How to Choose the Right SEO Agency in 7 Steps
For any business looking to excel in the online space and outperform competitors, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) will play a central role in your digital strategy. As the power of the internet continues to expand, the success of your online presence hinges on strategic, well-executed SEO practices.
However, with such a vast array of agencies vying for your attention, selecting the right company is no easy task. What are the key characteristics to look for in an SEO agency? What are the appropriate steps required to choose the right agency for your business? And what are the major red flags you need to avoid when selecting an SEO agency?
This guide will walk you through the key considerations and essential factors to weigh when evaluating potential SEO partners. From understanding your business objectives to scrutinising an agency’s portfolio and practices, we delve into the intricacies that will empower you to make an informed decision.
- Why work with an SEO agency?
- How to choose the right SEO company for your business
- SEO agency red flags to avoid
- How to work effectively with an SEO agency
Why work with an SEO agency?
First things first, why should you work with an SEO agency in the first place? Can a successful business not manage its online strategies in-house?
The answer lies in the nuanced expertise and specialised knowledge that SEO agencies bring to the table.
SEO practices encompass a broad range of different areas, from keyword research and on-page optimisation to technical SEO and link-building. An experienced SEO agency boasts a diverse team of professionals well-versed in these different facets, ensuring a comprehensive and tailored approach to elevate your online presence.
With search engine algorithms in a constant state of evolution, navigating the SEO landscape requires professionals who are equipped with the latest industry insights to ensure that the strategies executed remain in compliance with the latest algorithm updates. Therefore, a proactive, informed approach is essential for staying ahead of competitors throughout a changing online space.
Above all else, managing an effective SEO strategy demands time, effort, and a complete immersion in the industry and the intricacies involved. By collaborating with an SEO agency, businesses can redirect their internal resources to core operations, while the agency handles the complexities of improving online visibility.
How to choose the right SEO company for your business
To narrow down your search, you’ll first need to establish what characteristics are most important to consider when choosing the right SEO company for your business.
With our step-by-step guide, you can be sure that you’ve covered all the essential factors in assessing the suitability of each potential company.
1. Understand the SEO basics
You won’t need to become an SEO expert overnight, but it will be tricky to effectively evaluate potential agencies without at least an understanding of the fundamentals of SEO.
Having a firm enough grasp of the key terms, practices, and deliverables in the industry will allow you to communicate meaningfully with SEO professionals and scrutinise their proposals. Some key areas to be familiar with include:
Keyword research
The cornerstone of any comprehensive SEO strategy, keyword research involves the identification of relevant search terms that potential customers use to find products or services.
On-page SEO
Any optimisations intended to improve specific elements found on the pages of your website can be considered “on-page SEO”. Key aspects include optimising content, headings and metadata, and the appropriate usage of internal links.
Off-page SEO
Conversely, any practices that are implemented outside of your website are considered “off-page SEO”. Most commonly, this will be focused on building high-quality backlinks to your site, but can also include other external practices such as social media marketing.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO involves optimising the technical aspects of your website to improve its search engine visibility and ensure that it is as easy as possible for both search engines and users to discover and understand your content.
2. Define your goals
To select the right SEO agency for your business, clearly defining your goals is imperative.
Are you looking to challenge a key online competitor head-on? Aspiring to fast-track the growth of your newly established website? Seeking to establish your brand in a new international market?
Determining what you seek to achieve with your online strategies will provide a strong foundation for effective communication with potential SEO agencies, and help provide an early indication of which suitors are appropriate for your needs.
3. Research SEO companies
With a good understanding of the SEO fundamentals and a clearly defined set of desired goals, you will now be well-equipped to begin your research for the right SEO company.
At this stage, you’ll want to draw up a shortlist of potential companies to work with based on a range of key factors that align closely with your desired goals.
Along with your own manual search tactics, referrals are a trusted way to identify potential companies. Try asking around your community about any successes they’ve had with SEO agencies in the past.
4. Review portfolios
A company’s portfolio of work is a great insight into the depth of their expertise, and the tangible results they’ve achieved for their clients, providing valuable evidence of their capabilities and potential fit for your business needs..
Within their portfolio, pay close attention to examples that resonate with your particular circumstances. For instance, if you operate in the SaaS industry, assess whether the company has a track record of success within this sector. Likewise, if you’re a start-up aiming for rapid growth, seek tangible evidence of their ability to facilitate such growth in their past endeavours.
