There are a lot of factors in determining the best digital marketing & search engine optimization company for you. It is crucial to find the right fit to represent you and your company’s values accurately.
You want your customers to receive consistent, high quality information from your website and digital marketing strategy so you can build trust and rapport. That can only be achieved through high quality content from a good SEO provider.
You need to make sure your SEO agency is aligned with you and your expectations. Often, there are unspoken expectations where clients expect their websites to grow exponentially in a matter of weeks after hiring an SEO consultant.
The reality is that it takes time to grow impressions, earn backlinks / client trust and to acquire new clients. It takes time for Google to index you, potential customers to find you and for search terms to yield results…because metrics such as how long people spend on your page is a critical factor in Google determining how to position you in search engine rankings alongside your competitors.
If people are spending longer reading your content about the “best architecture firms in Seattle” and bouncing off of competitors’ sites after a few seconds, Google sees that your content is more relevant and will rank your webpages more highly.
So how do you find the best digital marketing & search engine optimization company for you? In this article, I will cover:
The top questions to ask an SEO agency
Identify the key marketing / SEO services your business needs
Clarify your objectives & measurable KPIs
Set your marketing budget & pricing model
Set a realistic timeline
Start with a small project to determine fit
Decide on reporting & analytics methods and frequency
There are many questions you could ask a potential marketing & SEO agency but there are a handful that help ensure you won’t fall into the same issues that many other small and medium-size businesses face. These have to do with aligning transparency and expectations - from customer service, to monitoring and reporting.
The following questions will help you navigate the potential pitfalls of hiring an SEO agency, so you can get it right from the start.
This is critical because the consultant you speak to initially may not be the same person who actively works on your campaign. If you specialize in tech / software or solar or small business or hospitality / tourism or landscaping or nonprofit, you want your web content to reflect your expertise. You don't want prospective clients or customers to find errors on your website, Google Business Profile or backlinks that cause them to question your experience.
The right SEO partner for you shares the same expertise or demonstrates a willingness to deeply study your industry and aptitude for learning your field.
You want your SEO agency to become an extension of you and your business.
An SEO consultant isn't simply a keyword analyst or copywriter - they are an integral part of your brand & marketing strategy. They formulate your digital marketing strategy, by assessing every aspect of your company's online persona and weaving your value proposition into your content.
You want transparency from your SEO agency and if you agreed to work with an SEO consultant who specializes in software for solar or landscaping businesses, you better be represented by the consultant with that expertise unless you agree to another agent.
Especially at larger marketing & SEO agencies, you may be just one of many clients handled by a single representative. This may mean that you won’t always get fast responses from your agent…particularly because larger, enterprise-level companies are typically prioritized over small and medium-sized businesses.
Backlinko, an industry leader, states that 34% of small business owners leave their SEO providers due to a lack of “customer service / responsiveness.” This is part of the reason that over 65% of small businesses have worked with multiple SEO providers.
Couple customer service issues with high turnover at marketing & SEO agencies and you often see disruptions in continuity and strategy due to frequent onboarding.
To prevent these issues, be sure to have upfront conversations about your expectations and concerns.
You want to make sure that your SEO strategist uses industry tools (such as Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs) and leverages deep research of your industry / target market to develop a robust keyword strategy.
To ensure this strategy is tailored to your business, you want to also integrate your product or service differentiators. Rather than optimizing your keyword strategy solely on “best vacation rental companies near me,” consider focused, long-tail strategies that speak directly to your target market - “best rustic rentals near me” or “best glamping experiences Mt. Rainier.”
Your SEO specialist should be flexible and adaptive - embracing the strategic keywords to make your business stand out across each facet of your target market.
Questions like this also allow you to assess the way your SEO consultant thinks and strategizes.
Are they asking you the right questions about your business? Do they demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn? Do they seem excited about you and your mission? Are they open to feedback and criticism?
In your initial consultation with your digital marketing & SEO company, you are interviewing them as much as they are telling you about their services.
This goes back to customer service and transparency. Many SEO clients find reports confusing, tracking unhelpful metrics littered with industry jargon.
If a customized Google Analytics dashboard is important to you, ask them about dashboard experience and the metrics / key performance indicators they find most useful.
If you want a simple report that cuts through all the noise - be clear about what you’re looking for and how often you’d like to receive reports.
Ensure you aren’t only receiving reports on the best performing keywords but also transparency on notable movement downwards, with insights or a plan for how to address this trend (if they plan to at all).
You can learn a lot by asking an SEO consultant, “How do you acquire quality backlinks?"
It isn't enough to get backlinks.
You need quality backlinks in your given field.
There are SEO companies that will guarantee X number of backlinks within X number of months...but be wary when an SEO company gives exact figures. It's almost guaranteed that you won't end up with a quality SEO agency. Guarantees are usually a sign of an unethical agency - one that is likely to get your website delisted from Google (and that's hard to bounce back from). A good SEO agency will disavow toxic backlinks to prevent penalization to your website.
Sadly, there are SEO companies out there that do make penalty and hidden fees part of their business models. Filter out these practices from the start so you aren’t surprised with a hefty fee.
If you have a global business, you need to cater to local markets and that means making content available in other languages. There are nuances to global markets that require expertise within the target market.
