Pick the Best SEO Company for Your Business
According to research by Chitika, “the top listing in Google’s organic search results receives 33 percent of the traffic, compared to 18 percent for the second position, and the traffic only degrades from there.”
To put that into perspective, if 100 people searched Google for a keyword related to your company and clicked on a result, you’d receive 33 of those visits if your site was the first one listed. By comparison, if you were in the eighth position, only 3 of those visitors would wind up on your site.
Clearly, search engine optimization (SEO) is important. By incorporating on-site and off-site SEO best practices into your website’s marketing plan, you’ll increase the odds that your pages are ranked at the top of the search engines’ organic results and receive the highest possible number of new visitors.
But what happens if you don’t know how to execute proper SEO – or if you’ve done all you can, but your site still isn’t getting traffic? In that case, it may be time to bring in an SEO company.
How to Choose an SEO Company
As you’ll soon see, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution for outsourcing your SEO. Ask yourself the following questions to find the right fit:
What type of SEO company is right for your needs?
SEO companies come in many different shapes and sizes. SEO companies and SEO agencies are larger teams; often with members who specialize in different aspects of SEO. You may also decide to work with an individual SEO specialist or SEO consultant.
Solo workers will be less expensive than larger SEO companies, though you’ll trade off some of the experience larger companies bring.
Do they use current SEO best practices?
The search engines roll out hundreds of algorithm updates every year. Is your chosen SEO company, SEO consultant or SEO specialist up-to-date?
Take some time to familiarize yourself with current SEO recommendations. Then, interview 2-3 possible SEO company candidates. If what they’re saying goes against the recommendations you’ve read, move on to the next option.
Have they worked with companies like yours in the past?
Doing SEO for a “mom and pop” local business is very different than doing it for, say, Coca-Cola. Asking every SEO company you interview whether or not they’ve worked with companies like yours before will help you find the option with the right knowledge and experience.
Can they refer you to past clients?
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. The best SEO companies and consultants are happy to share the results they’ve achieved for past customers. Being unwilling to give up any details should be considered a major red flag.
Still have questions about how to choose the best SEO companies, specialists or consultants for your needs? Reach out to the iPage team, and we’ll help you find the right provider.
