The Internet is by far the most valuable and universal tool that businesses in most industries can take advantage of.
But, it isn’t as easy as posting a blog or uploading a video and then getting hundreds of calls and emails. It takes more work after you’ve created the content to make sure that people see it.
However, not every entrepreneur has the time, energy, or resources to manage this themselves.
Thus, you may need to hire an SEO specialist to help you.
Before you do, however, there are seven questions you need to ask.
Let’s take a look.
1. “How Do You Define Success?”
Success is a variable term that can be completely different for one person than it is for the other. Some entrepreneurs may see success as an x-percentage growth in their client base within 12 months.
Others may define success as turning $1 million in profit, no matter what source the revenue comes from.
Similarly, SEO companies often have their own definition of success, as well.
There are two answers to watch out for when asking this question: those that promise unrealistic results, and those that focus only on arbitrary numbers.
Anyone who promises you they can get your website to Google’s first page without fail is either delusional or employing black hat SEO tactics.
Companies who see success as something like “100,000 site visitors per month” may be trying to bring anyone they can to your content, not just members of your audience. This will result in people leaving your site and a decreased ranking.
Their definition of success should be similar to yours or flexible enough to help meet your goals.
2. “How Often Can I Expect to See Progress Updates?”
Some firms are notorious for ghosting clients for months immediately after a client signs a contract. On the SEO firm’s end, they’re often doing the work for the client in the background and staying within the contract’s timeline.
On the client’s end, they’re frustrated and beginning to feel scammed and stressed out.
Having a definitive schedule about when you can expect to hear from your SEO specialist about their progress will help ease this concern and also allow you to objectively track their performance.
3. “How Familiar Are You With Working For Businesses of This Size?”
Some SEO firms specialize in local SEO for small businesses. Others typically work with clients who already have hundreds of thousands of page views per month.
As you can expect, it’s not ideal to match a specialty with the wrong type of business.
Make sure you know how much experience they have with working for companies similar to yours. Even better, ask to see some of their work they’ve done for businesses of a similar size/ones that have similar goals.
4. “What Are Your Strategies For Mobile?”
Mobile SEO is more important than it’s ever been due to its popularity. With the rising usage of devices like tablets, iPads, and smartphones, it’s absolutely imperative that you handle mobile SEO correctly.
Thus, you’re going to want to hire a specialist who can handle mobile SEO as effectively as possible.
Many firms will offer potential clients a free mobile audit of their website, giving you perspective on areas that need improvement. SEO companies that understand mobile’s importance are those you want to gravitate toward.
5. “How Long Does it Take to See Results?”
Some clients have a misunderstanding of the time it takes to produce solid SEO results. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight using legitimate techniques.
Although these results take time, an SEO firm should be able to provide you with a timeframe of when you can expect to see your goals come to life.
In general, however, you should expect to see consistent improvement of your analytics within a few months of hiring an SEO specialist.
Just keep in mind that it will take a while at first for the results to become apparent.
6. “What Method of Keyword Research Do You Use?”
This question can be a dealbreaker when it comes to deciding which specialist you hire for your SEO needs.
We’ll be frank here: modern keyword research is not as simple as using a keyword planning tool and making a list of relevant keywords.
There’s a whole second half to this endeavor, and it focuses on the consumer’s intent when they search the keyword. Therefore, your potential specialist should understand this concept and place heavy emphasis on it.
They should also know where to insert keywords on your site.
If all they care about is total keyword searches and keyword density, then they most likely don’t have much they can offer you.
7. “What Do You Need From Me to Make Your Job Easier?”
In order to provide you with the best service possible, your SEO firm will need as much information as possible. Good SEO specialists will ask for info about your industry, target audience, and specific goals.
They can then use this information to develop a plan that will produce the results you’re looking (and paying) for.
They’ll also need to know what digital marketing platforms you’re currently using, and also need access to some form of analytics.
In general, the more a company asks from you, the harder they are going to work to grow your business. Companies with proven track records, such as 180fusion, are always solid choices.
Hiring an SEO Specialist Isn’t Always Easy
But, it shouldn’t be, because you should do all you can to make sure that you hire the right one.
Want to learn more about SEO and what it can do for your business? Check out our blog!