Identify which languages and markets the company can handle and ask questions about how they determine an optimal keyword strategy and adapt existing content (or create new content) based on their findings.
What are you looking for?
Greater overall visibility on Google?
A Google Ad / PPC campaign manager?
On-page, technical SEO?
Off-page SEO / a backlink strategy?
Local SEO?
E-mail marketing?
Technical SEO audits?
Content creation / copywriting / blog posts / white papers?
Be clear about what you’re looking for. Ask the SEO agency what their recommendations are, based on your current business goals.
You want to ensure your SEO consultant matches your growth strategy.
A sample question to ask your SEO agency: "What metrics do you use to determine success? What does success look like after 3 months of SEO? 6 months? 1 year?"
Unfortunately, there are many companies that aren't told what to expect and understandably have unrealistic expectations of what SEO can do for them in a short period of time. In fact, nearly half of small business owners are dissatisfied with SEO results.
Because expectations aren’t set up front, it makes sense that business owners expect fast results - drastically increased keyword rankings, website authority score, click-through rates, impressions and more - all within a matter of weeks.
The reality is that SEO doesn't work that way. It takes time to produce content, for Google to index that content, for Google to rank that content and finally, for Google to see you as an authority on a given subject.
Backlinks take longer to develop than on-page SEO: you don't have 100% control over backlinks.
First, you submit an article pitch to a website.
Then, you wait…
Sometimes you hear back (weeks, or even months later)...and sometimes you don't. Even then, you have to write the content and, sometimes, rewrite content (depending on the publication).
It is a time-consuming process!
You need to be aligned with your SEO company:
What can I expect from you?
How quickly will I see results?
What does success look like?
What happens if the metrics we decide upon aren’t met?
I’m often asked what guarantees I can provide as a company’s designated marketing & SEO consultant. While I can provide estimates of what to expect in terms of timelines and KPIs, there are no hard and fast guarantees in the world of ethical SEO.
A reputable marketing agency will never guarantee that “you will be #1 on Google for [insert keyword] in a few weeks.”
SEO is a journey.
![A reputable marketing agency will never guarantee that “you will be #1 on Google for [insert keyword] in a few weeks.”](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/59ff9a_b13d08df6ad8469c8c71d5524b8ec2c9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_705,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/59ff9a_b13d08df6ad8469c8c71d5524b8ec2c9~mv2.jpg)
Your SEO company should absolutely develop both short and long-term keyword strategies to promote faster customer conversions while improving rankings for keywords that have higher competition.
And, your SEO company should provide you with metrics to determine that you are making progress on your path to greater visibility on Google and customer conversion.
Take a look at your numbers. I know, it can be painful to part with a monthly retainer or a start up package when there are no real guarantees.
Here are the industry standards when it comes to budget and pricing models:
Hourly fees (around $100+ / hour)
Monthly retainers (typically ranges from $750 - $4200 / month)
One-time projects* (website structure, page creation, site audits, link building, keyword research, ranging from $500 - $5000 per package)
* One-time projects are the most common package, accounting for >50% of SEO projects.
Forbes breaks down the typical monthly investment on SEO:
Small business: $1500 - $3000 / month
Medium business: $1500 - $5000 / month
Typically, you won’t see significant results until 3+ months after launching an SEO campaign.
This doesn’t mean that nothing is happening during these first few months but it does mean that you’ll see the real magic happening a few months after you start.
I’ve personally seen conversions with my business in as little as a few weeks due to a highly strategic plan, targeting specific, low competition (and low traffic) keywords.
Generally, you’ll break even about a year after you start with search engine optimization but it is possible to convert customers and clients faster. After all, it only takes one search, one keyword, one click for customers to connect with you.
A lot of the common pain points of working with a marketing or SEO agency can be discovered by starting out with a small, one-time project. This allows you to get a feel for the company’s transparency, communication style and methods of working. If it isn’t the right fit, there’s little risk.
Some clients want the customized dashboards and to be more hands-on in the reporting & monitoring process but most want it simple:
Tell me what’s working.
Tell me what isn’t working.
Tell me what you’re doing to fix it.
Tell me strategies for continued growth.
Decide early on what you’re looking for but know that it may take some time to find the right balance with:
1. your time investment in disseminating report info
2. feeling involved and in-the-know vs.
3. feeling out-of-the-loop
Maybe you prefer a quick, 1 minute video or 10 minute consultation with your SEO specialist so you don’t have to read reports, or so you can have a live Q&A.
Tell your SEO consultant about your needs and how you can work together most efficiently
Determine if the company is right for you. Is the SEO manager transparent? Do they value the marketing objectives that are important to you? Do they get you and your value proposition? Are they setting up realistic commitments and timelines?
There are many factors that go into hiring any partner for your company. By asking the right questions, clarifying exactly which services you need and establishing transparent goals, budgets and timelines up front, you’ll set the stage for a productive, long-term collaboration with the best SEO agency for your company.
Start with a small pilot project, decide on a clear reporting process and establish open communication. Verify any contractual terms around scope, fees and exit options before you commit.
With a thoughtful vetting process and realistic expectations, you’ll find an agency or consultant who not only understands your business and industry but becomes an extension of your team - one that drives consistent, measurable results and helps you build trust with Google and ultimately, your customers.
I'll only send you the latest and greatest to help you in your digital marketing & SEO journey.
