Search engine optimization is not subject to be taken lightly because it can push your business in the right direction. When SEO is executed properly, it could provide you with opportunities that would not exist without it. However, the industry has become so saturated with so many SEO companies, both large and small, that seem to pop up everywhere. This means that it has become increasingly challenging to differentiate between predators and quality SEO companies.

If you have no idea what you’re looking for in an SEO company, it will be even more challenging for you to find the right one. This guide has all the tips and tricks you need to know about finding an incredible SEO company and what you can achieve together.

What is the definition of success?

The first thing you have to do before you start looking for an SEO agency is define what SEO success means to you. If you invest in SEO, what exactly do you plan to achieve? What is the desired outcome you’d like to experience for your website? For some people, ranking for certain keywords is more than enough. For others, an increase in daily traffic at a certain percentage is the goal. The outcome can be different based on what you want.

It is imperative that you consider all the risks involved and how much you’re willing to put in in order to achieve those results. As you can see, there are so many things you need to consider before you hire an SEO company. Getting into an SEO relationship hoping to improve your website is simply not enough. Have an understanding of what you want and how you what it to be measured. With clear goals in mind, it’s very much easier to find the right SEO company.

Manage your expectations

With the definition of success, you need to lay out all your expectations for the SEO company you hire. At the very least, consider what you would like to get from the SEO expert and the characteristics they should have. Some of these expectations could include a company that has been in business for several years in order to have the right experience, a company that has a local office where you can meet, or a company that offers free initial consultation to discuss whether they can achieve your plans for you.

Ask the right questions

Once you find several potential SEO companies, you need to hold an interview in order to gauge whether they are right for you. During the interview, ask each SEO expert the same set of questions because it will allow you to compare their level of objectivity. Some of the questions you should ask include:

  • How can you help me accomplish my goals?
  • What is your agency’s expertise?
  • What is your definition of SEO success?
  • What will happen once we part ways?
  • What is your mode of communication?
  • Will you involve me in all the steps?

This should just be the starting point of your questions. Depending on what your goals are, you will definitely have more specific questions. The answers they give you will help you get a feel of what the agency is about and how experienced they are in their skills.

Check the company’s SEO

An SEO company should be on top of their game when it comes to their website SEO. Check how well their websites ranks on search engines. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that you need to check weather all the page’s rank on page one for all the relevant keywords. Even the best SEO agency cannot guarantee to rank on the first page and they will definitely not have guaranteed to get you on the first page for every keyword. Unless they use black hat SEO, with white hat SEO, it is virtually impossible for them to outrank other major companies in all ranks.

Look for things like local SEO techniques, website optimization, and even meta descriptions. You need to know that they have all the bases covered and that they will do the same thing for you. If they have everything in order, then you can be sure they practice what they preach.

Ask for case studies and referrals

A professional SEO agency will give you access to their referrals, case studies, and testimonials without any problems. If they don’t present them to you, you should not be afraid to ask for them. Case studies are especially valuable because they allow you to view data, but you should definitely not undermine or underestimate the information you can find on referrals and testimonials.

With this information in hand, it will be easy for you to reach out to current or past customers and get third party opinions about the SEO company. Most customers will be honest and straightforward about the services, and this will make it easy for you to make an informed decision.

Consider the company’s pay structure

Money matters are just as important as every other aspect because some companies come with hidden charges that add up to become too expensive. SEO companies charge very differently and the compensation can be drastic. Some companies will charge you by the hour, others will charge by the month, while others will charge you by the whole project.

Can they help you with local SEO?

Local SEO has become extremely important when it comes to marketing any local business on the internet. It can even help promote your products or services to your local customers when they search for them online. Local SEO is achieved through different methods that’s made far from standard SEO strategies. This is why you need to enquire whether the SEO agency can actually achieve them for you.

What exactly is a local search?

According to Google, about 46% of all charges have a local Intent. Some search keywords are so basic that anyone with good SEO rank for them. Instead of searching for “how to fix a blocked drain” people search for “best plumber in Brisbane” or “plumbers near me”. The search engine will automatically understand that the person is looking for a business suggestion based on their current location. The results that appear will be based on that local location.

If you want to improve traffic to your local business, then you need to rank for local searches. The SEO company should be able to help you rank for both standard and local searches. This means that your website will get more traffic as well as more customers. The thing about local SEO is that it is always changing, which is why you need an SEO company that actually specialises in local SEO.

Just because a company is good that standard SEO does not mean that they are going to help you achieve results the same way. The rules are usually very different because at this point, you need more business listings and direct contact with your customers then you need website traffic. Some of the local SEO strategies that could make a difference to your business include:

Website localisation, which means that your city or County name will appear throughout your website. If your company has branches in different Counties or locations, several different pages will need to be optimised for different locations. You may also need to cover or feature information about your local community.

Citation building will ensure that your business is featured on citation sites and directories. This will make it easier for your customers to find you. If you list your company’s name, email, and even phone number, it will improve your ranking and make it even easier for customers to come to you.

Claiming the “Google My Business” page will also be an integral part of helping a business display important services like local search results on Google Maps.

Managing your reviews and ratings is also critical part and they should be honest and critical in order to showcase the quality of your services. When customers find honest reviews it becomes easier for them to trust a company’s services. The number of the reviews and the authority of the websites they come from is very important when it comes to local search rankings.

Relevance and quality backlinks are also a part of local SEO. These are only helpful if they’re naturally obtained from authority websites as sources of information. They will boost your providence when it comes to local search algorithms. You can link to local newspapers, business associations, and even bloggers because they will all help you improve your visibility.

Conclusion

Now that you know everything you should consider when hiring an incredible SEO company in Brisbane, it should be easy for you to make an informed decision. A company that can achieve both broad and local SEO would be suitable because you would not have to hire two companies. Find a company at the same level as your business that has experts in different kind of field. This way, they will give you a company importance and the experts will be working on your projects.