6 Critical Questions to Ask an SEO Company Before Hiring Them

Businesses that once maintained an in-house SEO team are finding it more challenging to create measurable SEO success. SEO now requires backlink creation, engaging content, influencer marketing, and applying a bit of PR. Modern keyword tactics need to factor in user intent and a thorough knowledge of Google’s ranking rules. Thus, a company might need more than one or a couple of SEO experts on their team, which is why some are hiring a professional SEO agency.

But hiring someone to create and execute SEO strategies doesn’t have to be challenging. You just need to ask the right questions and know what answers to expect.

Things to consider before you hire an SEO company

Below, you can find some of the most important things you need to ask before you decide to hire a certain Search Engine Optimization firm.

What is your philosophy when it comes to delivering results with SEO?

A leading SEO Agency Cardiff states that there are three significant areas of SEO to take note of. Technical SEO, User Experience (or UX), and Off-page SEO must be factored in for a comprehensive SEO plan.

Technical SEO focuses on code, site speed, and structure of the site. All these impact search traffic. During the review of technical SEO, a good expert will make sure that search engines find your site crawlable and review critical errors. They will also analyze redirects, among other issues.

User experience or UX is the optimization of the content on your site and other digital properties. During the review of your on-page SEO, an SEO professional will analyze user experience on your site, which includes navigation, content, and optimization of keywords.

Earning links is a part of the improvement of your off-page SEO. Experts will focus on strengthening your brand presence online and improving the popularity and reach of your content. They will be executing off-page SEO campaigns and look for opportunities to increase your domain and page authority via incoming links to your site from other high-quality sources.

How will you adapt your SEO strategy to the business niche?

An SEO agency must offer bespoke solutions. Your ideal partner must have a unique approach for your business, factoring in your business model and goals. For example, local businesses who are interested in attracting customers from several ZIP Codes require a unique approach than big corporations who deal with the global market.

It must be noted that an SEO agency with experience in your industry is an advantage but not necessarily a requirement. What is more important is the SEO agency must articulate how well they will apply their overall approach to cater to your specific niche. Make sure that the company can highlight particular areas where they can vary their general practice.

How do you define successful SEO?

This question can be tricky. Most SEO companies may present you with specific general goals, but their success metrics should come from what success will mean for you. No SEO company can really guarantee top rankings. Ensure you collaborate with them and know all the techniques and strategies they will apply to your site.

How do you approach mobile?

Mobile must be part of your conversation when you discuss the overall SEO strategy. Last year, Google announced that they are in the process of switching to a mobile-first indexation, known as Google AMP. Because of this, mobile optimization is more vital than ever. It will help if you look for SEO companies with a process for conducting mobile audits on your site. Ensure that the agency can convincingly explain why mobile phones are a critical SEO consideration.

How do you conduct keyword research?

In the past years, keyword research meant placing a term into a keyword research app. You would then get a list of vital words and phrases, and you only had to insert them in different areas of content. But modern keyword research requires more exerted effort. It is critical to understand user intent. It seeks to understand what information a user is looking for when keying in a word or phrase.

When you are interviewing a prospective SEO agency, make sure that they mention user intent and discuss their tools and methodology in determining intent. If the entire discussion only revolves around the number of searches for keywords and keyword density, they are likely utilizing outdated practices.

How long will it take to see results?

SEO results will take time, but it shouldn’t prevent experienced agencies from providing you a timeframe. Overall, you should see results within six months from legitimate SEO techniques.

The speed of seeing results will also depend on the health of your site. For example, correcting technical issues and oversights can result in SEO gains quickly; however, if your site is already well structured and has nearly zero technical issues, you might have to wait longer to see measurable results.

The bottom line, it is crucial to hire an SEO agency that aligns with your goals and needs. Asking them smart and essential questions can help you have an overview of how well they perform for your SEO goals and, ultimately, your business.

Author Bio: Ester Adams is a farmer of words in the field of creativity. She is an experienced independent content writer with a demonstrated history of working in the writing and editing industry. She is a multi-niche content chef who loves cooking new things.