What is the best time to do it?
Outsource or in-house?
Are you a freelancer or an agency?
What is the best budget?
Have you ever had bad experiences with an agency?
QUESTIONS, questions, questions!
We are here to assist you, so don’t be afraid.
Write a short description of your SEO problem.
Despite the fact that I run a digital marketing agency with outstanding SEO results, it is not something I will say. The right answer to this question is one that you will have to find out for yourself. However, I can help you get there by asking you a few questions.
Are you a web designer?
It is a smart idea to hire an SEO agency if you do not have a website yet but want one. They can help with information architecture, navigation, URL names and other SEO-related issues. You can also avoid this double activity by writing the static pages of your website with keyword research in mind.
If your website is not getting any traffic, it is worth checking if there is organic search traffic in your industry. It is possible to find free tools that will help you calculate where your potential traffic would be if you invest in SEO. This is true even if your website has been built. People spend a lot of money on creating beautiful websites, but they don’t realize how heavy it is and how difficult it is to be picked up by Google.
Are you familiar with any type of marketing?
Because of the nature of a typical consumer buying process, SEO should be part of your overall marketing strategy. SEO is about creating another touchpoint that people can find. It taps into the natural curiosity that leads to a person wanting to purchase a product or service in the near future.
You should look into other marketing channels if you don’t have the budget to do so. You should also allocate budgets for different channels, as they all work in their own ways.
Any quality agency will also want to know how your channels perform in order to coordinate the communication strategy. This is to ensure that they complement each other and not appear as separate companies.
Can you determine your cash flow and allocate funds for long-term activities?
SEO is a long-term strategy. Anybody who claims they can give quick results (or worse, guarantee them) is lying. There is no shortcut to SEO. If there is, they most likely use shady methods that can damage your website over time. If you want to build a long-lasting brand, avoid quick rankings. Also, don’t believe anyone claiming it.
SEO can show results in 6-12 months. Sometimes, quick fixes may be enough to make SEO work for websites. SEO is an ongoing process. If you don’t have the funds to continue this work for a long time, it is best to avoid working with agencies and instead optimize your site using best practices. You can also hire a freelancer to do the job if you are very clear about the work, but don’t need someone to execute it.
For SEO, as well as any other type of marketing, it is simple: the more data you have, the better your insights. With those insights, you can be really good at the game. This is not possible if you don’t invest in SEO and execute it continuously. Hire an SEO agency only if you are ready to commit.
Are you able to manage an SEO team in-house, or can someone from your team have that background?
You need momentum, just like any other business activity to be successful. This means that you must work on the problem constantly, come up with new ideas, and plan and execute them. This includes looking at data and identifying patterns and opportunities. If you are able to manage an SEO professional in-house, this means that you can work with them to set goals and monitor progress, give feedback, and remove roadblocks.
Can I speak with a developer?
Developers are required to do a lot of technical SEO (or SEO). Technical SEO covers all aspects of your website’s technical SEO. A developer is necessary for every business owner. If you partner with a large SEO agency, they will most likely help you with technology implementations. However, this comes at a price. If you are looking for something less expensive, they will be able help you with the implementations. These executions may not be continuous, but they will need to be completed for a few hours each month.
Many websites today are built using popular CMS like WordPress, Shopify and Wix. Many SEO Agencies, including ours, have worked with these CMS and can make most of the changes themselves without the assistance of a developer. A developer will be required to make any modifications or customizations in the code structures for the themes.
Are you willing to invest in content creation?
SEO is all about content. Good content is essential to SEO. Google wants people to use the service to find answers. Google wants its users to have accurate, up-to-date, and satisfactory answers. However, this can’t happen if companies don’t regularly create/update quality content. Many websites create this content for customers through blogs, portfolios and other resources. This can come at an additional cost depending on the industry and how much research is required to create content. Remember that content does not have to be written in text form. It can also be pictures, infographics and videos. Quality content is a recommendation from any SEO agency who is committed to your business growth. You should create content that is relevant to the target customer who found you via Google.
Can you do SEO in-house?
You can make sure that you have someone who is dedicated to the job, as this could be full-time or part-time work. Depending on their previous experience, you may need to provide support with training materials and courses. A plan should be developed for how you will manage them and help them succeed. You should sit down with them regularly to review and revise their ideas, tasks, as well as plan.
If you have the skills and time, then in-house is an option. You’ll either do a poor job or waste your time on something more important.
Are freelancers better for your needs?
A freelancer may be the right choice for your business depending on its stage. Although their prices are low, their business processes might not be very clear, which could make it more difficult to work with them. These freelancers can be very helpful in your first year, especially if you get them through a referral. Good freelancers will pay attention to you and deliver quality work. Finding the right freelancers is the problem.
Remember that an agency is more expensive than a freelancer. If you are able to manage an SEO person in your company, you’ll have much greater visibility. Agency staff will have SEO expertise and can help you set up business processes. It is up to you to determine how each of these elements is worth your time.
What are my SEO needs?
Let me assume you now have a better idea of who you are going to hire for your SEO needs.
