How to Find a Reliable SEO Agency

Search Engine Optimisation ("SEO") continues to be a hot topic these days. If you own or operate a business with an online presence, chances are you've been approached by an SEO agency or two, promising to increase your website's visibility and organic traffic. 

But how do you know if they're the real deal? How can you tell whether a particular SEO agency is actually going to deliver on its promises? Here are some tips to help you find the best SEO agency for your business.

Have a Goal

Before you even start looking for an SEO agency, you should know what you’re hoping to achieve. Having a goal in mind will help you evaluate each agency you’re considering using, based on how they say they can help you reach that goal.

Many agencies will specialise or have experience in one area over another, so it’s important to know what services and results you’re looking for from the outset. If you jump straight into finding an SEO partner without knowing what you want to achieve, you’re not making an informed choice and may end up wasting money because there was no plan for success.

For instance,  if you need help increasing your website’s visibility and traffic, then find an agency that specialises in these areas. If you already have good visibility but want to drive more conversions or increase sales, then look at agencies that focus on marketing strategies and testing different approaches.

Research Company Ethics

When looking for an SEO agency, evaluate the company's ethics. Reading about a company's history and mission statement will help you understand its operations and values. You can also learn about a company's reputation by reading reviews from clients and industry experts and checking out their social media channels (such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn).

You'll also want to check out its website. The website should be professional-looking, with clear communication about projects or services offered. Look for sections on specific services such as content marketing strategy development and reporting metrics/ data collection methods used throughout the delivery process.

Past Performance and Portfolio

The next thing to review is the agency’s past performance and portfolio.

• Ask for case studies, references, past projects and examples of their SEO work.

• Ask for examples of content marketing work if you have a budget for this or if it’s something you would like to incorporate into your goals going forward.

• Ask for examples of social media management and how the agency manages its clients’ accounts. 

Be Realistic

You should be realistic about how long it takes to see results. Depending on the scope of work, it could take anywhere from 30 days to a year for your website to rank as highly as you want it to in search engine results pages (SERPs).

To ensure that your goals are realistic, determine what success looks like. How will you know if and when your SEO campaign is successful? Is it when you see increased traffic from organic searches, more leads generated, or an overall increase in sales or conversions? 

Having decided on what you want to achieve, you can create specific metrics for measuring progress, agree them with your SEO agency or consultant,  and hold them accountable for hitting those targets.

Practise White Hat, No Exceptions

Look for an agency that practises white hat SEO. This ensures they will only employ the best and most ethical techniques to help you outrank your competitors in search engines. There are no shortcuts or tricks in white hat SEO, but the results speak for themselves.

White hat SEO is the most ethical way of doing things and has been shown to get you better and more lasting rankings over time than any other method. So if your goal is to rank at #1 on Google and aim to stay there, there’s no better way than through white hat tactics - period!

Hiring an SEO agency can be a daunting task. But if you take the time to do your research and ask the right questions, you're sure to find one that is a good fit for your business. Remember to set realistic goals and be patient; it may take a few months before you see any results. And lastly, make sure you only work with an agency that practises white hat SEO techniques.