One of the important developments that have heralded the 21st century is digital marketing. Digital marketing is simply a term that refers to the various means and methods of marketing product and/or services via digital technologies.
As with all markets incidentally, companies need to employ effective marketing strategies to stay on top of their game. One such strategy is Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
SEO is one of the processes through which you can gain traffic to your website. This traffic could either be from the natural search results on search engines or through paid means.
It is worthy of note that one major reason for which companies desire to drive traffic towards their websites is to boost revenue. Since the reason you are hiring an SEO service provider is to provide professional articulation of methods and techniques that propel you to the top of search engines, there are quite a few guides you would want to consider in choosing the best.
Here are some factors to consider in landing the best SEO service provider around.
Your Website Assessment
The first point of call is your website – and by your website, I mean ‘SEO-compatibility’ assessment of it. The first discussion you should have with your team, organization, management etc. is an evaluation of how ‘SEO-friendly’ and ‘SEO-healthy’ your website is. This is also the first discussion an SEO service provider should have with you.
You should be familiar with keywords that trend in your industry line and should be visible in most, if not every page on your website. A self-assessment or an assessment from your SEO service provider will tell how well or bad you are doing –and can do – on organic rankings before further things can be discussed.
Online Referrals and Reviews
A good SEO company will itself rank among the best on a search engine. It should rank well for the best SEO plus city name or region name. A good SEO company will as well have awesome reviews and a great network of referrals. Also consider referrals from friends, personal and professional networks, industry players.
Clearly Defined Plan
A good SEO company will make an informed analysis and give you a clearly defined plan on achieving your targets. This will include competitor analysis, site optimization (online and offline), number and frequency of people on the job, the duration it will most likely take to achieve the set goal, amongst others.
Don’t give in to those who tell you “This is our secret optimization techniques… and it works”; it’s a sign of incompetence. SEO is a pretty open field where a clear and detailed plan of getting you to the top should be understood forehand.
Link Building
One critical part of SEO is link building and it should also be given utmost consideration. Having a good link strategy is one sure way to assess your potential SEO company. Some link building techniques can get you banned by a search engine, so be on the watch out.
Communication and Feedback
Lastly, this is one department which importance cannot be overemphasized irrespective of the type of business. Consider how often your SEO Company will be willing to provide feedback on progress and development. You will need to pay attention to statistics and how they align to the set objectives of your company.