Piggybacking off last week’s post on how to determine if/when you need an SEO pro, this week we’re offering you some tricks for choosing an SEO pro.
- First, if they’re offering results-based guarantees (like first page of Google), run. Legitimate SEO pros know and explain that they can perform their work based on best practices of the day, but past that they can’t guarantee anything, including when or if the search engines will see the work. (Trust that there are methods we use to submit the work to the search engines, though.) Since we can’t even guarantee that the work will be seen, we for darn sure can’t guarantee the results that will come from the work. If someone offering you SEO services says they can guarantee any sort of results, particularly that you’ll rank in a certain position, understand that it’s likely a scam and you’d be better off throwing your money out a window than giving it to that person.
- Know your budget upfront. What can you afford to spend or to allocate toward SEO? This will help you determine what SEO-related services to look for (or at least that you can start with) and which pro can fill your needs. Trust your gut if something tells you a price is too good to be true, but be sure to ask questions. Some agencies, like SBN Marketing, focus on helping small businesses, so their pricing may seem low, but it’s to meet the needs of their target market, not a reflection of the quality of work or the knowledge of the SEO work to be done.
- Get a scope of work and make sure it includes the basics at the very minimum. Again, legitimate SEO pros will offer this. They will lay out exactly what the price you’re paying includes. Assume that anything not listed in the scope of work is not included. If there is an element not listed that you’re expecting, ask about it. It may be that that piece is lumped in with something that is included for that particular SEO pro. It may be that that piece is not something that pro offers at all. Or it may be that that piece is an upgrade and available for an additional cost. No matter what, you won’t know if you don’t ask.
- Consider all of the services you need. Are you just looking for SEO? Or are you also looking to outsource your social media management? Or get a revamp on your website’s design and/or content? Or are there other marketing elements you want taken off your plate? You may find that including your SEO services in a larger package deal with an agency gets your marketing where it needs to be at a better overall price.
If you’re ready for an SEO pro and think that SBN Marketing may fit the bill for you, use the button below to give us a shout! We’ll be happy to talk with you about your needs and see if we’re a good fit!
Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay