Things to Think About Before Hiring an SEO Firm

Let’s be honest, if your website isn’t showing up on the first page of Google results, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Even showing up low on the first page isn’t a great sign, and it probably means that a lot of potential customers have no idea that you exist at all. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best in the business, your opportunities for turning a profit are much lower than if you would show up as the #1 result.

This is why investing in search engine optimization could be the best thing you ever do for your company’s future. If you’re not a marketing guru and aren’t all that tech savvy, don’t even think about trying to optimize your website all by yourself. Dish out some cash on a top-rated SEO firm, it will be totally worth it.

Before spending the cash, however, there are a few things to think about and considerations that need to be made. Don’t be afraid to shop around for SEO agencies before you settle on the one for you. During the “shopping” period, be sure to ask each agency these questions to make sure it’s the right fit.

What SEO services do you specialize in?

The term SEO is not defined by one thing, but rather it is made up of many strategies. Ask the agency about the specific strategies they use and how it works. Some firms will only offer SEO content, while others will do everything from keyword research to website auditing. Even if you are in need of one service, it is always best to choose a firm that offers variety. This gives you the option to add services to your SEO plan later on.

What have your success rates been like?

This is an important question and one that you need an honest answer to. Getting an honest answer is the difficult part, since no firm will brag about failures in the field. You’ll be able to tell a trustworthy firm from a dishonest one though when you ask for a reference list and contact information of clients from the past. This means that the firm has nothing to hide and that past clients have probably had good experiences and a lot of success.

How much will this cost me?

Asking about cost should be done early on so that you don’t waste any precious time. You might even want to ask this first so that you can rule out the agencies that don’t fit the bill from the get go. It is very unlikely that the agency will offer up a set price since many of the services are offered separately from each other. However, you should be able to get a ballpark figure of the money you’ll be spending.

How long before I can expect results?

If you’re a believer of instant gratification, you might not love the answer to this question. SEO results won’t come about instantly. Some of the best agencies can get results in as little as 3 months, but you could be looking at 9 months to `1 year before you see a significant change. Don’t trust an agency that says you’ll see change within the first week, this is pretty much impossible.