post by Stephanie Nelson
Lately, I’ve had a lot of SEO projects on my plate. As I’ve talked with different business owners, it’s become clear that few know what to look for in an SEO provider. Here are a few tips to know and questions to ask if you’re in the process of finding your SEO company.
What will they do for you?
No matter what type of company you’re working with, they should provide you with a Scope of Work, an outline of what you’ll be getting for your money. With your SEO provider, it’s important to know whether they’ll be providing on-page SEO or a wider scope. If it’s solely on-page, what will that include? Will you get approval on your keywords and/or your updated copy? If it’s wider scope, does it include guest blogging and/or backlinks? If so, how will they choose those outlets, and will you have a say in that element? (Google has a long list of sites that are easy to get backlinks from and guest posts on, but they’re basically link farms, which are a big No No.)
How transparent are they?
This goes hand-in-hand with the Scope of Work. Does this provider lay out details, or are they really vague? Will they provide updates? Do they allow you approval of any of the work? These approvals should be included in the Scope of Work. If they’re not, how does the provider react if you request it (assuming you want approval access that’s not included)?
How personal is the service?
Does this SEO provider build an SEO program that suits your needs? Or are you forced to fit into a templated plan that may or may not be best for you?
What’s their customer service policy?
Find out how it’s best to communicate with your SEO provider. (Again, this kind of goes with any company you’re working with.) Due to the number of telemarketing and solicitation calls I get on my work number, I no longer answer unscheduled calls. It’s best to reach me via email or text first. And it’s my policy to answer within 24 hours
