For most businesses in this economy integrating SEO into their marketing campaign is not a question of “if” but “how” and more precisely “with whom?” In many cases the most important factor is the criteria used to determine whom to work with in creating effective SEO. Just about every SEO company boasts a team of smart, creative and passionate experts who can deliver a winning formula for your business but most of them fail to hit the mark. While the industry does have a good number of smart and talented SEO experts, it certainly appears to have an equal number of semi-educated, misguided and overzealous individuals who can ruin the entire campaign and cost you a fortune.
So how do I go about hiring an expert?
Not every expert is right for your business and similarly not every SEO company will work for you, no matter how successful they have been with other clients. Selecting the right contractor does present a few conflicts but that’s expected: reason being there isn’t a single “right” choice. Choosing to hire one firm over another is a very personal choice and while two different firms might be well equipped to handle the job, they may offer overlapping or conflicting SEO solutions.
What to consider
Factors such as your objectives, the method you want used and more importantly the direction in which you want your product, brand or business taken: all these are factors that weigh in when selecting an SEO company. When talking to a SEO consultant, you might want to ask about existing clients and also try to find out as much as you can about their tactics and how effective they have been in the past.
The right questions
The traditional interrogative approach involving questions such as “are you certified” or “how long have you been in business” don’t quite answer the most relevant questions. Find out if you’re dealing with an agency or an individual. Either one can’t guarantee the best work for your business but you’ll know who you’re working with.
Large agencies have a wide portfolio and will more than likely have previous experience with whatever marketing plan you have in mind. Single shops or small groups tend to focus on a specific niche and work out effective marketing tricks.
Are they using automation software?
Check if they are using automation software. It should be pretty easy to figure out: if the firm sends you a weekly or monthly list of thousands of links they created for you, then more than likely they are using software to get you high-volume links. The number of links your website has does not assure great returns; it all should be about quality.
In conclusion
An effective SEO campaign involves a lot of human input and back-channel work. Your website can have good traffic but if specific technical issues prevent proper conversion then it’s all a waste of time and money. A successful campaign involves everything from creating multiple social profiles to checking server logs and Google analytics. Toronto-based SEO experts like Mikhail will be able to map out a detailed game plan, explain the risks and then quote the cost.
