SEO is a complex area of digital marketing, which can’t just be mastered by reading guidelines or following tutorials. Any successful brand will have an effective SEO strategy in place. With the ever-rising competition and the need to rank highly in search engines – it’s no surprise it can be quite a challenge to get right. This is why it is so important that you take the time to choose the right SEO marketing agency for your business.
We want to help make sure you’re approaching an SEO agency who will help to deliver the results that really matter to you. So, we’ve written a guide which includes some tips and things to look out for when you’re making your decision.
Realistic offers
SEO is a long-term investment – and when done right, it will increase your percentage of site visitors turning into loyal customers. As a business, you will want to be more visible in search engines – which is why SEO is so necessary. With this in mind, it’s worth considering that some companies will promise you unrealistic results in a short amount of time. SEO is something that cannot be 100% guaranteed and given a specific time-frame – so be wary if this is the case. Search engines are constantly changing – meaning maintaining your high position is an ongoing process.
Is a company offering you overnight rankings and guaranteed high positions, but not having an initial discussion about your business and your goals? If the answer is yes, it might be too good to be true. A good SEO agency will take the time to talk about the multiple ways of improving your SEO depending on your unique aims.
Discussing your unique goals
As mentioned, you should always look for an agency that will take the time to discuss your SEO process with you. It can be a complicated area that can be difficult to get your head around – especially if it’s new to you.
Your SEO agency should talk to you about where you are currently. They will want to know where you are in terms of your marketing efforts and your goals. They should also assess where your company is currently placed on SERP’s (search engine results pages) and ask you about your target audience. If an agency takes the time to understand these initial things – this is a good sign that they are probably going to be a valuable agency to work with.
Clear communication
A clear level of communication should continue throughout the process. You should aim to find an SEO agency who will understand how to work around the constant changes happening within search engines. Most importantly, they should relay any information back to you in straightforward language (avoiding confusing SEO terms!)
Experience in SEO
If you’re looking for an agency to provide you with real, direct results, it’s best to start looking for an agency with valid experience. Ideally, they will have experience in providing SEO services for a variety of companies – of different shapes and sizes.
How do you know if an agency has the right digital experience for your brand? Well, you can simply ask questions about their previous case studies. You might want to know the types of companies they’ve worked with previously (the size, the industry, the results).
An experienced digital agency will include their particular services on their website. If they provide detailed information about different areas of SEO, they likely have a more rounded, valuable experience.
Search engines measure a variety of areas when deciding where to rank your site. You should always ensure that your SEO agency covers the two main areas (on-page and off-page SEO). This means they should have experience in both website optimisation and knowing how to improve your ranking through things such as links and social signals. If you’re interested in the different areas of SEO to look out for, you can find the periodic table of SEO success factors here.
Understanding how to use links
Organic link building is a crucial part of ensuring your website will rank higher in search engines. A knowledgeable SEO agency will value a combination of quality and quantity when it comes to building links. This means that they will understand how to increase the number of links leading to your site that are coming from high-quality domains. rea
Another factor your SEO agency should be considering is relevancy. Are the domains linking to your website really relevant to your industry? If they are – search engines will recognise that your website is legitimate. Having multiple high-quality links placed on reputable sites will make sure your company is more authoritative in your field.
When seeking the right agency for you – ask them about their unique link building process and how they’ll ensure the right people are finding your website.
Experience with technical SEO
Search engines index every element of your website – and a huge part of SEO involves technical accuracy. You should make sure you’re choosing an agency who really understand the technical side of search engines.
This covers everything from knowing how to remove site bugs, to formatting URL’s, optimising page speed and improving crawlability. Whilst this might sound like a lot to take care of – the right agency will be able to optimise your site for search engines in this way.
Of course, the content you’re sharing is equally as important – but it’s not so worthwhile if your site is difficult to navigate. When looking for an agency – you could ask them to explain how they’d make your website more user-friendly and ensure you won’t lose potential customers because of site errors.
Discussing your budget
Just like with any marketing channel – it’s essential to think about whether you might be underspending or overspending on a campaign. SEO can be a cost-effective strategy which results in long-term success. When you enter a campaign with an understanding of what you are going to be paying for – it is likely you’ll be more satisfied with the results.
Your SEO agency should take the time to understand your budget and the goals that matter most to you – so that they can align the two and assess the possible results. A good agency will be honest with the results they think are achievable, with the money you have.
Get in touch
If you’re still unsure where to start with your SEO marketing – feel free to get in touch! Here, you can find more about our London based SEO services.