How to choose an SEO agency?
I worked in One to All Marketing as an SEO executive for about two years (and four more on products and freelance). And today I want to tell you how you should not be cheated while choosing an SEO Agency.
By the way, it is very easy to fool yourself: there are many proposals, the field is specific and unclear, even the big and famous agencies cannot live up to the expectations.
I hope that my experience (from within) will help you make the right decision to choose an SEO agency.
How to choose an SEO Company?
Large Business
To begin with, we briefly discuss how the big/famous and small/local SEO companies work.
Both and others have their advantages and disadvantages. Let's start with the greats.
There are large agencies in which Internet marketing is the main direction and many projects. Hearing companies have significant advantages: their own development and ability to test hypotheses on a large number of projects. With the right approach, children accumulate sufficient numbers for more informed conclusions and decisions that may benefit them.
On the other hand, the big SEO agencies are a "carrier". Here you may have to face the fact that your site receives little attention (but not necessarily). If you are not lucky with the choice, these will be standard solutions, with a minimalist approach and, as a rule, minimal communication.
If I were to select a large agency as a client, I would clearly know what would be done and in what time frame, how the project would be communicated, and I would not forget to reflect this in the contract.
Small Business
"Small" means not only well-known agencies with a small staff and a number of projects but also well-known studies for which SEO (and other Internet marketing) is not the primary direction.
As for such companies, you will likely have close contact with managers and experts. It is possible that the more non-standard solutions there are, the more time will be spent on your site (if the agency has some projects in total).
However, many are small, and you have to choose very carefully. Moccasins are also full here, so before choosing one, you need to study several proposals, gradually narrowing the list.
If I chose an SEO services agency as a client, I would look for a small web agency that could create high-quality content. They can miss the stars of the sky in technical SEO without knowing the tricks and subtlety of the "gurus", but the ability and willingness to understand the customer's business and create good content can cover many shortcomings.
Other criteria
Who should we jump to immediately?
Advance Cross out the agencies that immediately offer rivers of milk and jelly banks: "Top 10 in 2 months", "Traffic growth by 1200%", "Commercial growth up to 200%" and other slogans.
it is not serious. As a general rule, such companies get you a monthly fee for the first 2-3 months, and then at least the grass does not grow.
Modern SEO is a long-term task, especially if you have a young website. Systematic and laborious work on site. Here (in non-competitive subjects) ultrafast results are achievable, but in rare cases, this is not a general rule.
Very bright prospects should at least arouse suspicion. Do not base your choice on them.
Suggest accents
For an experienced script expert, it is easy to look at the client's site and roughly guess what you need to visit. Feel free to do this from potential contractors.
Ask questions:
- In which direction do you propose to move?
- What kind of work do you think should start at the beginning of the collaboration?
- What will you do for money in the first 3 months?
Let the SEO expert write how you see more work. In general, everything is fairly straightforward: here we start with the technical configuration (slow site, errors in official documents, required labels and instructions not detailed); Or everything is fine with technical content, but without significance; Everything is wrong with the structure here; Words don't work here, etc.
Prioritizing is easy.
I would suspect that people refused to do it (ignored or reported that it was done only for money) or voided themselves in standard phrases (we would write texts, write metatags, buy links) without Explain why and why of any priority. Will to stop immediately.
And he looked carefully at those who tried it: set specific priorities for his site, explained why it was so, and expressed a willingness to answer questions not otherwise. Even better, when you are invited to a meeting where an expert will be present.
Find the order of cooperation
Try to set it up clearly for the proposed budget.
How the work will go: who will implement the technical reforms and in what time frame; How the material will be worked and how much per month; How often will you receive the report and in what format. And most importantly: the result if the agreements are not implemented.
Pay attention to the content: Ask for examples of texts or pages that you create for your customers. Make sure that these are not empty templates and content-sharing lessons.
Your task now, like the previous paragraph, is to remove companies that are not ready for active communication, do not offer debugged processes, generally having a bad idea of what they will do.
I don't know that in other areas, it is very common in internet marketing. The market in our country is still very small.
Doubtful tricks
In my practice, I met agencies that were only involved in buying links for clients (of the lowest quality) and for promoting behavioral factors. Hardly any further work was done, masking report inactivity with complex terms and layouts. All this can not only bring any benefit but can also seriously damage the site.
Even if you don't understand anything about it, ask questions directly:
What do you think of the "gray" methods of promotion: buying cheap links and promoting behavioral factors?
Are you ready to reflect on the rejection of questionable promotional methods in the contract?
Some agencies and experts use the purchase of links to articles on quality resources, ordering the placement of large-scale links as an element of integrated promotion. There may not be many links of this type and in general, quality links to other resources do not cause harm.
Choose an SEO company that doesn't let your website get discouraged by search engines (by banning it).
Don't limit yourself to 1-2 options. Make a list of web studies that you like between 10 and 15 SEO agencies and other criteria, evaluations, evaluations, etc. Spend time communicating with them, the advantage of going to offices in the initial stages is not necessary.
Note: Find a company that is open to communication that can quickly prioritize, know-how, and loves to create quality content that fits your budget.