5. Consider testimonials
Whilst portfolios offer valuable evidence of an SEO company’s previous successes, testimonials provide an even greater insight into the experiences of their past clients. Take the time to explore testimonials and reviews from a variety of sources, including the company’s website, third-party review platforms, and social media channels.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to the company directly to request further references or case studies that showcase their success stories in more detail. Any prosperous SEO company should have a plethora of evidence to highlight their recent successes.
6. Reach out
Once you’ve reviewed portfolios and testimonials, it’s time to take the next step and reach out to the SEO companies on your shortlist. This is your opportunity to engage directly with each company and gather additional information that may not be readily available online.
During your interactions, pay attention to the responsiveness and professionalism of the company’s representatives. Effective communication and transparency are key indicators of a reliable and trustworthy SEO partner.
Consider scheduling a consultation or meeting with each company to discuss your requirements in more depth. This will allow you to gauge their level of understanding of your business and assess whether they can offer tailored solutions to meet your needs.
7. Examine proposals
As you evaluate proposals from SEO companies, delve into the details to ensure they align with your business goals and expectations. Scrutinise the scope of work offered, checking for key deliverables like keyword research, competitor gap analysis, and a comprehensive content strategy, as well as the appropriate KPIs to measure the success of implemented strategies.
Proposed timelines should be assessed to ensure they are both achievable and align with your desired speed of progress. You should also consider the level of customisation in the proposal to ensure strategies are tailored to your specific needs and industry.
As you’ll likely have to justify the deal to senior management, it’s important to evaluate the proposed costs against the expected ROI to ensure the partnership would provide real value to your business.
SEO agency red flags to avoid
With such a widespread, complex process required to search for the right SEO agency, it’s useful to be aware of some major red flags to avoid in your pursuit.
Low pricing
Some things really are too good to be true. If an agency is quoting a price that is significantly lower than competitors, alarm bells should be ringing. Examine the deliverables they are offering – if the expected scope of work is being promised, how will they manage to provide good quality work at such a low price? Where are their efficiencies coming from?
Black hat tactics
Any unethical SEO practices that violate search engine guidelines in an attempt to manipulate search rankings and achieve quick results are considered ‘black hat’ tactics. While these techniques may initially lead to temporary gains in rankings, they can result in severe penalties from search engines, including the complete removal of websites from search results altogether.
When evaluating SEO agencies, it’s crucial to watch out for any indication of proposed black hat tactics, as they can harm your website’s reputation and long-term success.
Guarantee of immediate results
SEO is a field of digital marketing that demands both patience and time before yielding the results of your efforts. From the outset, comprehensive research is required for any SEO agency to fully understand your company’s goals, industry, and competitors. From here, it’s about laying the groundwork for long-term success through consistent incremental gains in organic traffic and visibility.
So, an SEO agency that promises immediate results from the get-go should be approached with caution. It can be easy to fall into the trap of quick fixes and shortcuts, but these often overlook the more substantial areas that, in the long run, deliver the greatest returns on investment.
How to work effectively with an SEO agency
To ensure a fruitful partnership with an SEO agency, it’s essential to establish clear expectations and foster open communication channels from the outset. Start by articulating your business objectives, target audience, and any unique challenges or opportunities within your industry. Collaborate closely with the agency to develop a tailored strategy aligned with your goals.
Additionally, be receptive to feedback and insights from the agency’s experts, leveraging their specialised knowledge to maximise results. By nurturing a collaborative and transparent relationship, you can harness the full potential of SEO to elevate your online presence and achieve sustainable growth for your business.
How Semetrical can help you
At Semetrical, we have a proven track record for delivering sustained SEO growth to our diverse client portfolio across various industries. With over a decade of experience, we’ve honed our data-driven and results-focused approach to SEO, transforming us into a multi-award-winning agency in recent years.
We offer a comprehensive client onboarding experience, covering all aspects from keyword research to competitor gap analysis. We always ensure that we are fully immersed in our new client’s offering, their goals, and the wider industry they operate in, allowing us to make informed recommendations from the outset.
Our expertise also extends to technical SEO services. Whether you simply need ongoing monitoring of your site’s technical performance or require full support for a website migration, our committed team at Semetrical can ensure technical SEO needs are handled with precision and dedication.
As a digital marketing agency, we provide the invaluable opportunity to collaborate across multiple channels to establish a fully integrated approach to your digital strategy. Combining your SEO practices with content marketing, paid media and web analytics is a hugely beneficial way of enhancing your online presence and setting yourself apart from your closest competitors.
Ready to choose the right SEO agency to transform your company’s online presence? Check out our SEO Services or get in touch to discover how Semetrical can help you achieve your goals!
