What Questions Should You Ask Your SEO Provider?

Research reveals that more than 70% of marketers believe that SEO is comparatively more effective than PPC. Thus, an increasing number of businesses are planning to invest in SEO efforts. 

Ensure that your limited budget, time, and resources don’t go to waste by learning what questions you must ask your SEO provider:

7 Questions You Should Ask Your SEO Provider Before Hiring Them 

Here we discuss the seven key questions you should ask your SEO provider before hiring: 

Question # 1: What is Your Philosophy of Approaching SEO?

Three facets define SEO: technical SEO, user experience, and off-page SEO. The best SEO companies consider these three components and beyond to create the ideal marketing strategy:

• User Experience (UX)- It refers to content optimization. During an on-page SEO review, an SEO provider analyzes user-facing aspects like navigation, keyword optimization, and content 
• Technical SEO- Includes site speed, bounce rates, code, and other metrics that impact search traffic. During technical SEO reviews, marketing experts review 404 errors, analyze redirects, and ensure that search engines can analyze and crawl your website 
• Off-Page SEO- Helps enhance your SEO presence via links, increase brand awareness, and improve site and content visibility. To execute effective off-page SEO campaigns, SEO providers grab opportunities to boost domain and page authorities

Most SEO agencies either offer only one of the facets mentioned above or create a combination strategy without implanting any of them effectively. 

In today’s competitive and tech-savvy world, businesses must create a holistic strategy if they want to succeed. Ensure that your desired SEO provider can create a marketing strategy balancing all three.

Question # 2: Can You Guarantee Specific Results?

The top SEO providers will tell you that nobody can guarantee specific results. If someone tells you they can secure a top spot is either lying or doing shady business- both things you want to avoid. 

Most agencies will tell you they’re confident in their skills and can aid you in achieving your business goals. But if they start promising specific traffic levels, ranking, or revenues streams, say no thanks and move on to the next potential employee.

That said, choose an SEO agency that knows how to leverage your budget, strategy, and competitors to forecast general tangible results.

Question # 3: What WaysDo You Measure the Success of Your Campaigns? 

SEO offers various performance metrics, including:

• Clicks- How many times viewers clicked your pages
• Impressions- How many times do users see your website pages
• Sessions- How many visits occurred via organic searches 
• Positioning- How high your website pages rank 
• Visitors- How many unique website users visit your website through organic search

Question # 4: How Long Before We Can Expect Tangible Results?

Effective SEO requires time to start showing tangible results. However, that shouldn’t prevent experienced and industry expert SEO providers from giving you an expected time frame for results. 

Typically, legitimate and well-curated SEO strategies ensure results within six months. Achieving your desired goals earlier depends on your website’s current health.

For instance, if an SEO agency promises quicker results, it may be because your website doesn’t include faulty technical factors. 

Question # 5: How Will You Incorporate SEO within Our Existing Marketing Strategy? 

For SEO initiatives to be successful and effective, they must be part of your overall marketing strategy.  For this reason, it’s always a wise idea to skip companies that expect to work in isolation without cohesion. 

Remember that SEO works alongside public relations, social media marketing activities, and content marketing. 

Your SEO provider should be open to communication and collaborating with other marketing teams. Moreover, they should map out a basic plan for integrating their SEO efforts within your existing marketing plan.

Question # 6: How Do You Know Your SEO Strategy Will Work?

True SEO experts know that SEO is a rapidly evolving field; what works today will not work tomorrow. Thus, you need to identify whether your company can quickly adapt to stay on top of its game. 

The best agencies will ensure that their strategies align with your business goals since they are constantly testing them. 

Carefully listen to their SEO talk to identify whether they can offer specific solutions to your current situation. Some industries are naturally more competitive; thus, your desired SEO provider should bring tangible insight about what to expect. 

If they offer salesy promises, it’s a sign you should keep walking.

Question # 7: Have You Ever Worked with a Business Similar to Mine?

An excellent way of determining whether your SEO agency can handle your workload is by asking them whether they’ve worked with similar businesses. 

SEO providers that have worked in the same niche or helped businesses in the same situation will know which strategies to use. 

Here are several pointers to remember:

• If you’re a multi-national business with a heavy workload, an SEO provider that works with small companies and startups may struggle to handle your projects
• If you work with tricky legal requirements or tackle niches with governmental restrictions, inexperienced SEO firms may require training to identify what’s relative and what’s not to your niche 
• If you’re an eCommerce, SEO agencies with limited experience may find it challenging to adapt existing marketing strategies 

The Bottom Line

Remember that effective implementation of SEO strategies relies on a successful relationship with SEO agencies built on mutual understanding. 

Both are dedicated to achieving the same goal: to boost your revenue. Foster a deep relationship with your SEO provider by working together from the start. Moreover, decide how you can help each other reach your original goals.

Ensure you get your hands on the ideal SEO strategy by connecting with our experts at Firestarter SEO. Our committed and diligent industry leaders fuel growth and drive organic traffic by curating holistic marketing strategies that align with your business goals. 

So, let us help you increase search engine rankings, brand discoverability, and revenue through our proven and excellent SEO practices.