Tips on How to Choose an SEO Company, Part 2
June 17, 2021In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some basic tips on selecting an SEO company to hire for your business’s marketing efforts. There are a number of SEO companies and experts out there, each with their own distinct approaches and reputations, and selecting a reliable one for your business will make a big impact on search engine optimization and several other marketing areas.
At SEO Werkz, we welcome comparisons of our SEO services and other marketing solutions to our competitors. Not only do we want businesses to get the best possible services, we’re supremely confident your research will show you that we’re the best SEO company to provide these for you. In today’s part two, we’ll go over a few other important areas to keep an eye on when selecting SEO professionals, plus a couple red flags that might signal you should look elsewhere.
Reviews, Case Studies and Testimonials
You should absolutely never move forward with a given SEO or marketing company if you have not taken a detailed look at their online reviews, case studies and various client testimonials offered. Online reviews today offer several robust avenues for finding impartial, unbiased opinions about a company – how they’ve worked with clients in the past, their success metrics, their reputation and much more.
Related Services
It’s also important to note that while SEO itself is a vital piece of any online marketing effort, it’s not the only factor. There are several others, from content optimization to PPC, social media marketing areas and various landing page formats, and generally speaking it’s best to go with comprehensive professionals who understand and cover all these areas within a single package.
If online reviews aren’t giving you the entire picture, request specific case studies from the agency. This can generally be done by calling or submitting an online form, and will offer you detailed information on what the agency can do. Down similar lines, you can also request direct references from the agency, though realize there may be some slight bias here if they’re the ones choosing the reference.
Risks to Look Out For
There are a few red flags that might indicate a less-than-reputable SEO company. These do not necessarily disqualify a company, but at the very least they should prompt further investigation:
- Prices too low: If a certain SEO company is offering prices far lower than several others for the same services, you want to be asking yourself why. Low-cost SEO agencies often brag about this element of things, but don’t mention that they provide low-quality services and may even damage your SEO efforts for multiple years. In worst-case scenarios, you may even incur penalties from Google or other engines if an SEO company manages your site poorly.
- Firm guarantees: Any true SEO expert will tell you that there’s no precise way to guarantee results within SEO. While a company can and should give you great detail about their strategies and plans for your business, anyone guaranteeing specific results might be selling snake oil.
- “Secret sauce”: Down similar lines, any company claiming they’ve developed a “secret” SEO strategy or anything of this ilk should not be trusted. Success within the SEO world can be achieved through well-documented tactics – some are better at these than others, but there’s no hidden strategy that most of us just haven’t figured out yet.
For more on selecting reliable SEO pros, or to learn about any of our SEO, PPC, web design or other services, speak to the staff at SEO Werkz today.
