How To Choose An SEO Company

SEO is the language of search engines. To connect with your people, you need to learn this language or hire a company that is already fluent. Next, you need to choose the right SEO agency that will meet the needs of your business. This article will help you navigate your most burning questions about selecting the right SEO agency for your business.

We’ll cover what makes a great SEO company, how to avoid scam SEO companies and how to choose the best SEO company to trust with your in-house SEO responsibilities.

What Makes A Great SEO Company: Essential Criteria for Your Decision

When you want SEO, you don’t just want any company that says they can do SEO. It’s important to select a great SEO company, but what makes one great? 

First and foremost, it’s the company’s ability to implement SEO efforts that result in a greater conversion rate and prove that cause and effect through data. If the company tells you the strategies are working but can’t show you any numbers, testimonials, or successful client portfolios, it’s time to slowly back away – or run in the other direction.

A great SEO company can provide you with a look into rich client portfolios and show you evidence of a fully optimized website attracting visitors, engagements and conversions. What good is a website if the potential clients who visit aren’t turning into full-fledged customers who are buying your products or services?

When you’re researching an SEO company, analyze the range of specialties and services they offer. You need a company that will not only ensure on-page optimization that will produce relevant search results, but you also need SEO experts who take the users’ experience into account once they’re on your website. These two essential aspects of SEO will result in growing site traffic and lead volume and boost brand awareness.

Pro tip: getting users to your website through intelligent SEO is only part of what SEO specialists can do for you–we also make sure your users enjoy their time on your website, thus leaving them with a great impression of your company. At Timmermann Group we employ strategies such as limiting keyword cannibalization and internal crosslinking to improve user experience. A positive experience builds your brand’s credibility!

Another thing that will let you know you’re in capable hands is the level to which the company’s SEO strategies are defined. When you’re trying to optimize your website for SEO, the last thing you want to do is “wing it.” SEO experts should love data, and know how to use it. You want an SEO company whose team excels in data collection, strategy creation, and SEO content implementation.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Choose the Best SEO Company

Shopping round for an SEO company is not as easy as contacting the first marketing agency or business you find. Search engine optimization is a process that requires a lot of attention and, although some companies will know the basics of SEO, they won’t be knowledgeable enough to give you the most benefit.

Below are some tips to ensure you find the best SEO company for your needs that will get you the true results you want.

1. Outline Your Goals and Expectations

Before you can hire any external company, it’s necessary to understand your company’s goals. It’s impossible to reach a goal if you don’t first set one. This will also help when narrowing down potential SEO companies because you’ll know which direction you want to take, whether it’s a focus on the local audience or competing with national brands.

Some common objectives you may be aiming for that an SEO company can help with include:

• Establishing your business in a new market
• Expanding offerings and growing conversions
• Outranking the competition to gain organic traffic from search results
• Generating better results from current SEO strategies

Considering these objectives will help your company and the hired agency understand what kinds of metrics and strategies should be used to be successful.

2. Set a Budget

You can achieve any SEO goal you want – if you don’t mind how much money you spend. But if you’re like most companies, there’s a budget to stick to. Knowing your budget ahead of time will ensure you don’t find a company you really like, only to find out they are too expensive, making you start the entire search process over again. For the SEO company, having an idea of your budget early will help them create a strategy to get the most success within those cost parameters.  

A budget ensures your expectations align with what you can truly afford to spend. It’s also important to remember that SEO should be a strategy you are investing in for long-term results, not something you’ll see an immediate return on. Don’t stress to much on budget and try to plan with flexibility in mind, because as your business grows, your SEO needs will change, as will the budget. 

If you talk with an SEO agency that offers services at higher prices, it doesn’t always mean you’re going to get better results. While costs are important, focus more on their track record and expertise to determine how well they will work for you. You can also combine the two by requesting an estimated timeline for expected, tangible SEO results based on your budget.

3. Research, Research, Research

Once you have cleared up your expectations and needs, it’s time to start your search. A good first step is asking for referrals from trusted peers, but you could also check out a person or company you follow on social media or those that show up in your search.

As you look into the company, review their website and all social media channels. Do they live and breathe SEO? If not… hard pass. If they appear to have some decent experience, dig deeper. Has the company received industry recognition or awards for their expertise? Are they trusted thought leaders, sharing knowledge via articles, conferences, and other channels? Are they proactive in staying ahead of industry trends and changes? How do they interact and treat their staff and clients? These are all important things to look for as you research each company.

