Finding the Right SEO Marketing Company for Your Business

When you’re seeking SEO services to improve your site rankings you will find that it may be an overwhelming task. Why? Because the SEO industry has exploded in popularity and continues to grow with each new change to search algorithms. As a result, there are many amateur professionals and legitimate companies vying for your business.

The allure of hiring an SEO company takes the weight off your shoulders when it comes to gaining organic search traffic which can be now used toward other important business decisions such as focusing on product development, advertising, customer service, and more.

There are many factors one should consider, though, when sourcing a reputable SEO company; the following explains five of these main factors to consider:

Why do you need SEO and what is the end goal?

There have been times when a company suddenly becomes popular or skyrockets in the search engines to see a flood of new business but their inability to adjust to this dynamic growth means massive backorders and unfulfilled orders which does more damage, in the long-run, than a spike in business.

If you are able to set clear goals for growth and understand the results of greater traffic than you should have a sound foundation for your decision with choosing an SEO company.

How reliable is the SEO company?

How much do you know about his company you’ve set your sights on?

Reputation matters more than ever when dealing with SEO’s because it’s an industry that doesn’t have set requirements for entry nor does it necessarily have standards because, at the end of the day, it’s still a battle with search engines and their algorithms which none have access to other than its engineers.

The industry seems to be divided between White, Gray, and Black-hat providers (white being “good”, gray being “in-between”, and black being “bad”). Those that provide black-hat services may certainly show a very quick turn-around on their efforts but these are the types of services that lead to SEO horror stories which eventually results in a website receiving a “slap” and plummeting them in the search results.

If a company can show their placement in the industry than you’re on the right track.

Seek those SEO companies that have been active in the industry for years. Make sure that whatever company you choose is able to provide a wealth of valuable information and insight about the industry because that will help to validate that company for you. Do a search for different resources to use during your search, there are websites that can help you find the best SEO companies to use.

Due diligence is your friend – spend the time to read reviews, case studies, and feedback about any and all SEO companies you’ve considered then compare it to the message they’re trying to deliver through their sales pages and pitches.

What does the SEO company bring to the table?

Are you trying to focus on one specific element of SEO or trying to keep it all under one roof?

Companies that provide all-inclusive services are bound to come at a loftier price but having all of your SEO work under one roof may remove the hassle of coordinating the campaigns. Alternatively, you may want to divide the SEO work to multiple companies or individuals that way not one technique is over abused or overlapped (plus you can find variable levels of skills and pricing).

For example, you may want to consider a few of these services:

·  Guest posting on your behalf

·  Link building

·  Online reviews

·  Networking

·  Social media

The list goes on and on.

Find out what the SEO company brings to the table, factor in your goals and budget, and you should gain a clearer picture of which of your selection would provide the best bang for your buck.

Can they share real results?

What it all really comes down to is whether they can back their words with real results.

·  Case studies

·  Analytics

·  Reports

·  Graphs

·  Live examples

Like any investment (car, house, business) – you’d want to see, with your own eyes, that they’re not pulling your leg. Real results will weed out all those others that talk a big game and those that have delivered real value to their customers.

Seek only those companies and individuals that are willing to disclose information about their past campaigns; they may not be able to reveal all the information because it may breach a contract but they should have enough results to give you a clear idea of what they’ll bring to your business and marketing campaigns.

How will the campaign scale?

A common oversight you may have when approaching an SEO company about their services is how the campaign will scale, overtime.

·  Are you locked into a fixed price?

·  How will they report their findings?

·  Do they receive a percentage of your income?

·  How do you keep the company accountable?

Take a hard look at the viability of your business and its placement in the industry and determine if you’re ready to be locked into a contract with an SEO company. Alternatively, measure the benefits of doing month-to-month subscription services which may provide more flexibility but may also fail to have the same level of commitment as a contract.

How will they be paid? If it’s subscription than you can most likely afford the payments especially if they grow your leads and profit margin. However, if you’re locked into providing a percentage of the increase in business than this could lead to a big chunk later on when your business becomes highly successful.

And, of course, make sure they are providing you with regular reports about their progress and have them sit down with you to explain everything going on (including the next phase of the campaign); if they fail to deliver than have hard consequences set in place since you’re the one paying the costs.

In all, an SEO company should provide you with a logical road map for the campaigns; they should have the ability to show their results and keep you informed at all times as per the progress. Use these factors when sourcing an SEO company and you will save yourself many hardships and lost income.

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