Key considerations for marketing managers before choosing an SEO company

Choosing the right SEO company is a crucial decision for marketing managers, as it significantly impacts a business’s online success. This article, “Key Considerations for Marketing Managers Before Choosing an SEO Company,” provides a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed choice. It covers defining your SEO goals and objectives, evaluating the company’s experience and expertise, understanding their SEO approach and techniques, and checking for transparency and communication.

Additionally, it delves into reviewing their tools and technologies, assessing their ethical practices, inquiring about customization and flexibility, and evaluating pricing and ROI. The article also highlights the importance of looking for reviews and testimonials, understanding their onboarding process, checking for industry recognition and certifications, and evaluating their content strategy. Finally, it emphasizes the need for ongoing support and maintenance, a strong social media presence, and awareness of potential red flags. By following this guide, marketing managers can select an SEO company that aligns with their business goals and drives sustainable growth.

1. Define your SEO goals and objectives

Before reaching out to potential SEO companies, it’s essential to clearly define your SEO goals and objectives. These may include:

• Increasing organic traffic
• Improving keyword rankings
• Enhancing online visibility
• Boosting conversion rates
• Building a stronger backlink profile
• Improving site speed and mobile performance

Having clear goals will help you communicate your needs effectively and evaluate whether an SEO company can meet them.

2. Evaluate the SEO company’s experience and expertise

Experience and expertise are critical factors in selecting an SEO agency. Consider the following:

• Years in Business: How long has the company been providing SEO services?
• Industry Experience: Do they have experience working with businesses in your industry?
• Case Studies and Success Stories: Review case studies and success stories to understand their track record.
• Team Expertise: Evaluate the qualifications and experience of the team members.

3. Understand their SEO approach and techniques

It’s important to understand the SEO company’s approach and techniques to ensure they align with best practices and ethical standards. Ask about:

• SEO Strategy: How do they develop and implement their SEO strategies?
• Keyword Research: What methods do they use for keyword research?
• On-Page SEO: How do they optimize on-page elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and content?
• Off-Page SEO: What link-building strategies do they employ?
• Technical SEO: How do they handle technical aspects like site speed, mobile optimization, and crawlability?
• Content Strategy: How do they approach content creation and optimization?

4. Check for transparency and communication

Transparency and communication are vital for a successful SEO partnership. Ensure the SEO company provides:

• Regular Reporting: Detailed and regular reports on SEO performance and progress.
• Clear Communication: Open lines of communication and prompt responses to queries.
• Transparent Processes: Clear explanations of their strategies and tactics.

5. Review their tools and technologies

A good SEO company should use advanced tools and technologies to deliver effective results. Common tools include:

• Google Analytics: For tracking website traffic and user behavior.
• Google Search Console: For monitoring website performance and identifying issues.
• SEO Audit Tools: Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, and Screaming Frog for comprehensive SEO audits.
• Keyword Research Tools: Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush for keyword research.
• Link-Building Tools: Tools like Ahrefs and Majestic for backlink analysis and outreach.

6. Assess their ethical practices

Ethical SEO practices are crucial to avoid penalties from search engines and maintain a positive online reputation. Ensure the SEO company adheres to:

• White-Hat Techniques: Ethical practices that comply with search engine guidelines.
• Avoidance of Black-Hat Techniques: Practices like keyword stuffing, cloaking, and link farming that can harm your website.
• Transparency: Full disclosure of all strategies and techniques used.

7. Inquire about customization and flexibility

Every business is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach to SEO won’t work. Ensure the SEO company offers:

• Customized Strategies: Tailored SEO strategies to meet your specific business needs and goals.
• Flexibility: Willingness to adapt and modify strategies based on performance and changing business needs.

8. Evaluate their pricing and ROI

SEO is an investment, and understanding the pricing structure and potential ROI is crucial. Consider the following:

• Pricing Models: Hourly rates, monthly retainers, or project-based pricing.
• Value for Money: Assess the value of services provided relative to the cost.
• ROI Estimation: Potential return on investment based on increased traffic, conversions, and revenue.

9. Look for reviews and testimonials

Client reviews and testimonials provide valuable insights into the SEO company’s reputation and performance. Look for:

• Online Reviews: Reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Clutch.
• Client Testimonials: Testimonials on the company’s website.
• References: Ask for references and speak directly with current or past clients.

