Your website should always show up on the first page of search results. If it doesn’t, then you have a big problem. It’s a huge problem because it means that users are not aware that your website or business even exists
. Imagine all the customers, clients, and profits you could have, if only they knew that you actually operate your business and can give them what they exactly need. You do not want this. No one wants this. It’s a good thing search engine optimization (SEO) consultants can easily help you with it.
SEO consultants have the technical expertise and know-how to help you and your business land on the first page of search results on Google, Yahoo, or Bing. However, hiring one can be tricky as most can seem ideal but end up failing in delivering desired results. To help you filter through your choices, do consider asking the following questions to see if your prospective SEO consultant will be the perfect fit for you and search engine visibility goal for your business:
1. Can I please have a copy of your past and current clients?
To check if your prospective SEO consultant can indeed deliver, you need to check its track record. A good SEO consultant should at least be able to give you a good list of past and current clients.
Upon receiving a copy of the list, you should do your own research and check if such clients have their businesses successfully optimized in search engines. None may be able to give you full disclosure on analytics but one or two could at least share if your prospective SEO consultant can truly get the job done.
2. What are your methods and plans for improving my search engine ranking?
Your prospective SEO consultant should be able to easily discuss all planned methods and strategies in improving your website’s search engine visibility. It is a major red flag when an SEO consultant would simply brush your question aside and remark that you don’t need to know about the nitty-gritty technical details.
Stand your ground and ask because you will be paying good money and you need to know tangible details as to where your hard-earned money will go. To make things easy, you could ask for a business proposal from your prospective SEO consultant.
Your SEO consultant must be able to give you the following details clearly:
- List of SEO strategies and methods they will utilize
- An estimate of how long it will take to reach your desired result
- A brief technical review of your website: it should enlist broken links and errors
- “On page” optimization strategies
- “Off page” strategies
“On page” strategies are SEO methods that improve the search engine visibility of your website by improving your site’s URL and internal linking. “Off page” strategies refer to promotional methods done outside of your website via social media platforms, blogs, and press releases.
3. How strict are your policies when it comes to following the search engine’s webmaster guidelines?
You should hire an SEO consultant that strictly adheres to Google’s webmaster best practices. This is Google’s publicly posted guideline that prohibits SEO scams and tricks like spam content and bogus links. If your prospective SEO consultant does not follow such guidelines, not only will your site not rank highly, it can also end up getting banned by Google.
4. Can you guarantee that my site will get a number-one rank on Google, Yahoo, and Bing?
A quick yes from a prospective SEO consultant is a major red flag. It is impossible to guarantee such a thing. SEO is a tricky business and rules change by the day. An SEO consultant that promises such a thing is up to something fishy. It is also a major red flag when your prospective SEO consultant would claim to have insider connections in Google, Yahoo, or Bing. There is no such thing as priority search result rankings. Google, Yahoo, and Bing work through algorithms and machines that study how people search and look for important data. No person or group of people can control it.
5. What are your experiences in working up local search results?
This is an important question that small businesses should always ask. SEO consultants must know all the tools and methods to attract nearby customers.
Your website must be optimized for local SEO through directories and active use of meta descriptions and title tags that ensure the presence of your business in certain geographical areas. Make sure that your prospective SEO consultants know all the proper methods and strategies for this.
For example, if you’re from Perth, WA, your prospective consultant must know leading and hot SEO Perth directories where they could enlist your business.
6. Will I get a heads-up on all the changes my website will undergo?
Once hired, an SEO consultant will go all out when it comes to structuring your site for better search engine visibility. It will entail numerous changes that you may not be okay with. It’s best to know as early as possible as to how they intend to get your consent on particular matters. You should know and clearly specify matters that cannot be changed and altered without your approval. Your SEO consultant must also be clear when it comes to how and when they will ask for your consent.
7. What quantitative tools do you use to measure the success rate of your projects?
Analytics is important when it comes to measuring the success of each project. For SEO consultants, each project is termed as a campaign. An SEO campaign’s success rate can be easily measured and tracked through various means. Your prospective SEO consultant must be clear as to the tools they use and your access to it.
8. What is your preferred form of communication? How many times will I get an update from you?
SEO consultants must delineate a specific time for the delivery of updates. One of the keys to successful SEO campaigns is faithful monitoring and tracking. Make sure that your prospective SEO consultant will give you timely reports and updates on a consistent schedule through your preferred platform. Make it as easy as possible; the faster it is to reach you, the quicker they can get on with their tasks, methods, and strategies for your business. Constant approval from your end will always be required.
9. Can you give me a breakdown of all the fees I need to pay?
Avoid hidden charges at all costs. Always ask for the transparent breakdown of all fees. Ask if your prospective consultant is paid on an hourly, retainer, or project basis. Most SEO consultants get paid per every active project or campaign. Amateur SEO consultants can require for as low as $500/month while big agencies can ask for as much as $5,000 per month. Hourly fees can be as low as $76 or can go for as high as $200 per hour. SEO consultants that serve small businesses tend to charge less.
You must also inquire as to payment terms: will it be paid monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly? Do they apply interest charges? Make sure that such terms are delineated from the start.
10. What are your policies when clients choose to not renew their contracts?
Last but not the least, ask about their contract expiration policy. Ask if you can back-out anytime and inquire if there is a lock-in period. Ask if there are early termination fees. You should keep in mind that all published content is still to be under your ownership upon the expiration of your contract. You should also make it clear that your SEO consultant will have no right to remove or change any of your site’s optimized content upon the termination of your contract.
