It’s a problem that many marketers have experienced. As your company’s marketer, the responsibility for hiring a search engine optimization (SEO) company lies squarely on you. You’ve searched for local SEO firms on Google and found numerous companies from which to pick.
Thereafter, you do what most reasonable people would– contact the companies starting with the one at the top. This is all fine; you’re told practically the same things by every company you call. Each claims to be the best, which leaves you wondering how every SEO firm can be a market leader.
You’re reasoning is absolutely correct because the fact is that, like any other business, some SEO companies are really good at what they do, while some aren’t. So how do you choose the best? To begin with, don’t make the same mistake a lot of marketers make – hiring an SEO company simply because they have a nice website, make great promises, and have many clients.
Those are certainly great qualities, but for you to make the wisest decision, you need to look beyond the façade. Here are the two main steps to start with.
What exactly do you need?
SEO firms offer numerous services, including reputation management, link removal, ongoing SEO, one-time SEO, PPC management, link building, content marketing and retargeting. Before you start shopping for firms to hire, make sure you know what you need.
Develop clear goals. For example, you might want to increase sales by a given percentage over a certain number of months, or you may want to double your leads within a year. Perhaps you want to increase your rankings on Google and other major search engines.
Most important is to come up with a clear goal that can be effectively measured in the course of your engagement with the SEO firm you finally hire. In fact, your goals will be at the center of all your communications with the firm you hire. Being able to measure the success of your SEO efforts significantly improves the chances of success.
Have a consultation with the SEO firm
You know exactly what you want. The next step is having an email, phone or in-person consultation with a qualified and experienced SEO firm, such as SEO Elements. During consultation, the SEO consultant should offer some ideas on what you need to do to achieve your goals. Well-established firms are happy to offer free consultation in order to win your business.
Take this time to find out if you have a good rapport with the firm. Do you see yourself having a good working relationship with the specialists in the company? The firm may need some time to research on your website, business and industry. Expect to receive a proposal outlining the SEO services you need and an estimate of how much they will cost you.
In conclusion, unless you need the services urgently or are really impressed by the first company you come across, you need to go through the same routine with two or three other SEO firms in order to make an informed comparison.