ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!
*

How to choose an SEO company

Published by

For a long time, SEO (search engine optimisation) was something of a dirty word in marketing circles but thanks to Google’s continual updates the keyword stuffed blogs that typified many SEO strategies of the early 2010’s are now relics of the recent past. The SEO campaigns of today understand that content needs to be relevant and well-written to rank. But that doesn’t mean the wheels still don’t need to be greased a little, so to speak.

That’s where an SEO company comes in. While it’s perfectly possible to take care of your own SEO, an SEO agency will be aware of all the recent Google updates and will be able to take full advantage of them. But if you’re in the market for a full-service SEO company to help your brand ascend the lofty ranks of Google, what should you be looking for? Let’s start with the basics.

What is an SEO company?

*

SEO is a branch of marketing whose goal is to increase visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. Earlier in its history, success was marked by improving rankings for key search terms, but with changes in how search engines work, things are a bit more nuanced. The goal is to increase visibility in searches across devices and audiences, and to enrich user journeys through websites to increase the likelihood of them converting (moving from prospects to customers).

An SEO company should look to understand everything about your business. Your goals, your assets, your existing campaigns; any previous SEO work you've had done, either internally or externally; the specific challenges you are facing, and the gaps in your knowledge.

This information shapes the campaign they will create and implement for your business. Ongoing communication is based around reporting on results, and refinement of goals and strategy to maximise its relevance.

They will also carry out keyword research, which can make or break a marketing strategy. Understanding how real people search for goods and services allows you to optimise your communications and increase your chances of appearing in the right searches.

With machine learning, search engines have an ever more powerful grasp of user intent, related keywords, and semantics. This means you need to be aware of all the ways prospective customers search for products and services related to your business.

The best SEO companies will also optimise existing content and optimise your site structure to make it more crawlable and indexable. Then there’s the technical “under the hood” stuff that we won’t even pretend to understand that can help with everything from site speed to security.

Why hire an SEO company?

*

While you might have an SEO team already onboard but outsourcing your SEO can be a much more efficient option. All too often, managers attempt the DIY option to save money but end up in over their heads, wasting both time and resources. Considering the expertise of an SEO agency for B2B companies can be a safer and more efficient option.

Saving time

SEO is a continuous process that requires many hours of research, optimization, and upkeep. When you outsource SEO to an agency, you get a team of professionals behind your brand, freeing you up to focus on other business tasks. This is one reason why hiring an SEO agency is so tempting for many businesses, they specialize on completely managing your search marketing campaign practically 24/7.

Saving money

It takes a significant and ongoing investment to finance the salaries, software, and equipment needed to build a complete team of in-house SEO professionals. One of the benefits of hiring an SEO company is that they can offer their robust team and resources at a lower cost than it would require to maintain an in-house team. The service fees needed to pay an outside SEO company can be a turn off for many business – but the importance of SEO for business growth and it’s unbeatable ROI make it impossible to ignore.

Industry expertise

Agencies offer a collection of diverse experts, including SEO professionals, web developers and content writers who are equipped to handle specific situations. In a SEO agency, every individual has a focus and excels in that area to deliver the best results to your company. Hiring an SEO company means you get insight from professionals that specialize in SEO, with years of experience, and that know better than you.

Experience

Why hire an expert SEO agency instead of doing it yourself? Afterall who knows your business better than you? Well, an agency will have worked with dozens of other brands just like yours, within your niche. They’ll have helped other companies rise to the top of page #1 in search results. And they can do it again for you. And they know how to combine your expectations with their strategies for a fully customised campaign.

Security

SEO can be risky if you’re not sure what you’re doing, opening the doors for search penalties, spam, and hacking. One reason why hiring an SEO agency makes so much sense is that SEO agencies know what to look out for to avoid any negative repercussions and to keep your website (and rankings) safe! Going with an SEO agency can be a great option for some companies, but it is important to remember that all agencies are not created equally. If you do decide that outsourcing to an agency is the option for you, make sure to do your due diligence.

