Businesses are overwhelmed with choices when it comes to finding an SEO agency. It can be hard to know what to do look for and who to trust, especially if you’re not a technical person. Yet it’s vital to find the right SEO partner because a good one will mean an increase in Google ranking, web traffic and customers! Here are our insider tips on how to select the right SEO agency for your business. 

On Page, Off Page, Or Both?

One of the main things to look out for is an agency that can provide both On and Off Page SEO, as most agencies only do On Page. What’s the difference?

On Page: this refers to SEO that is focussed on optimising and improving the quality and experience of your website. This includes things like keywords, blogs with the author cited, and engaging video content. This is the easiest and most common type of SEO to implement as you and the agency have total control over the website. 

Off Page: aka link building - refers to SEO that promotes your business and website on other credible sites and locations across the internet. Links from authoritative and relevant websites act like a tick of approval or an independent and objective vote that helps search engines to see your website and brand as trustworthy. This type of SEO is more difficult to implement as you and the agency do not have control of external sites, but it’s also far more valuable and effective – and therefore essential when choosing an SEO agency. 

Once you’ve determined that your preferred agency will undertake both on page and off page SEO activities, here are five more things to look out for when engaging and SEO agency: 

Strategy First

Because SEO is so technical it is often mistakenly seen as something that can be done in isolation, but SEO is not an island and hiring a separate or stand-alone agency is not a long term or big picture solution. SEO forms just one part of the whole marketing mix, and it should be working in conjunction with your digital and traditional campaigns and activities. 

Aside from improving your search ranking and increasing web traffic, SEO can help you achieve your overarching business goals - if used strategically. Look for an agency that asks about your current marketing channels and campaigns and provides tailored and targeted recommendations and suggestions that will enhance and support them. 

Highly Experienced

Ask to see the qualifications and experience of both the agency and its staff. With so many short and online courses available, anyone can and does call themselves an SEO expert these days, but technical skills and a basic understanding of how SEO works, don’t automatically mean you’ve got the business or marketing skills to deliver successful campaigns. 

Understanding consumer behaviour and how the industry operates comes with many years and decades of hands-on experience, something many of the new SEO agencies just don’t have. 

Culture of Learning

Ask whether they consider themselves to be a leading SEO authority. If they answer yes, be cautious! Digital and SEO marketing is constantly evolving, the truth is we’re all students and learning every day. You want to look for an agency who is committed to following best practice SEO tactics but also upskills and adapts as opportunities and new methods arise. 

Your agency should keep you updated on any changes that may impact your campaigns, and work with you to mitigate potential risk and take advantage of opportunities promptly. This means no cookie-cutter, one size fits all solutions, nor should your campaign just be on repeat month after month. 

Transparent Results

Ask for case studies which demonstrate the agency’s strategic thinking, experience in delivering campaigns and of course proven results. Not only will these three pieces of the SEO puzzle give you the assurance that they can and have done what they say, it will also give you a good idea about their processes and how they work. 

Be wary of agencies who don’t want to or can’t share their previous work - especially if this comes with accompanying claims of using secret strategies and performing SEO magic tricks or miracles. Your agency should help you understand how it all works - not bamboozle and confuse you! 

Meet The Team

Ask to meet the whole team - not just the Director or Account Manager. Make sure day-to-day SEO staff who will be delivering your campaigns are in-house, full- or part-time employees of the agency - not outsourced or contractors. This is especially important when it comes to content creation like blogs and videos as they need to appeal to the local market. 

If they do have team members based in other states or even countries, check that they are employees rather than freelancers, and ask to meet them online. 

Want to learn more about selecting an agency that will be a good fit for your business? Read our blog by CEO, Mark Fraser - Top Tips for Small Businesses Hiring a Digital Agency 

Learn more about how SEO with Sentius can help grow your business online. Read about our SEO services, or claim your FREE 60-minute SEO consult and advice session.