Hire an SEO Expert
Search engine optimization (SEO) involves making your website more visible and attractive to people who are using search engines like Google. The goal is to increase both the quality and quantity of visitors to your site. This is important because when potential customers are looking for the kinds of services you offer, you want your website to appear near the top of the search results.
In this guide, we'll focus on Google as the main search engine, since it has the largest share of the global market at over 92%. However, SEO experts can tailor their strategies to other search engines like Bing or Yahoo, as well as to specific keywords and target audiences that are relevant to your company's industry and specific needs.
What Should SEO Achieve For Your Business?
As a business owner, you are the one who understands your organization's goals the best, and any SEO strategy you put in place should align with those goals. It's crucial to conduct thorough research to determine which specific aspects of SEO will support your objectives for expansion, revenue, and overall business success.
There's no universal SEO solution that fits every business. While a skilled expert or agency can draw people to your website, each business will have its unique journey to achieving success.
The Importance of SEO
The value of SEO can manifest in various ways, such as improved conversion rates on your website, increased sales opportunities, and greater brand recognition. When managed effectively, the benefits of hiring an SEO expert or team of experts can far outweigh the costs and contribute to the growth of your business.
Ranking
Is your website appearing on the first page when potential clients search on Google? Research from Ignite Visibility reveals that the average click-through rate for the top three organic results on Google is 36.86%, but this drops significantly to 3.11% for the 10th result.
Visibility
How many potential customers are finding your website when they search?
SEO experts can assist in implementing various strategies to enhance the visibility of your website, including local SEO, optimizing Google My Business listings, and using visibility-friendly keywords.
Organic Search
Organic rankings, determined by Google's algorithm, comprise the non-advertisement search results. Higher organic rankings lead to increased website traffic.
What Kind of SEO Do I Require?
In general, the types of SEO services available fall into one or more of the following categories:
Content Marketing
Typically offered by a comprehensive marketing agency with access to writers, editors, and SEO specialists, content marketing involves creating, publishing, and distributing relevant and useful content for a specific audience.
Before seeking an SEO expert to join your team, it's important to familiarize yourself with the basics of SEO to gain a general understanding of your requirements. For instance, link building and outreach for a B2B cloud consultant will differ significantly from content marketing for a local law firm.
Having a grasp of SEO terminology will be beneficial during initial discussions with SEO experts or agencies regarding keyword research, search engine results, Google Analytics, or online marketing in general.
Building Links and Reaching Out
Link-building strategies are designed to enhance the quantity and quality of inbound links to your website, thereby boosting its organic rankings. When reputable websites link to yours, Google acknowledges your industry significance.
Local SEO
Especially crucial for businesses with a physical presence, local SEO tactics can ensure that your business appears in search results when potential customers look for nearby services.
E-commerce SEO
Effectively managing a campaign for an e-commerce brand involves targeting audiences who are actively seeking to make a purchase. In addition to aiming for visibility, e-commerce SEO focuses on the buyer's journey.
Skilled e-commerce SEO professionals will possess expertise in platforms like Shopify, as well as other popular e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Magento.
Technical SEO
This approach to enhancing organic search rankings places significant emphasis on optimizing websites and servers to facilitate more effective crawling and indexing by search engine spiders.
Improved technical SEO enables Google to easily assess whether your website provides high value and has been optimized for user experience.
Strategy Versus Services
It's crucial to distinguish between SEO strategy and SEO services. An SEO expert might conduct an SEO audit to offer strategic recommendations, while a comprehensive agency can deliver SEO services to address the identified gaps during the audit.
In-House SEO vs. Working with an Agency
Outsourced SEO essentially involves hiring a specialized third party to oversee the improvement of your website's rankings in major search engines. Your business can outsource SEO to an agency or a freelance SEO expert.
It might be more cost-effective to engage a seasoned SEO consultant to conduct your audit and then hire an agency to develop content based on their findings.
领英推荐
Expanding an In-House Team
Businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of SEO as a fundamental business requirement and are opting to hire in-house professionals to manage their SEO needs. Bringing on a full-time contractor or employee to oversee your SEO strategy is a smart move for those seeking greater control over their approach.