We will assume you have hired someone.
Your SEO requirements are the first thing you should clarify.
SEO could be anything you are looking for.
Traffic SEO
This is particularly important if you have a website that earns money from advertising.
SEO for E-Commerce Sales
SEO is essential if your industry has searches online that include the words “buy” and “online”, or any variant thereof. You cannot afford to miss these people who are likely to buy, and actively search for what you offer.
SEO for branding
SEO is also a great way to increase authority and trust in your brand. You have a lot of resources to help your buyers impress you before they buy from you.
SEO for Lead Acquisition
Particularly for service-based businesses, where sales cannot be done entirely online, there are high chances of people finding you through SEO strategies.
SEO for reputation management:
This is a strategy to improve your search ranking for “reviews” and “brand name”. This can be used to highlight the positive experiences of your company and to influence customers to purchase.
These can all be your goals, or you could choose to do both.
Next, you will need to decide on a budget.
If you are looking for the right partner, it is a good idea to have a budget range that you feel comfortable with. You might be unsure if your budget should be stretched. SEO is a long-term investment. If you don’t see results quickly (which is common), you may panic. Also, a low budget might not allow you to hire quality SEO professionals.
There are many pricing options for Pretoria SEO professionals. You can find freelancers through Upwork and freelancers through Facebook groups starting at R 1,000.
Agency fees can range from R 2,000 to R10,500 depending on your industry, size, and website. You can decide what budget you want, but make sure to do some research before you allocate the funds.
How do you assess an SEO Agency?
You’ve already read this far and have set your SEO goals and budget. Now you are ready to hire an SEO agency.
You are about to enter a confusing time, congratulations!
It is a good idea to ask your friends and family for recommendations. If someone has worked with an agency before and was happy with them, why not give them another chance? If it doesn’t work out, then you can post on LinkedIn or Facebook. And if you do, you will drown in all the messages, emails, and phone calls you receive for your request over the next few days
SEO professionals are plentiful so it shouldn’t be difficult to get proposals. It is difficult to choose who to contact and how to evaluate all the people who reach out to you. Let’s face it, they all sound the same after a while.
You’ve made the decision to engage in this activity and not to have more fun, so I’m here to help.
Here are some points to consider while you make your decision. This is a good idea to read before you post your request on social media.
Let’s begin with the things you need to think about:
Location:
Many people look for agencies in their same city. It doesn’t matter if your goal is to meet face-to-face. You shouldn’t be restricted to only working with agencies located in one city, especially in these COVID19 times. A professional SEO agency would already have established processes for dealing with clients around the globe using all of the technological tools available to them.
Features:
These factors are not all important or relevant to everyone in different ways. The agency’s age, size, and specialization. You can specify your preferences by putting it in your requirements. If they have posted them, you can also check their website. Keep an open mind. There might be agencies that aren’t right for you, but can still help you achieve your goals.
Team:
It is important to get to know the people with whom you will be working. SEO is a long-term game. This means that the people you choose will be your long-term partners. You need to be able trust, communicate with, and understand them. This is something that many people overlook, but I believe it is vital. It is important to have their experience and communication skills. You will need them to communicate with you as an outside partner.
Methodology:
There are many processes that agencies use and they offer a glimpse into their working methods before you hire them. Some agencies offer audits and can tell you how often they report. They also provide free or paid consultations. We do this too. Avoid people who claim “too good to believe” results. They are most likely false. You can also get these results using shady methods that will harm your Google presence over the long-term.
Proof:
You’ll now need to prove that they are talented. They’ll give you references or present case studies. You might find them to be a good source of information.
Prices:
This is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects. It is crucial to know how these services are priced before you can simply compare the prices and make your decision.
Three types of pricing models are the most popular in this sector.
- Monthly Retainerships: This option is most popular and the most cost-effective. It involves a fixed monthly fee to cover resources that will be used for your SEO needs. This allows you to have the support of a team that works monthly on your SEO strategy, execution, analysis, and reporting. Most likely, you receive calls and updates on a weekly/bimonthly basis to review the progress and offer inputs.
- Project-based: You decide what tasks you want to accomplish and then get estimates for the project. If you are clear about the tasks and deliverables, it works well. It can be costly depending on the level of experience.
- Hourly rates
Some agencies might price their SEO services based on multiple keyword models. Pretoria Web Design doesn’t do that because the focus on keywords can change depending on what we discover.
You’ll also see very low prices offered by agencies and freelancers. I recommend that you be cautious about these types of offers. You’ve probably worked with service providers before and know that quality and cheap don’t always go together. This is not the service you are looking for.
SEO is both a technical and creative field that requires extensive research, analysis, and creativity. It is not something I believe anyone can do.
Nevertheless, this is my 2 cents.
Here’s what I have so far talked about:
- How to decide if you should invest in SEO to promote your brand
- Do I need an SEO agency?
- What are my SEO needs?
- How do you assess an SEO Agency?
If you’d like to learn more about what SEO can do for your business, you can fill out the form below and we will get back to you.
