear.

4. What “approach” do you concentrate on the most?

The acceptable answer for this question is everything.  This would include customer leads, sales or conversions of prospects into clients, rankings, traffic and solid links. That is the ultimate goal of any SEO agency right?

5. Is it realistic to expect immediate results?

Every businesses website is at a different stage in its life, so they all require a different type of nurturing. A savvy representative will under promise and over deliver. He or she should also explain to you that SEO is a long term tactic that can take as long as 12 months to see substantial results. But in other cases, within a few months you can begin to see progression in your website visibility.

6. What is your link building philosophy?

Link building refers to the process of getting external pages to link to a page on your website. Many SEO companies have different approaches to their strategies; half concentrating on quantity over quality. Those strategies have failed time and time again but some companies insist that it is still a valid approach. It isn’t. The links your agency should be aiming for are quality links from reliable resources. Quality over quantity.

7. How has SEO changed within the past few years? 

SEO was a premature child several years ago. Today, SEO is one of the most elite and robust adults, fully matured. And we can thank Google for SEO’s arrogance and stringent attitude. It is now dynamic, multifaceted online marketing discipline that weeds out the informed and the non-informed. Google has introduced major changes such as highly regarding building a brand over manipulation, the quality and rapport that link backs are coming from, and assuring that organic language is used rather than the “golden keywords”.

8. What is your reporting process?

The agency you are speaking to should reassure you that you can come along for the ride if you chose to. It is not unreasonable to ask for updates or to even see some of the statistics as they work on your visibility. But usually, a standard process would be to be sent monthly reports with statistics and explanations of the process when necessary. You are entitled to understanding why things are happening the way they are. Also, you shouldn’t be totally alarmed to hear from the agency you ultimately chose; asking you more in-depth questions about your goals for the website.

9. How do you price your services? 

The key to the universe. The answer you’re seeking is not figuring out if they are overcharging you or if they offer you good deals, but rather if they provide custom options. A generic package will less likely work for your specific situation because like we explained in a previous answer, all websites are at a different stage of life. It is especially critical when you are working with a budget in mind. The SEO agency should be flexible to accommodate your needs.  

10. What other services do you offer?

If you need only SEO services, then you can disregard this question. But the likelihood of you looking for more than just SEO services are high – even if you don’t know it. Most businesses benefit highly from digital marketing like web design, paid searches, content marketing (link), conversion rate optimization and social media. Be aware that all these services are tied together behind the scenes. When all these are in sync, they work in harmony, building off one another and into a bigger beast.

If your SEO is being managed by one firm and your social media by another but they never merge ideas for your account, the valuable data accumulated will fall through the cracks.

Find an agency that provides all what you need and more for your business even if you didn’t know you needed it. After speaking to the SEO consultant, you should feel enlightened and empowered.

The objective is to have your business thrive and out-stand your competitors. Your strategy needs to be strong and concentrated and with the proper firm you will achieve just that.