Choosing the right SEO company for you

*

Selecting a full-service SEO agency is no easy task — choosing a good SEO company is even harder. It’s tough to find a company you trust with something as valuable as your web presence, but there are a lot of great firms out there! If you’re now wondering how to choose an SEO company, don’t worry.

Know your goals

Before you meet with an agency, you need to have a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve through SEO and how much money you’re willing to spend. Once you have these answers, think about how you’re going to measure the ROI. Consider what you need to break even or turn a profit. Maybe you need more leads or direct sales? Perhaps, you’re looking for other types of user engagement on your website? When you know your budget and the way you’ll measure ROI, communicate that with the agencies you’re interviewing.

Examine past performance

Performance matters for not only SEO agencies but also businesses like yours. People look at what your company’s done to determine if you can deliver. You should do the same when choosing an SEO company. Look at their past performance, whether through portfolio examples, case studies, industry awards, or client testimonials. With concrete proof of an SEO agency’s performance, your business can go into a consultation or partnership with confidence. You know that you’re choosing a good SEO company for achieving your goals for growing your business.

Go big or go small

There are pros and cons to working with agencies of all sizes. Small boutique agencies are often less expensive and scrappy. They’re willing to go the extra mile to offer a personalized marketing experience. But they may not be full-service. That means you may have to hire other professionals to assist with certain aspects of your marketing campaign. On the other hand, large agencies usually cost more but typically have the capacity to handle large campaigns in more industries. Furthermore, they likely have web developers and other marketing professionals in-house, so working with them is more of a one-stop shop. That being said, they have a larger staff pool. So, people you’ve never met might work on your SEO campaign. Likewise, they have lots of other clients, so you may not receive personalized attention. Think about what kind of service you want. Then, find an agency whose size aligns with your budget and unique needs.

Do your research

Ask the agencies you're interviewing to provide you with references from clients. Follow up with these businesses. Ask questions about the quality of this agency’s work and the attention they received while working together. Make sure the agencies you’re considering have run successful SEO campaigns under similar circumstances.

Understand the pricing

SEO is a long-term investment. It can take months to see substantial results. So, it’s important to know what SEO tasks are included in the price you’re being quoted. Often strategy, research, implementation, reporting and analysis are included in the price. But, this may not be all you need to achieve good SEO. Additional things that may be needed include copywriting, web development/coding, UI/UX work and more. Ask how an agency goes about charging for tasks that are outside the initial scope of work and see if you can get a feel for if/how often these out-of-scope tasks may be recommended.

Using Creativepool

*

Creativepool has hundreds of top SEO companies ready and waiting to help bring your ideas and your brand to life.

Finding a web design agency that fits your needs on Creativepool is simple and effective.

You have 2 main options. Search and contact or post a studiobrief.

1. Search and Contact

The Creative Services Directory is the place for you to be able to search and select the company that best serves your needs. 

After using the search bar, you will be able to view the profiles, case studies and information about each company listed.

When you find a company then you can contact them directly. This is the most effective way for you to be in control of who you work with

2. Post a studiobrief

The second way that you can use Creativepool to find a company that meets your creative needs is to advertise your brief.

Doing so is completely free and to help you along you will be assigned an account manager. Once you have posted your initial brief, they will be in contact with you about what you are looking for and help you amend your brief (if needed) and send it out to the most relevant companies on the platform.

Once posted you will receive applications from companies directly and you can then discuss your needs with the company in more detail.

Posting a studiobrief is by far the easiest approach, free and you are under no obligation to hire any of the companies that apply. It's a flexible and powerful approach to finding a new agency partner that does most of the hard work for you.

Comments

More Features

*

Features

A (mercifully) pun-free roundup of the best Easter 2024 campaigns

Easter is rarely held in the same regard as Christmas or even Halloween (unless you’re a confectioner, of course) but the iconography of the season is ripe for creativity. Easter ads campaigns of the past few years have seen everything from...

Posted by: Benjamin Hiorns
*

Features

Global creative calendar: April 2024

Across this month’s full slate of alluring extracurricular activities, everyone open to new experiences has worlds to gain. Current and future leaders spanning all industries are going all in: Curtains will soon draw back and stages will...

Posted by: The Darnell Works Agency
ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!