If you have a website, one of the things you need to do is optimize it in order to bring in more traffic, and subsequently, more revenues. This is easier said than done however since this task involves quite a lot of work, both on the pages of the site itself and outside of it as well. Not that many people are keen on doing this task themselves and choose to focus on running their business instead of dealing with the mountain of work involved with site optimization. This is where an SEO company comes in.
Finding an SEO company that you can trust with your site is not that easy either. There are many fly-by-night companies out there who guarantee they can make your site rank in the top 10 of the first page of SERPs in a month or two, however these entities end up damaging the site’s reputation and future with what they do to achieve such a feat. There are also some companies that claim they know what to do in order for a site to progress favorably on SERPs but actually do very little to get such a thing done.
How can you weed out the companies that claim to know how to optimize your site from the ones that actually do know how to do this? Here are some steps you can use to find the best SEO for your site:
Determine what your primary goals for optimization are – there are many goals that can be set when it comes to your SEO. These can include ranking better on search engines, beating out your competition on SERPs position, and even increase in traffic. These should not be your main goals however but just the ones that can lead to your more important targets, which are increased revenue, improved brand recognition, and increased engagement.
Create a list of possible candidates for your SEO needs – once your goals have been determined, you can then try to find the right SEO for your site. This can be done by searching online for companies that specialize in this particular service, with an emphasis on getting your goals realized being cited on their pages.
Of course, not all of the SEO companies you find online can actually do what you want since anybody can say that they can do it but not live up to your expectations. Find companies that can present case studies of work that they have already done (or are currently doing) and have them provide references you can email for verification of their claims if needed.
You should also keep in mind the packages that these SEO companies offer and the cost since some of these can be quite costly. Most of the better companies that can give you great results without breaking the bank are usually found outside of the US, namely in the Philippines. These companies usually get things done the way you want them to get done, and at the fraction of the cost of companies that operate elsewhere, like in the US or in Singapore.
Establish communication with your choices and ask questions before deciding – one way you can determine off-the-bat whether an SEO company is a good fit for you or not is how they respond to your queries and questions. Email is always the first mode of communication you have with these providers, however there are a few that do have a chat function on their site which you can use to ask your questions.
Some of these businesses also encourage you to contact them via Skype calls and through their contact numbers so that they can answer any questions that you have. Try to choose the ones that encourage you to call since these are the ones who know exactly what they are doing and are prepared to answer tough questions about this.
Once you have a line of communication with these companies, you can then throw any of your questions at them. Prepare a list of queries and concerns regarding your SEO needs and the kinds of packages that these companies offer. If they don’t have a specific list of what they can do on their site (which they rarely do for fear that their not-so-adept competitors will use these details to hoodwink others into hiring them instead), they should be able to provide these for you when you do the call.
Factors of Utmost Importance When Choosing Your SEO Company
After all of these steps have been accomplished, you now come to the toughest part of the task, and this is to decide on which SEO company you will put the fate of your website on. The main factors that you need to compare between the companies that you have shortlisted as possible candidates should include the following:
Reputation and Track Record – this usually comes from people who you know and who have recommended them as well as the referrals that you contacted, which they have provided to you.
Cost and Mode of Delivery – you will also need to determine how much it will cost you, and while it has been said that if you pay peanuts, expect monkeys to do the job, there are a few companies that do good work at a reasonable price. Also, make sure that the company you choose has a set timeline and schedule for your requirements.
Ease of Communication – always be wary of companies that do not answer emails in a timely manner and cannot be easily contacted. Find one that is upfront, easy to communicate with, and can easily answer any questions that you have.
