Tips for Hiring a Good SEO Company
Search engine optimization has become so widespread nowadays; there are people who specially provide services in the field. SEO is quite crucial for companies to drive traffic and stay ahead of the competition. So, your business should not treat this trivially. For most companies, especially the smaller ones, conducing an intense SEO campaign in-house could be resource draining. Sometimes it’s more cost effective to hire an outside firm or an expert. If your business is thinking about hiring outside SEO help, here is a list of factors to consider:
Have a Basic Understanding of SEO
If you are going to interview an SEO freelancer, you should first have a basic understanding of what it means. SEO is not the same as online marketing, though it can be considered a subcategory of the broader field. SEO refers to both on and off page techniques that boost search rankings and drive traffic. Spend some time online reading about the basics of SEO and what your company hopes to gain from it. Then only will you be ready to hire an SEO consultant or firm.
Understand Who the Big Players are
Just like hiring a freelancer or a contractor for any job, you need to know who has made a reputation for being good at their jobs. There may be big names in the industry that just might be too out of reach for your company’s budget. There are also a slew of companies, like United SEO, that offer affordable but highly effective services. So, spend some time reading online reviews and blog posts to understand who’s good and who’s not. Asking business partners or colleagues for recommendations is also a good start. Calling for resumes often take a long time and it’s time consuming to sort through them all. It’s best to narrow down the list to the best and then ask for a quote.
Beware of Dubious Claims
It’s very easy to fall for a freelancer or a firm that says they can get your site to the number one spot on Google in one week. You should never believe such sweeping claims as this. The success of your website ultimately depends on your business model. What SEO does is get customers to your store. Whether these customers will buy or not will depend on the products and services you sell. So, don’t have sky-high, unrealistic expectations for your SEO strategy. It should improve the existing rankings or traffic numbers for your site. But do not expect a miracle and don’t believe anyone who claims to perform one.
Check Work Samples
The best way to judge someone’s works is to check their past work. When you hire an outside SEO company or a contractor, you must always check past work samples. If testimonials or references are provided, do call up the numbers to clarify points. You should definitely demand work samples if none are provided. Don’t hire anyone without having an understanding of what they have already done for other companies such as yours.
Before you hire the person or the firm, ask about what sort of SEO strategy they might recommend to your firm. You can also request a free and preliminary technical review of your website. This will give you an understanding of the capabilities of the person you are about to hire. Above all, make sure you are not hiring someone who supports black hat SEO tactics like spamming.
