Congratulations – You have decided to outsource your SEO requirements to an agency. The next obvious step is to review a few options, and while there are plenty of companies around, only a few can deliver on what is promised. Below, we have enlisted the only five steps you must follow for comparing SEO services to hire one.

  • Review your requirements. Being realistic about your SEO expectations and requirements is critical. If you have a goal in mind, you must create a memo. A professional SEO company will always take interest in your brand, objectives and other aspects.
  • Check portfolios. To know an SEO company better, you have to understand and review what they can offer, and for that, their portfolio is a good place to start. Find more about the brands they have worked with and if they have experience in your niche.
  • Be smart with proposals. While getting an estimate may seem like an obvious thing, don’t be enamored by the price alone. The best SEO companies don’t have packages anymore. Instead, they would want to know the scope of the project before customizing everything else.
  • Insist on a website audit. An SEO agency is expected to do a website audit, which allows them to figure out how to go ahead with the campaign. This is usually a free service, but even if a company doesn’t talk about this, you should insist on that.
  • Find more about their approach. How will the company update about the website’s progress? What metrics do they use to evaluate performance? How do they plan to inform your team and get inputs? The approach to SEO is important, and as a client, you have to ensure active participation.

In conclusion

SEO is for the future, and it makes sense to collaborate with a known agency for the long term, but only after you have reviewed and tested their services. If the same company can also handle aspects of paid marketing, like PPC and social media marketing, it could be a big plus, because you can hire them for the entire campaign and branding needs.