10. Understand their onboarding process

A smooth onboarding process is crucial for a successful partnership. Inquire about:

• Initial Consultation: A detailed discussion to understand your business, goals, and current SEO status.
• Website Audit: A comprehensive audit to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
• Strategy Development: Development of a customized SEO strategy based on the audit findings.
• Implementation Plan: A clear plan for implementing the SEO strategy.

11. Check for industry recognition and certifications

Industry recognition and certifications can be indicators of expertise and credibility. Look for:

• Awards and Recognitions: Industry awards and recognitions.
• Certifications: Certifications from recognized organizations like Google, HubSpot, and Moz.

12. Understand their content strategy

Content is a critical component of SEO. Evaluate the SEO company’s approach to content by asking about:

• Content Creation: Their process for creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content.
• Content Optimization: How they optimize content for SEO.
• Content Marketing: Strategies for promoting and distributing content to reach a wider audience.

13. Evaluate their website intelligence analysis

Understanding your competitors’ SEO strategies can provide valuable insights. Ask about:

• Competitor Identification: How they identify and analyze your competitors.
• Competitive Benchmarking: Comparing your website’s performance against competitors.
• Strategic Insights: Insights and strategies derived from competitor analysis.

This integrates website intelligence analysis to emphasize data-driven insights from competitor websites.

14. Ensure they offer ongoing support and maintenance

SEO is an ongoing process, and continuous support is essential for sustained success. Ensure the SEO company offers:

• Ongoing Monitoring and Optimization: Regular monitoring and optimization of SEO strategies.
• Technical Support: Support for technical issues and website updates.
• Performance Reporting: Regular performance reports and updates.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

While evaluating SEO companies, be aware of potential red flags that may indicate poor practices or unreliable services:

• Guarantees of Instant Results: SEO is a long-term process, and guarantees of instant results are unrealistic.
• Lack of Transparency: Hesitation to explain strategies or provide detailed reports.
• Over Reliance on Automated Tools: Excessive reliance on automated tools without human analysis.
• Unethical Practices: Use of black-hat techniques that could harm your website.
• Spammy Link-Building: Avoid companies that use spammy off-page tactics or unnatural link-building practices. Your backlink profile should be built naturally, with a focus on quality rather than quantity.
• Black-Hat SEO Techniques: Be cautious of companies that resort to black-hat SEO practices, such as keyword stuffing, cloaking, or link farming, which can lead to penalties from search engines.
• Poor Communication: Lack of clear communication or unresponsiveness to queries.

Additional tips

Local SEO Expertise: If your business operates locally or regionally, it’s important to ensure the SEO company has experience with local SEO strategies, like optimizing Google Business profiles, managing citations, and targeting local keywords.

Technical SEO Audits and Fixes: Mention the importance of assessing whether the SEO company can handle technical SEO aspects such as schema markup, fixing crawl errors, handling website migrations, or improving site architecture.

Cross-Department Collaboration: Sometimes, SEO efforts need input from other departments, such as web development or content teams. It may be worth mentioning whether the company can effectively collaborate with internal teams to implement strategies seamlessly.

Experience with Core Web Vitals: Given that Google emphasizes user experience through metrics like Core Web Vitals, it’s a good idea to assess if the SEO company is proficient in improving page experience metrics (LCP, FID, CLS).

International SEO: If a business is operating globally, international SEO expertise (handling hreflang tags, international keyword research, localization, etc.) could be an additional consideration.

Regular Updates on SEO Trends: SEO is an ever-evolving field, and the right company should stay on top of algorithm changes and industry trends. It’s worth mentioning how important it is to evaluate if the company regularly updates strategies based on the latest SEO updates.

Measuring SEO Impact Beyond Traffic: SEO should tie into larger business goals, such as lead generation or e-commerce sales. Evaluating how the company measures and optimizes SEO for tangible business outcomes, beyond just traffic metrics, could add another layer of insight.

How can we help you?

Choosing the right SEO company is a critical decision that can greatly impact your business’s online success. By evaluating key factors such as experience, ethical practices, transparency, and customization, marketing managers can make informed decisions and select a company that aligns with their business goals. Additionally, it’s important to choose a partner that stays current with SEO trends and can deliver comprehensive solutions that drive sustainable growth.

We are a web design and SEO agency that has gathered a global team of professional SEO experts. With expertise in meeting the diverse demands of marketing managers, OWDT ensures that businesses receive top-tier service across all aspects of SEO. By following the considerations outlined in this guide, you can find the right SEO partner to help your company achieve long-term success in today’s competitive digital landscape.