Ready to take your organic web traffic to the next level, but not sure how to find the right SEO professional to help make it happen?
Search engine optimisation — or SEO as it is more commonly known — is one of the most popular types of digital marketing strategies. As a result, the market for these services is saturated — and unfortunately, there’s a lot who can talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. With so many people offering SEO services, how on earth do you know who can do it best?
We’ve put together our top tips on what to consider when you’re looking for the perfect partnership with SEO experts — and help you find the right match with an SEO company in Adelaide.
Mel Gibbons
21 October, 2020
As experts in SEO and internet marketing in Adelaide, we have narrowed down our advice for choosing the right SEO partner to the following five tips.
Despite the fact that search engine optimisation is one of the most widely used forms of digital marketing in practice today, it’s also widely misunderstood. Far too many people think they understand the concept of SEO but speak about it in abstract terms which means they are unlikely to have a thorough understanding or the know-how to get you top quality results.
A prospective SEO company in Adelaide should be open about the strategies they use and be able to clearly explain how they plan to achieve the results you’re after. This demonstrates a thorough understanding of the intricacies of search engines and how to put them to work for clients.
A high-quality SEO approach also doesn’t involve taking shortcuts. Far too many of today’s so-called SEO professionals use tricks like keyword stuffing, cloaking and buying links to create content that may rank higher in search engine results — but also may not. Additionally, these approaches can result in your website being penalised by search engines like Google, if they determine that your content is using these backhanded methods for garnering clicks.
Ultimately, none of these approaches will build your brand equity or improve your web traffic over the long-term. They are all crude methods with relatively low payoff rates that are hallmarks of inexperience. An experienced SEO professional understands that creating high-quality content to trigger organic search returns is the best way to yield the results clients are aiming for.
In today’s world, many people begin their search for SEO providers by looking for them on search engines themselves. This may sound like a good idea, but it can actually lead you to very impersonal service — or on a wild chase looking for one good provider in a long list of mediocre companies.
Often these searches will produce results that contain numerous list-based articles. These can be severely partial and biased based on the money that individual providers pay to receive a spot on the list, meaning that they aren’t very trustworthy in terms of providing leads to providers that live up to your expectations. Finding an SEO company on one of these lists just means that they know how to pay to be placed there!
So, if typing “SEO provider” into Google and hitting search isn’t the best method for finding these companies, what is? For many businesses, the answer is talking to others in their industry. That’s right — word of mouth is still one of the most effective ways to learn about potential SEO partnerships.
This is especially true when it comes to local SEO. Local SEO strategy is fundamental for local businesses as many shoppers will conduct internet searches about the products or services they are considering purchasing before they commit to buying them. Studies have shown that around one out of every three consumers will have a search related to a product in their search history the moment they walk into your door to buy it, making finding a top-rated SEO provider a priority for businesses big and small alike.
Once you start working with an SEO company, it is important to track your progress effectively so you can map out your successes, as well as areas that need improvement or changes along the way. This will ensure that less time is wasted on efforts that aren’t fruitful this way — and you’ll get more value for your marketing dollar.
Key performance indicators — KPIs are one of the most valuable tools you have for tracking successes and failures. These indicators span a wide range of metrics and every company has different priorities in terms of which ones to focus on. Almost any type of recurring information can be turned into a useful KPI, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is useful to your business.
Which KPIs should your SEO partner be helping you keep track of? Ideally, these need to feed into the broader business goals, the following are popular metrics to keep in mind.
Organic sessions — This is perhaps the most important metric in terms of SEO since it deals with organic web traffic — the ultimate goal of most SEO efforts. This measures how long organic web traffic stays on your site — and what kind of decisions they make about your company or products once they get there.
Keyword rankings — Which keywords is your company currently ranking for? Has this improved since you hired your SEO partner? If not, why might that be?
Conversion rate — How many of your site’s visitors actually end up making a purchasing decision and how can you increase that number?
Page load time — Did you know that many modern consumers won’t wait around for more than a few seconds for your page to load? It’s true — you could be losing a lot of business based on how long it takes the pages of your site to load on PC and mobile. Keep them coming back and keep them on your page when they get there by ensuring it loads quickly and correctly.
Honest, effective communication is a non-negotiable when it comes to hiring an SEO company. You should be able to reach your provider at any time (within reason) and be able to voice concerns and have them promptly addressed. You should feel comfortable asking questions and contributing ideas, but also rest assured that an expert will ultimately guide you through the process.
Remember, SEO is a process, not a procedure. You could be working with this same provider and their team for months or even years to come. The last thing you want is someone who doesn’t communicate well, doesn’t answer your questions or overlooks your thoughts and concerns. Insist on effective communication in a way you understand — dropping the jargon is a good place to start! — from the beginning for a more effective partnership throughout!
If you expect a company to help you achieve your business goals, you have to be honest about what those goals are from the beginning. While there is a certain standard that all professionals in the industry should be capable of, there are also various levels of experience and expertise — and not every person who provides SEO services can do every task you might have in mind.
You should also be able to identify the goals of the company you are considering partnering with. If they offer vague explanations of what they can help you achieve, such as ‘increasing web traffic, they aren’t likely to able to deliver on these promises.
Be direct from the start. Tell your SEO partner what you’re looking to achieve or ask for specific recommendations if you’re unsure. Do you want to increase ad revenue? Are you looking to expand your social media following and online presence? Is your intention to boost sales of a specific item or increase focus on a specific target keyword? All of these are tangible goals that a company with real industry experience can help you achieve.
Perhaps the most valuable tip we can offer is to take your search for a provider seriously. SEO services are something worth giving your full focus to and something worth investing in. Far too many companies see search engine optimisation as a buzzword, but it is one of the most important marketing strategies in the modern, digital world.
While all marketing methods have the potential to bring positive change to your bottom line, few have as much impact as SEO. Given that around 90% of people who conduct an internet search only take the time to examine the first page of results, getting your company’ ranking high is imperative to boost your business. Don’t trust anyone less than industry-leading SEO experts. Invest in experienced, top-quality search engine optimisation and watch your business reap the rewards!
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