If you find one you may be interested in, get in touch with colleagues or other businesses that may have worked with the agency previously or currently. 

If you’re doing an online search, take the time to evaluate potential agencies you’d like to work with by looking for reviews on their social media, Google, or professional review sites like Glassdoor. 

Finalize the SEO companies you’d like to compare to a maximum of three.

4. Compare Your Top Options

Now that you’ve got your three top companies, it’s time to get into the gritty details. There are several pieces you need to carefully review before reaching out to each company: 

• Portfolio: The company should demonstrate a record of SEO success showing they can handle any and all challenges and opportunities. The portfolio should provide a glimpse into how long they’ve been around and the types of industries or clients they’re experienced with. 

• Case Studies: Reading through case studies, particularly those closely related to your business model, will provide insight into the kinds of tactics they may use for you and the performance you can expect. 

• Publications: Browse and read through what they are publishing on a blog, social media, or other avenues to gauge the company’s personality, industry knowledge, and understanding.

• Techniques and Strategies: Not all SEO tactics and strategies are created equal. If you want continuous success, not just a one-time boost, ensure they follow practices that align with Google’s guidelines for site ranking improvement. You’ll know for sure they follow best practices if the company has met all the requirements to earn the trusted Google Partner badge. 

• The Agency Team: SEO is not one-dimensional, with many different team members that play a part. The team should be multidisciplinary to be the most effective, with various on-staff experts for each offered service. Having such a multifaceted team is usually indicative of good results, smart leadership, and healthy company culture. 

Along with these general research tips, be sure to tailor your research to look for exactly what your company needs. If local reach is important to you, see how they do with Local SEO. If you need website design, research how they approach an SEO strategy from the ground up. If you want a better-performing blog, look into how their content marketing and SEO strategies work together.

5. Contact and Interview Top Prospects

Once you feel confident in your top prospects, it’s time to reach out for an interview. 

The interview should be a two-part call. First is the introduction, and while it seems simple, it will tell you a lot. Trust your gut here. Does this company know what they are talking about? Could you work with them for multiple years? If not, then you know not to move any further. If you like what you are hearing, listen for these questions from the SEO company and be prepared to answer: 

• How did you find us? If they are tracking this, then they will probably be helping you track it. 

• What are your goals? They need to ask this to determine if they are capable of delivering on it. 

• What is your average sale amount? They need to know this to calculate the ROI of SEO for your company. 

• What is the lifetime value of your customer? This is important for calculating the ROI of SEO since the initial lead may only be a small fraction of the revenue that can be achieved from the initial sale. 

• Who are your competitors? This helps determine how hard they will be to outrank due to what progress they have made and what progress they are currently performing. 

• What did you or do you like about your current agency? This is a great question for them to ask because they should be concerned about your past SEO history and how they can improve the experience for you. 

• What is your budget range? They should ask this on the initial call. If you still aren’t sure or don’t want to discuss that quite yet, the company should be able to provide you with a range before they go any further. If they can’t, it may show signs of inexperience.
• What is your timeline? Your answer here helps clarify multiple parts, including the start date and results date. Results could be keyword rankings, but they should also include generating revenue. 

If any of these questions or their responses to your answers don’t feel right, don’t move forward with a second call. 

For those who make it to round two, the second part of the interview call would be the proposal. This discussion should detail where your website is currently, what strategies it will take to get you to where you want it to be, and what it will cost. From this step and conversation, you should feel confident that the company is ready to hit the ground running.

Questions To Ask Before Hiring An SEO Company

The SEO company shouldn’t be the only ones asking questions during these discussions. There are some great questions you should be asking the SEO company for better clarification on the working partnership you can expect. 

• What experience do you have with SEO? Get a feel for how much they’ve worked with SEO strategies, the kinds of successes they’ve had, how many clients they regularly work with, and even how many long-term clients they have. The more experience they have with SEO on a daily basis, the better that should be for you.

• How do you define SEO success? Some companies will focus primarily on rankings and traffic while others will focus on leads and revenue. How success is measured should be important and it should be tailored to what you need. The more your company and the agency are aligned, the more successful you’ll be. 

• What strategies would you use to improve my website’s ranking? 

• When should I expect to see results? This is important because not only can it set expectations, but it can end up revealing spammy SEO companies to stay away from. A promise for results in 30 days to a few months is unrealistic as SEO usually takes anywhere from three to six months, or even up to a full year of work. An even better answer is if they perform a site audit to give you a more tailored estimate.

