How to Partner with the Best SEO Agency: A Step by Step Guide
Choosing the right SEO marketing company can be difficult. There are so many factors to consider, such as reputation, experience, and price point. But how do you know if a company is reputable? How do you know that they will deliver on their promises? And how much should you expect to pay for their services? We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to help answer these questions and more. Follow our tips, and you’ll be partnering with the best SEO agency in no time.
Step 1: Do Your Homework Before Hiring an Agency
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing an SEO partner. They say that knowledge is power, so make sure that your prospective agency has what it takes! Here’s a quick checklist of things to research before making your decision:
- The agency’s website. How well does it rank? What kind of content is on the site? Is it updated regularly?
- Client case studies and testimonials. Are they available on the agency’s website or third-party review sites?
- Agency experience. How long has the company been around? Are they in good standing with Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
- The agency’s portfolio. What level of results have they delivered for their clients? Have you seen similar work before, on other websites or social media profiles?
- Agency size. Do you prefer to work with a small or large team? Are they able to offer personalized service and attention, despite their scale? What is the agency’s average response time for questions or client concerns (via email, phone, chat)?
- What services does your SEO partner provide exactly? Will they be handling on-page optimization, link building, content strategy, and other services?
Step1: Define Your SEO Goals
Before you can start working with an SEO partner, you need to know what it is you want to achieve. Are you looking for more website traffic? Increased leads and conversions? Better search engine rankings? Make sure to clearly define your goals so that you can evaluate whether or not the agency is able to deliver.
Step 2: Define Your Target Keywords
Next, make a list of the keywords and keyword phrases that you wish to rank for in Google’s organic search results. How many are there? Are they brand new or established terms? What is their estimated monthly traffic
Step 3: Consider Your Budget
Your SEO budget will be one of the most important factors in choosing an agency partner, as it dictates a lot about what kind of services and results are realistically within reach for your business. You should also consider whether or not you are willing to invest in an ongoing SEO campaign, versus a single-shot deal that delivers instant ranking results.
Step 4: Ask Questions, Lots of Them!
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential SEO partners to a few contenders, it’s time for the next step: questioning them exhaustively about their services, methods, and past results. This will help you get a sense of how knowledgeable they are about SEO best practices, and how well they communicate with their clients. Trust us when we say that this is one of the most important steps in finding an SEO partner – you don’t want to choose a company based on price alone, just to realize later on that they didn’t really understand your business needs or deliver what was promised!
Step 5: Sign a Contract
Once you’ve found an SEO partner that you’re confident in and have agreed on a budget, it’s time to sign a contract. This document will outline the specific services that the agency will be providing, as well as payment terms and expectations for results. By signing this contract, both parties are agreeing to work together for a set amount of time, and that the terms are fair for both sides.
Step 6: Set Expectations
The next step is to establish realistic expectations for both the agency and your business. This includes defining what kinds of results you’re aiming for (traffic, leads, conversions), how quickly they need to be delivered by, and how well each party will communicate with one another throughout the duration of the campaign. Transparency and regular communication are key to a successful SEO partnership, so make sure both sides are on board with this!
Once everything is in order, it’s time for the agency to get to work! This usually involves performing an initial website audit, then developing and implementing an SEO strategy tailored to your specific business goals. From there, they’ll track progress and results on a regular basis so that you can see how your investment is paying off.
Remember: SEO is not a one-time fix, it’s an ongoing process that requires consistent effort in order to achieve long-term success. So be sure to set realistic expectations for the SEO marketing agency, and make it clear that you’re willing to invest in an ongoing SEO campaign.
This will help potential partners understand your long-term goals with a clearer perspective. After all, if they only see a one-time shot at getting more traffic or leads from Google’s search results without any commitment on your part, they’ll likely assume that you’re not serious about SEO.
Once the agency is done with their work on your site and you’ve got a sense of how well it’s working for your business, don’t be afraid to ask them questions! The best agencies are more than happy to discuss techniques or answer any remaining concerns that you have