Which 5 Things You Need to Know When Hiring An SEO Consultant?

It is not difficult to grasp the basics of Search Engine Optimization but finding an SEO Consultant who has the right expertise and knowledge to boost your business can be hard.

 Best SEO Companies in 2020

Keeping track of SEO statistics and finding the right trends that you can cash in on is what makes SEO consultants proficient at what they do. But how do you find the right consultant for your business? Before you hire SEO Companies or web development companies who offer SEO consultancy services, here are five things that you need to know. 

Top 5 Things You Need to Know When Hiring an SEO Consultant

1. How Much Does SEO Consultancy Cost? 

An SEO consultant is supposed to offer you marketing strategies and shape your business for success. But every service has a price and you should consider how much you are willing to invest in good SEO practices.

When you talk to SEO Companies or web development companies you need to be open about your budget. By being upfront about how much you are willing to invest, consultants will offer you a list of services that they can offer to you. The best way to get an estimate is by letting consultants know what your SEO goals are.

You should always leave a little room for negotiation and have an open mind about the services that you need to grow your brand online. You could see yourself spending anything between a few hundred dollars to upwards of $30,000 when hiring SEO firms. 

2. Check for User Reviews

User reviews are very important when it comes to choosing an SEO consultant. Do not be fooled by customer reviews listed on official websites as just about anyone could be writing fake reviews to fool potential customers. If you are going to invest a considerable amount of money into SEO consultancy you should be asking for references of at least three customers who you can talk to. 

Most reputable SEO consultancies will happily offer you the information that you need. If a consultant is hesitant to offer you contact details, we recommend staying away from making a deal.

Once you get in touch with past customers of SEO companies or web development companies offering SEO services, you want to talk about the services they procured. You should also ask them if they are willing to invest in the consultancy services down the line or if they have any grievances about the firm. 

Also, Read: Must-do SEO On-Page Checklist to Grow Traffic in 2020

3. Reputation Is Everything

If you are willing to invest in an SEO consultant, you need to be sure that they are capable of offering you what you need. Bad SEO practices can ruin your online presence for good.

There are shady SEO practices that can be very difficult to recover from if you earn bad ratings in search engines. Look for third-party reviews or lists that your potential consultants are featured in.

Reputed SEO companies often publish journals and whitepapers. You can also look for potential awards they may have or their influence in the local industries. Does this mean that you should not be investing in new companies? Absolutely not.

If you do want to invest in a new company, you need to be even more thorough with your background checks and performance. It is just better to invest in brands that have a proven track record of offering services to its customers. 

4. Expect Guarantees for Success 

Good SEO practices always lead to success and if an SEO consultant is not capable of offering any guaranteed results, you should be staying away. But there is also a different side of the tale where companies offer false promises and underdeliver.

If you are promised a first-page spot on Google’s search results within a short period of time, it is more than likely that you are being duped. Do not settle for something that is too good to be true.

Your consultant needs to be capable of measuring the success of campaigns for your brand. Whether it is the amount of traffic you generate or a specific conversion level that you reach, there should be realistic and tangle goals on the table. 

5. Recent Experience Matters 

The SEO industry is constantly changing. There are SEO companies and web development companies that have seen success in the past but their current SEO practices may be underwhelming.

You want to consider recent experience when it comes to choosing a consultant. Just the number of years that a consultancy has doesn’t correlate to the quality of services they can offer.

Your consultant needs to be up to date with all of the trending SEO practices. Many SEO strategies become redundant within months in some cases and if you are not adopting the best strategies, your branding will fail. 

Conclusion

Even though evaluating companies can take away a significant chunk of your time, your brand’s online reputation is at stake if you end up with the wrong consultants. You should put in the time to find the right consultants if you expect success from your efforts.