There are advantages to having a full-time employee. An in-house SEO expert can easily:
However, while a single in-house SEO expert may excel at technical SEO, do they also possess strong skills in writing, design, programming, or outreach? Outsourcing often provides businesses with better access to a wider range of skill sets and more streamlined workflows.
Collaborating with an SEO Agency Consultant
Finding a top-notch SEO agency can be challenging, but they are out there. We recommend being cautious of any SEO company that guarantees extremely rapid or dramatic results, as there are no shortcuts to achieving successful SEO outcomes.
Seek recommendations from your professional network or read reviews of agencies in your vicinity.
Most agencies will arrange a discovery session to determine if your company is a good match for their services, ensuring that they can deliver high-quality results for your business and establish a mutually beneficial working relationship.
What Should I Inquire About During the Discovery Phase?
Past Performance: Request to see portfolio examples, award-winning work, testimonials from previous clients, reviews, and case studies from clients in similar industries.
References:?Ask for contact information and reach out to speak with past and present clients. Have an open conversation about their experience working with that agency.
Organizational Structure:?In the event of an issue, who will you be in regular communication with? Will you be directly engaging with an SEO expert or working with an account manager to interpret technical terminology? Communication style is important depending on your preferences.
Strategic Processes:?Inquire about the agency's approach to conducting an initial SEO audit to identify any gaps and how they plan to address those issues.
Cost Structure:?While the actual price will vary based on the type of contract, you should feel confident by the end of a discovery call that the SEO agency understands your project scope and budget.
Fostering a positive long-term relationship with an SEO firm is crucial. In many instances, this agency will act as an extension of your company and a trusted business partner. It's important to interview them as you would any new addition to your organization.
If you believe your website requires a comprehensive digital marketing approach, which may involve content creation, social media marketing, paid advertising, or other services, take a look at our guide to hiring a full-service digital marketing agency.
The costs associated with SEO experts
When it comes to quality SEO advice and strategy implementation, you generally get what you pay for. Enhancing site speed, incorporating schema markup, and ensuring responsive web design all play a role in your ability to generate more traffic and leads.
For a more specific pricing example, Ocean Power ltd SEO services typically range from $400 to $10,000 per month, depending on specific needs, goals, and objectives. However, it's important to note that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to SEO.
Types of SEO Contracts
Many businesses are looking for a more transparent approach to the cost of SEO services. A fixed-price contract typically includes a combination of audits, services, and results reporting.
Monthly Retainer
Consider SEO as a long-term investment for your business. Set a fixed monthly cost for a specific set of services included in the contract, such as regular analytics reports, content creation, press releases, link building, keyword research, and technical optimizations.
Fixed-Price Contract Services
These are typically one-time services for new clients, such as a comprehensive SEO website audit or backlink profile audit. These audits are often completed before a new client signs on for a monthly retainer. They help the SEO expert assess the company's strengths and weaknesses to develop future strategies and address existing content gaps.
Additional Consulting Services
To further support your search engine optimization efforts, companies can opt for additional consulting services at an hourly rate or project-based rate. Regardless of the pricing model, it's important to discuss the scope and expectations to gain a clear understanding of the cost of SEO services.
When to Expect Results and Traffic
It's important to remember that effective SEO is not immediately gratifying. Depending on your business needs, SEO campaigns will require adaptation and adjustment. Several factors can significantly impact your scope, such as the competitiveness of the search terms you're targeting, the web presence of local competitors, the performance of your current organic traffic, and whether you need to promote e-commerce products or services using paid marketing or PPC advertisements.
How your business approaches search engine optimization is crucial, and the best approach depends on your unique preferences and strengths as an organization. While SEO professionals can assist you in achieving your business goals, an SEO specialist is there to complement your existing marketing strategy in the long term.
Post-Hiring Expectations
If you've already decided to hire an SEO agency or consultant, you can expect them to gather information, identify key opportunities, and use the collected data to develop the deliverables.
After signing with a consultant or agency, you can expect:
Successful campaigns typically take months, but the benefits of SEO may continue to manifest years after the business has established a strong foundation for success.