You’re considering hiring an SEO agency. How do you know if they’re worth the investment?

Check their portfolio and case studies: A reputable SEO agency should have a strong portfolio showcasing successful campaigns. Look for diverse industry experience and measurable results. Case studies provide insights into their strategies, challenges faced, and the impact on clients' online presence. A proven track record demonstrates competence and reliability.

Evaluate an SEO agency's worth by scrutinizing its portfolio and case studies. Assess their past successes, industry relevance, and the diversity of clients served. Look for measurable results, like increased organic traffic and improved rankings. This tangible evidence ensures they can deliver effective strategies for your specific needs.

Checking the portfolio of an SEO agency is crucial because it demonstrates their experience, showcases past results, reveals industry relevance, provides insights into their techniques, and offers client testimonials, helping you make an informed decision.

Don't go with fancy reports, excel files, presentation etc. Just ask "how you would make our website better than my competitors" or "how would you position us?" - Have a concrete plan before hand and then pay them a good amount to actually execute things step by step, plan by plan. SEO agency should be aligned to your business goal. Their plan shouldn't be just one more random plan - it should be specialized considering your business / industry analysis.

Hiring an agency can fuel organic growth, but beware of outdated tactics. ? Red flags: Rank guarantees? Red alert! Real SEO takes time & effort. Keyword stuffing? Big nope! Focus on quality content & user experience. Backlink frenzy? Pump the brakes! Google values quality over quantity now. Green lights: Data-driven strategies: ? Look for keyword research, competitor analysis, & valuable content creation. Core Web Vitals savvy: Page speed & mobile-friendliness are key! Transparency & communication: Track progress on clear goals, not vague promises. Long-term partnership: Choose an agency dedicated to your sustainable growth. Industry expertise:Find a partner who understands your specific niche. Invest wisely in SEO for lasting results!

It's important to know the SEO process and methods of any agency before working with them. This allows you to ensure they are using the best practices and strategies, and also to ensure that their practices cannot harm your website in any way.

Ask about their SEO process and methods: Inquire about the agency's approach to SEO. A transparent and well-defined process indicates professionalism. Discuss on-page and off-page optimization strategies, keyword research, content creation, backlink building, and technical SEO. Ensure they stay abreast of search engine algorithm updates, emphasizing ethical practices to avoid penalties.

An experienced SEO should be able to easily talk through the things that are holding your site back from performing, and this is one of the most effective ways to identify a great agency. Ask what some of the agency’s priority tactics would be, or issues to resolve, in the first 90 days of an engagement. And ask them to share evidence that a similar approach worked for another client or website. This isn’t about asking the agency to share an in-depth strategy in the pitch stage. Not at all. It’s about understanding how the agency thinks and what their priorities are. Basically, you want to understand why they’d do what they’d do and what you could expect from it.

First of all, you need the SEO agency to be able to talk fluently about everything SEO-related. The thing is, though, most SEOs can do that anyway, and it will be really hard to tell if they really know what they're talking about. A great strategy is to hire another SEO as a consultant, making it 100% clear that they will not be considered as your permanent partner. Ideally, it should be an SEO that only works as a consultant. Then, ask this person/team to review the potential SEO agency's methods and processes. That way, you have an expert to evaluate the SEO agency.

One crucial piece of advice is to ask for transparency regarding their long-term strategy. It's not uncommon for agencies to front-load contracts with initial optimizations and then taper off in the subsequent months, leaving clients wondering about the ongoing value. To avoid this, specifically inquire about their action plan for months 4, 5, and 6, and beyond if you're committing to a full-year contract. A reputable agency should be able to outline a clear roadmap that goes beyond the basics, demonstrating their commitment to consistent improvement. By doing so, you ensure that your investment yields sustained results, and you're not left in the dark about the agency's long-term intentions.

In SEO it’s very easy for agencies to cookie-cutter a ‘package’. A potential red flag to be watchful for is when an agency is prepared to pitch or present a solution without fully reviewing your data. I’m always amazed when we’re asked to pitch and I go on to find that some of the other agencies have not requested access to a prospective clients data. There is nothing wrong with a ‘package’ when it comes to pricing and comparisons, but it should be tailored and bespoke to your requirements, your reality as a brand and always positioned with your commercial objective front and centre. No one wants SEO for the sake of SEO.

Compare their pricing and packages: Evaluate the agency's pricing structure in relation to the services offered. Beware of excessively low prices, as quality SEO requires expertise and resources. Assess the comprehensiveness of their packages and whether they align with your specific goals. A clear breakdown of costs and deliverables aids in understanding the value they provide.

Don't just look at the total cost. Ask for a detailed breakdown of what each package includes. Compare this with your specific goals to see if it’s a good fit. Remember, more expensive doesn’t always mean better.

Assess their communication and collaboration skills: Effective communication is crucial for a successful partnership. Evaluate how well the agency understands your business objectives. Assess their responsiveness, willingness to explain strategies, and ability to adapt to your communication preferences. A collaborative approach ensures alignment between your goals and their SEO efforts.

Start a trial project or a small task before signing a long-term contract even if you are working with Neil Patel. This trial period will help you gauge their responsiveness, adaptability, and how well they integrate with your team.

Client References and Reviews: Seek feedback from current or past clients. Reviews and testimonials offer insights into the agency's performance, client satisfaction, and the ability to meet expectations. Technical Proficiency: Assess the agency's technical SEO capabilities. They should have expertise in addressing website structure, page speed, mobile optimization, and other technical aspects affecting search rankings.

When considering hiring an SEO agency the very first questions should be focused on the commercials. While the tendency is to dive into the case studies, the credentials, the processes, and communication methods, these are all details. Important yes, but fundamentally what matters most is knowing what the goal/objective is. I liken this to getting in the car, you wouldn’t go driving without a destination in mind. So before you start checking your mirrors, putting fuel in the car, swinging by Starbucks and tuning into your favourite radio station… remember to be crystal clear on where you’re heading. The conversation should start with the goal, the objective and once you know the ‘why’ then and only then do you move onto the ‘how’.

Check their SEO rankings. It’s a simple but effective way to see how good they are. Search for SEO-related keywords and see if they rank high. If they can’t do it for themselves, how can they do it for you?