As consumers increasingly turn to search engines before making buying decisions, SEO has become more important than ever. The SEO services you use inevitably influence how much organic traffic you get, where your business gets discovered and, in some cases, whether or not Google penalizes your website! And with so much on the line, your organization also needs a strategy to assess the SEO agency you hire.
7 Vital Questions to Ask an SEO Agency Before Hiring Them
An SEO company will significantly influence your reputation and future online presence. You can feel confident in your choice of SEO partner by first asking the right questions – including the seven important questions shown here.
1. Do you provide comprehensive SEO services?
A company that offers a full suite of SEO services will increase the scope of an optimization campaign. Elements like technical SEO, on-page and off-page optimization, content marketing, listing management and web design all contribute to the SEO experience. In contrast, generic link-building services are likely to do more harm than good.
At Rocks Digital, we are a full-service digital marketing agency serving clients around the United States. Our team consists of graphic designers, web developers, content writers, editors, SEO specialists and paid search management, all the way to digital marketing assistants and project management. We have built a team of specialists that can help your business grow.
2. What SEO strategy will you use for my business?
Because every business is unique, a one-size-fits-all approach just won’t cut it. Ask the SEO company to outline the strategy most suitable for your industry – including their paid and free ways to get page one Google rankings. Whether they recommend rethinking your content plan or overhauling your website, it’s important to understand their plan.
3. What results can I expect from an SEO campaign?
While no one can guarantee specific results, the SEO company should give you an idea of what you can expect. Ask them to share the goals they envision for your business, if you were to become a client.
At Rocks Digital we establish clear conversion goals for each client – goals that align with the client’s business and their website – and we implement goals within Google Analytics to track those results.
4. What kind of SEO reporting can I expect?
Regular reporting is key to understanding how your SEO campaign is performing. Monthly reports that contain metrics like organic traffic, rankings and conversion rates should be standard. If the SEO company is not transparent with your reporting, that would be cause for concern.
At Rocks Digital we provide a reporting dashboard that contains all this data, and it’s available to our clients via a link in real time.
5. Can you provide case studies from previous SEO campaigns?
Case studies can give you insight into the SEO agency’s experience and effectiveness. Ask for examples of previous campaigns and the successes achieved.
To demonstrate success, we show a prospective client the dashboard results our clients have achieved. There isn’t a better case study than actually showing Google Analytics data and Google Search Console results in real time.
6. Do you have expertise in local SEO?
If your business has a physical presence, local SEO is critical. You should expect the SEO company to have a plan for local pack visibility, Google Business Profile management, directory listings and other local search factors.
Many web developers can state they have expertise in SEO and local SEO. However, at Rocks Digital, these items remain our first focus and priority, rather than an afterthought or bonus. From the very beginning of a project, everything we do is focused on search results.
7. Do you optimize for other platforms beyond Google?
While Google dominates the search landscape, don’t neglect other search engines. Ask if the SEO agency has experience with platforms like Bing, Yelp, BubbleLife, GPS mapping services and vertical directories. And remember to confirm their Google Business Profile optimization services.
Essentially, the Google Business Profile (GBP) is central to a successful local SEO campaign. And because the GBP is so important, we incorporate it into all of our efforts. In most cases (and depending on the client’s SEO contract), the business’ GBP will be updated on a weekly basis, whether through uploading a custom graphic, a Google Business Post, adding questions and answers and so on.
Comprehensive Local SEO and Listing Management Services
When you want an SEO company that provides increased search visibility and better local presence, speak with the team at Rocks Digital today. Our expert local SEO, content marketing and web design services deliver for businesses of all sizes. For more information, call (214) 989-7549 or request a website evaluation now.
