Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important marketing technique that can drastically help increase traffic on your website. According to last year’s Content Marketing Institute report, 56% of American companies outsource SEO consultants.
In Chicago, you won’t run out of choices when it comes to choosing a good one, considering that it’s home to the best tech-savvy minds. However, how can you determine if the SEO expert you’re dealing with can actually deliver results?
Ask the following questions before you decide which SEO consultant to hire:
- What kinds of services can you offer?
Before you start looking for a local SEO consultant, specify the services you need so that you’ll see right away if a candidate is good for you. Once you know what types of services they offer, you’ll have a pretty good idea of your compatibility with them.
Asking about their technical skills can also give you a chance to evaluate how fit they are for the post. You might want someone who has expertise in one the following:
- Programming
- MS Excel
- Analytics
- Critical Thinking
To be more familiar with the types of work that an SEO consultant can do for you, as well as the skillsets they must have, check out https://www.webmarketing123.com/.
- Who are your current and past clients?
A reliable SEO consultant should readily share a list of their former and current clients’ names; and, with the clients’ permission, their contact details. This will give you a chance to verify that they did work with the agency. More than that, having access to former clients also allows you to get authentic feedback.
Even if the former clients can’t provide detailed analytics, they can at least tell you how much of an impact the SEO agency has made on their respective websites, and if they did get to benefit from working with an SEO specialist.
You shouldn’t just be after the honest feedback. The names themselves can hold a certain meaning. There’s a reason why endorsers partner with big-name celebrities and even small-time influencers – the latter’s approval has value that can eventually turn to profit.
- How will you increase my website’s traffic?
SEO consultants have a right to keep the exact methods they use to gain rankings in secret, but they should at least discuss their general plans about keeping you on the first page of search results. Such plans may involve on-page optimization, which is a process that makes your website more prominently featured on search engines.
On-page optimization entails improving the website URL and linking structure. However, before they execute any strategies, ensure that they will conduct an initial technical review of your website to weed out problems at the onset, including error pages or broken links.
Apart from the general plan, they should also give you a timeframe on how long it will take to achieve your SEO goals.
- Do you go by search engine’s master guidelines?
In 2017, the most popular search engines for businesses in the windy city were Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Therefore, it is necessary for the SEO consultant to adhere to search engines’ governing rules.
For instance, Google has publicly posted an article about 12 common SEO tricks that are strictly prohibited on the website. If your SEO consultant does not follow such guidelines, then your site is in danger of ranking worse on search engines instead of better. Worst case scenario, Google can completely block your website search results.
- Will you inform me about any changes made on my website?
Having your website optimized for search engines may change its existing coding. So, it’s important that you know the adjustments made to your website, and how many web pages were affected. This could guarantee that, despite the modifications made by the SEO consultant, you can still modify and govern your web pages.
Here are some questions you could ask regarding the changes made on your web pages:
- Were there new title tags added to your existing HTML code?
- Will your SEO agent provide additional copywriting content that will make your products and services more visible?
- What kinds of on-page keywords will be added to your content for potential customers?
- In the proposal and plan, is redesigning your website included?
- How will your SEO consultant fix the navigation or add new pages to your website?
The technical expertise, experience, and knowledge of an SEO consultant can either make or break or website. For this reason, you can’t underestimate the importance of making the right decision. So don’t be afraid to raise the aforementioned questions listed above. Trust that, once you get the right answers from the right SEO consultant, your website will thank you.
