How to Hire the Right SEO Expert

This guide will help you understand what to look for and how to choose an SEO company that will help you reach your goals.

Step #1: Before Hiring an SEO Consultant or Agency, Understand What Your Specific SEO Goals 

Start the consultant search by setting out your SEO goals. 

Do you want to get more people to your website, rank for more keywords, or get more quality leads? 

Set some numerical goals, like getting your keyword rankings to the top 3, getting your website to double its traffic, or increasing organic revenue by X%. 

This will give agencies a better idea of what you’re looking for and how you want to achieve it. 

Show them your site analytics and how you’re doing so they can figure out what to look for. 

Making it clear what your goals are will help them determine if they’re the right SEO provider for you. 

Step #2: Have a Clear SEO Budget Set

Be honest with agencies about how much you’re spending on SEO each month or year. 

That way, they can come up with solutions that fit your budget and resources. 

Don’t just ask for a “proposal” without setting out how much you’re willing to spend. 

If you want to pay based on how much traffic, ranking, or conversions you get, be flexible with your marketing budget. 

That way, you won’t waste time getting offers that are too good to be true.

Most SEO consultants will start with an SEO audit that will help determine your budget for SEO.

How to find an SEO expert that’s aligned with your budget and goals

When it comes to pricing, it’s important to understand the different types of SEO services you’re working with. 

Some agencies will charge you for certain services, like content creation, while others will charge you for everything. 

It’s also important to compare the prices of different services to make sure you’re getting the best deal. 

Some agencies might charge more for certain services than others, so make sure you know the trade-offs.

Step #3: Ask the company to share case studies from past clients

If you’re looking for an SEO agency to work with, don’t just rely on client references. 

When starting your vetting process, do some research online and look for reviews on sites like Google and Glassdoor. 

See if there’s any bad news like leadership changes or legal problems. 

Also, check out how many people are visiting their website and how well their SEO is doing.

Step #4: Do your Own homework on the SEO company

Reputation is a measure of how good an agency is at what they do, so make sure you find one with a good track record of successful SEO projects and ethical practices.

Here are a few ways you can gauge a company’s quality:

• Always Start With Genuine Client Testimonials and Online Reviews
• Look at the Potential SEO Consultant’s Years of Experience
• Ensure Your SEO Consultant Actually Specializes in SEO
• Review the Agency’s Past Performance Metrics
• Consider the Depth of the Agency’s Team Expertise
• Gauge Their Responsiveness Early On
• Investigate Their Client Retention History

Step #5: Make the next steps clear during and after the engagement

Some companies will actually lock you into a contract and make it hard for you to leave if you choose to do so.

Review the full proposal before you sign it. These contracts will sometimes sneak things in, hoping you’ll miss them.

Usually, it works best if you work with a company that offers month-to-month contracts. Anything else can be a major red flag.

Step #6: Set KPIs and monitor progress throughout the engagement

If you end up working with this company, especially if it’s month to month, measure the progress being made each month, and if you’re seeing movement.

Just know that SEO is a channel that requires patience, so this may require a bit of trust for the first few months.

By month 3, you should be able to tell whether the needle has moved at all.

SEO is more than adding keywords to a page

Choosing the right SEO consultant is a big decision, but it pays off in the long run for businesses. 

The right partner has the expertise and know-how to optimize complicated sites, plus a history of making a difference for brands in your industry. 

They create data-driven strategies that fit your business’s needs and goals. 

But the wrong agency can lead to wasted money and a lack of impact on your digital marketing strategy. 

Veting responsiveness, skills, fit, and past performance can help you avoid regret down the line. 

If you’re a business owner looking for the right partner, you need to look beyond the qualifications on paper – culture, work ethic, and adaptability. 

Looking to Get Started with An SEO Consultant? 

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