Choosing an SEO Agency: Anything but Black and White 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing an SEO Agency in a Post-Panda World	Visited: 2475 5.0/5.0 (15 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
by Brian Easter July 01, 2011

Thanks to Google, the connotation surrounding “Panda” no longer brings to mind the image of an adorable Asian bear. Instead, the Panda is a signal of sudden, intensive change to search marketers. With the implementation of Google's recent Panda update to its search algorithm, it’s clear that SEO is evolving even more quickly than anticipated. What isn’t plain and simple is how SEO agencies are going to help clients adapt to the constant changes. The days of cookie cutter tactics are over, and if you are in the market for an SEO agency, you need to find a firm that understands and embraces the fluid nature of search.

Google uses constant algorithm updates to achieve the goal of relevant, useful search results. The Panda update has made it clear that traditional SEO tactics are obsolete. Skip the random link building and don’t even think about content scraping. Now it is imperative to find an SEO firm that understands the need for strategy based on a foundation of big ideas and solid marketing principles rather than fleeting, mechanical optimization processes.

However, accurately determining which firms understand and embrace the changes in SEO can be difficult. Let’s face it, finding an SEO agency that gets branding and marketing can be challenging. However, there are a few things to look for that can help expose the SEO agency that can provide the right services for your organization. Consider these questions when determining the right SEO agency for your brand.

What are the agency’s strengths?

A key indicator of the service focus of a firm is where they claim their strengths lie. Are they promoting expert link building skills?  Do they produce unbelievable creative? An agency’s strengths are what will ultimately define the strategies used on your site, and you need to be sure what carries over is something practical, something useful; a strength that will remain relevant throughout SEO’s evolution.

Both link farming and content farming are dead as doornails thanks to the Farmer/Panda updates. Great creative ability, on the other hand, is emerging as a priority for increasing a brand’s digital footprint. Incorporating effective and appealing landing pages and content (e.g. infographics, videos, whitepapers and contests) can make your page more relevant and exciting to users. A creative, adaptive agency will be able to boost the effectiveness of your site communications and advertising no matter what changes the search engines throw at you.

Creative is not only necessary to design a visually appealing site, but is necessary to customize content as well. Producing the same generic content as your competitors will not differentiate your brand to potential visitors, nor to Google.  Standardized techniques cannot offer the same success that unique, tailored strategies will provide your organization. A one size fits all marketing campaign wouldn’t work in other marketing mediums, so why should you settle for less online? Every brand is different, which means an agency needs to be able to create campaigns that work for your specific brand. Creative thinking is integral for marketing now and will be even more so in the future, and your SEO agency should understand that.

Does the agency focus on brand?

A strong focus and understanding of client brands make the online marketing strategies of an SEO agency effective. Working with a firm that understands your needs is crucial, but perceptiveness can be hard to pinpoint in an initial meeting. Looking at what emphasis the agency puts on branding can reveal how well they will be able to help your organization.

The quick and dirty approach to SEO would be to mechanically work the search engine algorithms until your rankings improve and visibility increases. Virtually anyone with a computer and a set of instructions can pull this off. But the true purpose of an SEO firm is to think critically and implement strategies for your brand to have a long-lasting, meaningful presence on the web, not just improve the short-term rankings of your website. The agency should be able to tailor ideas to your organization that will improve your rankings and visibility as the site gains trust and relevance from actual searchers and not solely the search engine robots.

A sound brand strategy relies upon long-term milestones, rather than short-lived goals that are achieved with generic, systematic tactics. Finding a firm that can provide a cohesive branding strategy will in turn make SEO more worthwhile for your organization in the long run.

Does the firm understand marketing and public relations best practices?

While online marketing and optimization is undergoing a constant revolution, it has strong roots in traditional marketing. If a firm doesn’t understand marketing basics offline, then why should they succeed online? The digital landscape is more than a technology; it’s a cultural practice. Without the marketing knowledge and insight that form the foundation of strategy, an agency is lost at sea.  With an understanding of traditional marketing and public relations strategies, a good firm can creatively leverage traditional strategies for search marketing.

Google ranks sites based on relevancy, essentially measuring the public standing of a site, and so in turn SEO agencies should be able to take traditional marketing and PR techniques into the digital medium. Their goal is to communicate to viewers as well as to Google that your site is useful and relevant. Consider the practicality of your online campaigns: if you wouldn’t do it offline, then why do it online? If the overarching theme of a strategy adds no intrinsic relevance or value to your brand, why spend the time and money with an agency for results that are based on fleeting success?

Does the agency understand social media?

Social media may seem like an easy way to gain direct followers, but unless it’s actively fueled by strategy and monitored for adjustment, it just becomes another worthless page on the Internet that doesn’t lead to more business. Social media is on the rise, especially in the search world, and if your organization wants to stay relevant, you need to be able to harness the power of social marketing. An SEO agency experienced in promoting engaging, useful communications with its client’s social audience can greatly help your brand, while spamming or trapping your audience with closed communications will make social media a waste of time and money, ultimately tarnishing your brand image.

Social signals are starting to gain clout in the Google algorithm, making it essential to work with an SEO firm that can effectively leverage social media for your organization. The impact social media has on search is huge, and its impact will only continue to grow. Having an agency that knows where the trends are leading and who can help you maintain clear, active communication with your audience is extremely important.

Will the agency be able to help me long-term?

While you might not be looking for an SEO firm to employ forever, the constant changes to the fundamentals of SEO make a long-term strategy a necessity. A set in stone online marketing campaign will not sustain your organization for very long; your SEO agency should be proactive and constantly looking to the future to see how new search innovations will affect your brand.

By providing the proper strategy, tools, and management, a good SEO agency can develop campaigns that will help your site survive the evolution of search. Google’s Panda update has eliminated mechanical quick fixes like irrelevant link building and keyword stuffing, so having an agency sit down and produce a plan for making your site more relevant and appealing to consumers is what will ultimately boost your site in the long run.

Similarly, this is an instance where finding an agency that focuses on branding and ideas is essential. With a highly optimized online campaign, an idea-oriented agency will continue to produce marketing ideas for your brand, whereas a tactics-focused SEO firm will have nothing to do but watch as rankings eventually drop. By constantly innovating through ideas, rather than just updating mechanical techniques, an agency can increase the value of your brand and continue to build success that will keep your site optimized even through the search evolution.

Conclusion

Google’s Panda update is only a small step in a larger shift of the entire SEO industry. With an increasing focus on branding and relevance, SEO firms should be looking toward the future not only for your brand, but for their principal search optimization strategies as well. In your pursuit of the right SEO agency for your brand, keep in mind the evolution of the search marketing and optimization industries. With ongoing changes, only the fittest, adaptive agencies will survive.