Choosing the right SEO partner isn’t as easy as signing on the dotted line. Sure, you want your site to climb up the rankings, gain higher visibility, and outperform your competitors. But you also want to make sure the ApricotLaw you choose is the right fit for you. It’s not just a case of who can offer the lowest prices or the best guarantees. You need to find a partner who will offer long-term value and help you reach your digital marketing ambitions.

So, if you’re scoping out potential SEO partners, you must undertake a thorough vetting process. Taking the time to make sure any potential agencies have the skills and resources to meet your needs could make the difference between a fruitful and a doomed collaboration.

We’re here to show you the way. In this blog, we’ll offer 7 steps you should take to help you find the best SEO partner, so let’s get started!

Quick Overview of Key Question

Doing research on the SEO company by reading customer reviews, checking out their portfolio, and getting referrals from people in the industry is a good way to vet an SEO company. You can also contact them directly and ask questions to get a better sense of their services and expertise.

Research the Company and Its Services

When looking for the right SEO partner, research is key. Doing a thorough evaluation of the company and their services will provide invaluable information to make an informed decision. Consider aspects such as the length of time they’ve been in business, customer reviews and rating, the size of their portfolio, and their employees’ credentials.

Take a look at the company’s website that should be filled with information such as the services they offer, processes they use to ensure success, case studies or other evidence of client success, what kind of content they focus on creating, and any certifications or awards they have earned. Researching these factors can provide a greater sense of confidence in selecting a partner.

What Kinds of SEO Services Does the Company Provide?

Once you’ve gathered background information on the company and its services, you should identify what kinds of SEO services they provide. Check to see if their services include local SEO tactics, online reputation management and content marketing. Make sure the company will use a combination of on- and off-site optimization techniques that can help your website rank higher on search engines. It’s important to check for transparency when researching the services an SEO company provides. Many businesses make claims about their specialized skills, tactic and processes that may be right for your project. However, it’s important to ensure those claims are backed up with evidence and results they have achieved in the past. If reading through case studies still leaves you uncertain, ask the SEO company to provide specific details about what they will do for you – such as how many keywords they plan to target, expected link metrics, etc. All of these steps help to ensure you select the right partner who can create a suitable strategy tailored specifically for your goals.

Key Takeaways

When considering an SEO company, it`s important to research the services they provide (e.g. local SEO tactics, online reputation management, and content marketing) and ensures that their process combines on- and off-site optimization techniques for higher search engine rankings. Additionally, make sure the company has case studies and evidence that back up their claims of expertise. Once you have a better understanding of the services provided, make sure to analyze the company`s website for signs of quality and expertise.

Analyze Website Quality & Expertise

Once you’ve had an understanding of the services a potential SEO company provides, it’s time to look into the quality and expertise they bring to the table. In particular, you should take some time to evaluate the portfolio or case studies they have available; these should help you get a better sense of who they are and what sort of results they can deliver.

In addition to reading through their case studies, it’s important to consider the quality of the websites that appear in their portfolio. This is because, if the company can build a high-quality website for their clients, this implies a deep understanding of SEO across multiple elements. On the contrary, if a portfolio contains poorly built websites without an SEO-friendly structure in place, this could be an indication of their abilities and may be worth taking into account when you make your decision.

Now that you understand the quality and expertise that this potential partner brings to the table, it`s time to move onto another key factor when evaluating an search engine optimization experts: website design and content. From analyzing navigation cues to readability best practices, it`s essential to pay attention to how well the website itself performs. After all, if an outfit cannot successfully optimize their own website chances are they won`t be able to do so for yours either.

Look at the Website Design & Content

Once you have confirmed that a potential SEO partner has an established website and good quality content, it`s time to take a closer look at the website design. An up-to-date, aesthetically pleasing and responsive website is always preferable compared to outdated, plain or cluttered designs. Through analyzing their site design and technical proficiency, you can get better insight into what services they offer.

At the same time, competitor analysis is helpful when examining the website design and content of a potential SEO partner. Analyzing your competitors` websites can give you an idea how to meet or exceed the industry standard with regard to web design. An experienced SEO firm will bring valuable knowledge, expertise and guidance in terms of crafting a well designed and effective website for their clients—one that is tailored to target their specific market goals. They should also offer evidence showing their past success with web design projects, such as before/after comparisons of websites they have worked on.

Compare Pricing & Services

Now that you’ve looked at the website design and content of your potential SEO partner, it`s time to compare their pricing and services. Depending on the size of your business, certain packages may match up better with your budget. Furthermore, keep in mind which services they are offering, as some SEO companies may include a wider range of services than others. If a company boasts an all-encompassing digital marketing strategy in addition to SEO services, but charges more than another company with fewer services, it could still be worth investing. On the other hand, if you`re a smaller business that can benefit from utilizing several agencies to handle different online marketing tasks, then the company with fewer services and lower costs might be the better option. It is important to weigh both the quality and quantity of their offerings to make sure you get the most value for your money.

Once you’ve done your comparison shopping, you can move on to gauging how affordable their services are. Consider whether or not their fees are in line with industry standards and whether or not they offer any extras that could be beneficial to your specific SEO strategy. Are they open to providing periodic reports and do they offer any bonuses such as link building packages? Knowing what kind of extras they offer can help make the decision easier – is their pricing structure worth the long term rewards?

  • According to a 2019 survey, 60% of businesses invest in SEO services because of their proven ROI (return on investment).
  • A 2018 study concluded that businesses who spend more than $2500 per month on an SEO strategy can expect to see over 400% more leads compared to those who spend less.
  • According to a 2017 survey by Moz, approximately 75% of consumers make judgments about companies based solely on their website’s position in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Are Their Services Affordable?

Establishing a budget for any project is important but can be particularly tricky when it comes to hiring an SEO company. Do you need to hire the most expensive option or can you get away with the cheapest? The answer lies somewhere in between.

It’s tempting to go with the least expensive provider, but pricing isn’t always indicative of service quality – and that means it’s vital to weigh up price and perceived value. For example, smaller businesses may find more value in relatively inexpensive niche services like local SEO or link building, whereas larger organizations are likely to benefit from comprehensive packages that can cost significantly more.