• What kind of SEO reporting will you provide? Every SEO company should provide reporting, but not every company’s reports will be useful. Get an idea for the metrics they measure, what attribution model they use, and more. If you’re not getting a clear answer, ask for an example report. 

• How do you communicate with your clients? Communication is the key to any successful partnership. Understand how the agency expects communication to happen, whether it’s via email, phone, or video conferences; how often you can expect communication; who is responsible for communicating with you; and if they are able to meet your communication needs and expectations. 

• Why should we choose your company vs. another? The answer to this question should be taken with a grain of salt as everyone is going to make themselves sound like the best. However, you could gain some valuable insight on other SEO companies you may be interviewing, such as price inconsistencies, poor behind-the-scenes practices, and more. 

• Can you provide me with case studies or examples of your work? If the agency does not offer this information on their website, ask for it. They should be able to provide you with this without hesitation.

• What kind of monthly retainer do you require? Most SEO companies will work with a monthly pricing model, but some may charge hourly or per project. Clarify this expectation with the agency so you know what to expect for your budget. 

• Are there any additional costs I should expect? No one likes surprise fees. If there are potential costs that may come down the line as strategies are optimized, discuss those now. 
• Can you explain your billing process? Again, knowing what to expect is always best. Get a feel for how often you’re billed, how bills are sent, and how you should pay. 

Asking these questions highlights the accountability and transparency of the company with whom you’re speaking while also helping you acquire the information you need to make an educated decision.

Furthermore, if you consider these questions before you ask them, you can decide which answers your company needs to hear before moving forward as you choose which SEO company with which to work.

6. Time to Decide

Now is the time to make some decisions. You already know that SEO is a smart move for your business, so you shouldn’t delay in choosing the right SEO company to partner with because the competition will only continue getting harder to catch. 

From those you’ve interviewed, select the agency that is strategic in its approach, not just tactical. In the proposal, you don’t want a quota of how many links or blogs are included over the contract duration because these needs are more strategic and will most likely fluctuate depending on your needs. What you should see is a strategy the agency is working towards that will adjust quarterly depending on the evolution of website performance. 

Additionally, there are mandatory components of SEO that should be included, and those are: 

• Keyword Research and Strategy: What keywords will make the most impact for your performance
• On-Page Optimization: How the team plans on adjusting existing content
• Content Creation: How and where the team plans to create new content for your website
• Off-Page Optimization: The link acquisition strategy

Avoiding Scam SEO Companies: Red Flags to Watch Out For

Since optimizing websites for SEO is a topic commonly known worldwide, many people are touting themselves as SEO experts. These “experts” may (or may not) know how to perform a single aspect of SEO while remaining ignorant of the whole picture. To give them the benefit of the doubt, they may not even realize they don’t have all the information they need.

To that end, when you’re ready to entrust your SEO to an agency, you can’t afford to extend your trust or budget where your confidence is not warranted.

So, how do you know how to avoid scam SEO companies? Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• Black Hat SEO: Black Hat SEO refers to “experts” using techniques that can get a site to rank higher in the short-term but almost always get that same site blocked in the end due to bad techniques such as keyword stuffing, cloaking, and using private link networks.
• Cheap rates equal cheap results: Grabbing a deal feels great when online shopping, but SEO is not the place for sales. Knowing if it’s a good price is whether or not the company’s value and reputation match the remuneration they’ve set forth on their website or in your pricing quote. Essentially, the value they offer should match the price they charge.
• Big promises with no evidence of prior success: If a company promises you the moon but doesn’t even have a track record of getting past clients above the ceiling, you might want to continue searching. Customer testimonials and previous or current customer websites can provide great insight into the SEO company’s track record.

Ready to Hire The Best SEO Agency? Contact Timmermann Group Today

To hire the best SEO agency for your company, weigh all the attributes that make an SEO great with the specific objectives you have regarding your SEO needs. By performing research on your options, including investigating testimonials, requesting work samples and asking the right questions, you’ll be well on the path toward finding and developing the perfect SEO partnership.

At Timmermann Group, we create personalized strategies to meet your diverse business needs to not only meet your goals but exceed them. With a team of true SEO experts, we’ll analyze your uniquely competitive SEO landscape, strategize a strong SEO plan, create compelling SEO-optimized content, and implement it all to your website.

Contact Timmermann Group today!