Growing your business online requires a customised marketing plan that includes SEO. But how do you know where to begin finding the right SEO agency to work with when there are so many options available?
Firstly, you need to decide on what your goals are and what deliverables you will be expecting from the agency. Then it’s time to research agencies and find one you can communicate with and come up with a custom strategy plan of action that includes transparent reporting and ongoing campaign updates.
There are a few things you should keep in mind and do when choosing who to work with on the SEO for your company. In 2022 SEO is more important than ever for the success of your business online. The space is becoming more competitive and more people are focusing time and dedicating resources to work on their SEO strategy.
Below are some ways to start looking for the right agency to work with your business and help deliver the outcomes you are hoping for.
1. Determine Your SEO Goals
First things first, you need to know what you want to achieve by working with an SEO agency. Are you just looking to boost your rankings in search engines? Would you like to optimise conversions? Boost brand visibility? There are many options that an SEO agency can help you with, particularly if they also offer other digital marketing services or work with an agency that does.
When you get an idea of the deliverable you’d ideally like to see, you have a good starting point for the agency to create a dedicated plan tailored to your business.
Communication is also key, you must be able to discuss your needs with the agency representative and they should be able to relay information to you in a way you will understand. This includes their reporting which ideally should be done monthly to give you an idea of what progress is being made.
2. Set An SEO Marketing Budget
The cost of SEO services can seem to be expensive to some people who aren’t used to dealing with the industry. But if you work with a good agency then the ROI will make it worthwhile long term.
There may be an initial cost involved with assessing your business needs and doing an audit of your website and online presence. From there a strategy will be designed specifically for your needs. Following that it’s time for the implementation of the strategy, once the plan is put into action you should receive reports to keep you updated on the progress.
The cost may differ depending on what services you agree upon. You may decide to use services like those mentioned below in point 4. The overall cost will depend on what services you decide to take, however often as with everything in life you get what you pay for.
Some SEO agencies will offer a free audit or consultation, it’s a good idea to take advantage of offers like those.
One option is to compare the prices of several reputable SEO companies and see which one suits your budget best. See the next point for choosing which companies to request a quote from.
3. Past Reviews and Experience
It’s a smart move to find out about the work history of the agency you’re looking into working with. You can check case studies to see how they’ve managed to help other businesses succeed with their SEO needs.
Another way is to search for reviews on Google for the agency. These reviews can give you some good insight into the practices of the company and give you an idea if they might be right for you.
Hiring an SEO agency with web design expertise will be an even better choice. As you know SEO and website backend functionality all play a pivotal role in increasing website rankings.
4. What Services Are Being Offered
SEO is one aspect of digital marketing. Some SEO agencies offer other digital marketing services, or they may work closely with another agency that can help with these needs.
Most SEO campaigns include the below services:
- Competitive analysis
- Website audit (which is pretty standard)
- Keyword research
- Gap analysis
- Search intent research
- Technical SEO
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Local SEO
- SEO optimised content creation
While SEO is important, other strategies will help bolster your SEO efforts and ensure success in the long run. For example, SEO optimised content is essential for a website to rank. Social media helps get more visitors to a website which supplements SEO efforts. A good content marketing strategy works side by side with an SEO campaign. If you can get all these moving parts to work together seamlessly it will contribute in boosting your organic growth and online visibility.
Alongside the services offered, as mentioned above regular reports that are easily understood and clearly outline any ROI and outcomes are very important. These will help you keep track of progress and see what’s actually being done every month to help get you to where you want to be. The initial strategy is useless if steps aren’t being taken to reach the end goals.
5. Research Their SEO Expertise
One of the most important things about good SEO Melbourne experts is their knowledge of SEO and search algorithms, which are constantly updating and changing. They should be up to date with trends and changes as well as best practices.
It’s important to only work with an agency that practices white hat techniques otherwise you risk being penalised on search engines or even reaching a point of getting banned.
Agencies will also work with some excellent tools to help them get the job done. It’s important they have access to the top of the line software available so they have the best chance of helping you beat your competitors.
Deciding on an SEO Agency to Work With
Once you have thought about the above points you are ready to go out and choose an agency to help you meet your online business goals.
If you’re ready to discuss your needs with an SEO agency now, please book a free consultation today. We also offer a free seo audit so call us today and let’s get started working on your online success.