Setting up an online marketing campaign is key to a business’s success. However, many owners are too busy focusing on day-to-day operations to dedicate time to their marketing plans. This is why companies hire outside professionals to handle elements of their campaigns. One area where experts are called to manage is search engine optimization. Whether they’re called a provider or specialist, businesses want someone that will deliver the best results. Not all SEO professionals are alike, and knowing what to look for can save you headaches down the line. Here is what to consider when hiring someone for your SEO.
Learn About the Specialist
Every agency works differently compared to others. This can have an impact on you and your working style, as yours can run opposite to how some agencies do business. You can get an idea of who you will be working with during the initial hiring phase. By asking how they communicate and how often, you will be able to gain a sense of how the agency or specialist interacts with their clients. In addition, you can ask how many accounts a firm has at one time. This gives you an idea of whether your interactions will be with an account manager or the person directly handling your campaign.
Look for Proven Results
Having an experienced SEO expert can be a huge benefit for your business. The problem is that there are some entities that call themselves SEO experts but don’t have the results to back it up. You want to be discerning with who you choose to run your marketing. This includes having a clear job description that indicates what you want your results to be. While you are screening candidates, ask for case studies of previous campaigns they have run, as well as how the strategies they created impacted the business as a whole.
Find Experience in Your Field
SEO is not a one size fits all entity. What can work for a dentist may not meet the needs of a travel agent, for example. Look for someone that has run campaigns for others in your field of expertise, and knows what it will take to rank online. However, you shouldn’t add someone that’s worked with a direct competitor, since they likely won’t have fresh ideas for your SEO. From a hiring standpoint, you want someone who has significant experience in handling local SEO for businesses, including multiple location campaigns if you have offices in more than one area.
Have an Idea of Progress
How you view the success of your marketing campaign can differ from what a professional does. There are a number of metrics that can determine how well your campaign is doing. The goals of your business are also factored into the metrics. In terms of when you will start to see results, the odds are that you see them after a day. A quality SEO specialist will communicate with you the best time estimate for when you will start to see solid results. While they likely won’t give you an exact date for your goals due to the constantly evolving nature of search marketing, they can base an estimate on previous campaigns that are similar to yours.
A solid SEO campaign can be beneficial for businesses of any size. Having a reputable agency or specialist that can manage the campaign will save owners time and allow them to work on other elements of their company. By knowing what to look for, you will be able to find the right SEO specialist to meet your needs.