Choosing the right SEO company to partner with can feel like a daunting decision. After all, you're entrusting someone else with the keys to your digital kingdom. But how do you truly know if your SEO company is doing everything they should be doing for you? Well, by the end of this discussion, you'll have a much clearer picture of what to expect from a competent SEO partner.
We'll cover everything from setting clear objectives and understanding the strategies involved, to communication and reporting. We'll also touch on some of the red flags to watch out for. Ready to dive deeper into what a good SEO company should be doing for you? Let's jump in!
Setting Clear Objectives
Before any work begins, a good SEO company should sit down with you to clearly define your objectives. You wouldn't start building a house without a blueprint, right? Similarly, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with your SEO efforts.
This initial conversation should focus on aligning their strategies with your business goals. Are you looking to increase website traffic, boost online sales, or enhance brand awareness? Whatever your goals may be, they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
Once your objectives are clear, your SEO company can create a tailored plan that outlines the steps needed to achieve these goals. This plan will serve as a roadmap for your SEO journey, ensuring both you and the company are on the same page from the get-go.
Remember, setting clear objectives isn't just a one-time task. As your business evolves, your goals might change, and your SEO strategy should adapt accordingly. Regular check-ins and updates can ensure that your SEO efforts continue to align with your business objectives.
Conducting a Comprehensive Website Audit
A thorough website audit is like a health check-up for your site. It's a critical step that your SEO company should take to identify any technical issues that could be hindering your site's performance on search engines.
This audit should cover several areas, including:
- Site Speed: Slow loading times can frustrate users and negatively affect your search rankings.
- Mobile-Friendliness: With more people browsing on mobile devices, your site must be optimized for mobile users.
- On-Page SEO: This includes meta tags, headers, and keyword usage.
- Technical SEO: Issues like broken links, XML sitemaps, and robots.txt files need to be addressed.
- Content Quality: Ensure your content is engaging, relevant, and free of duplicate content.
A detailed audit report will highlight problem areas and provide actionable recommendations for improvement. It's essential that your SEO company walks you through this report, explaining the findings and suggesting next steps. This transparency helps build trust and ensures you're not left in the dark about your site's performance.
Developing a Customized SEO Strategy
Once the objectives are set and the audit is complete, your SEO company should develop a customized strategy that aligns with your goals and addresses the issues identified during the audit. This strategy should encompass both on-page and off-page SEO tactics.
On-Page SEO: This involves optimizing individual pages on your website to improve their search engine rankings. It includes using targeted keywords, optimizing meta tags, and ensuring your content is relevant and informative.
Off-Page SEO: This refers to actions taken outside of your website to impact your rankings, such as link building, social media marketing, and influencer outreach.
A good SEO strategy is comprehensive and adaptable. It should be detailed enough to guide daily activities yet flexible enough to accommodate changes in search engine algorithms and business priorities. Your SEO company should regularly review and update this strategy to keep it aligned with the latest industry trends and your evolving business goals.
Keyword Research and Optimization
Keyword research is the backbone of any SEO strategy. It involves identifying the search terms your potential customers are using to find products or services like yours. Your SEO company should conduct thorough keyword research to ensure your site targets the right keywords that will drive relevant traffic to your website.
This process should involve:
- Identifying Primary Keywords: These are the main keywords that reflect your core offerings.
- Long-Tail Keywords: These are more specific phrases that often have lower search volume but higher conversion potential.
- Competitor Analysis: Understanding what keywords your competitors are targeting can provide valuable insights.
Once the keywords are identified, the next step is optimizing your website's content and structure around these keywords. This includes updating your page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body text to naturally incorporate these keywords.
It's important to strike a balance here. Overloading your content with keywords (a practice known as keyword stuffing) can lead to penalties from search engines. Instead, focus on creating high-quality content that naturally incorporates your target keywords.
Creating High-Quality Content
Content is king in the world of SEO. It's not just about cramming keywords into your pages; it's about providing valuable, engaging content that meets the needs of your audience. Your SEO company should help you develop a content strategy that focuses on creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience.
This strategy might include:
- Blog Posts: Regularly updated blogs can drive traffic to your site and establish your brand as an industry authority.
- Product Pages: Detailed and informative product descriptions can improve user experience and conversion rates.
- Infographics and Videos: Visual content can be a powerful way to engage users and convey complex information.
Content creation should be an ongoing effort, with regular updates and new pieces added to keep your site fresh and relevant. Your SEO company should also track the performance of your content, using analytics to understand what resonates with your audience and inform future content creation efforts.
Building Quality Backlinks
Backlinks, or inbound links from other websites to yours, are crucial for improving your site's authority and search engine rankings. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Your SEO company should focus on obtaining quality backlinks from reputable, relevant websites, rather than simply amassing a large quantity of links.
Effective backlink strategies might include:
- Guest Blogging: Writing articles for other reputable sites in your industry can earn you valuable backlinks.
- Networking: Building relationships with other industry players can lead to natural backlink opportunities.
- Content Sharing: Encouraging others to share your high-quality content can generate organic backlinks.
It's important to note that buying backlinks or using black-hat techniques can result in penalties from search engines, damaging your site's reputation. Your SEO company should prioritize building genuine, high-quality backlinks that enhance your site's authority and credibility.
Monitoring and Reporting
Transparency and communication are vital aspects of the relationship between you and your SEO company. They should provide regular reports that detail the progress of your SEO efforts, including key metrics like traffic, conversion rates, and keyword rankings.
These reports should be clear and easy to understand, avoiding technical jargon that can be confusing. Your SEO company should also be available to discuss the reports with you, explaining the data and answering any questions you may have.
Regular monitoring ensures that your SEO strategy is on track and allows for timely adjustments if needed. It also provides accountability, as you can see exactly what your SEO company is doing and the results of their efforts. This transparency helps build trust and ensures you're both working towards the same goals.
Adapting to Algorithm Changes
Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and your SEO company should stay up-to-date with these changes to ensure your site remains optimized. They should be proactive in adapting your strategy to align with the latest algorithm updates, rather than waiting for your site's rankings to drop before taking action.
This might involve changes to your content, technical SEO, or backlink strategy, depending on the nature of the updates. Your SEO company should also keep you informed about any significant algorithm changes and how they might impact your site.
An agile approach to SEO is essential in today's digital environment, allowing your site to maintain its competitive edge and continue driving traffic and conversions.
Providing Ongoing Support and Consultation
Your relationship with your SEO company shouldn't end once the initial strategy is implemented. They should provide ongoing support and consultation, helping you navigate any challenges and seize new opportunities as they arise.
This might include:
- Regular Check-Ins: Scheduled meetings to discuss progress, answer questions, and adjust strategies as needed.
- Training: Offering training sessions for your team to better understand SEO and its impact on your business.
- Advice: Providing expert advice on new trends and technologies that could benefit your business.
Having a reliable partner who understands your business and is committed to your success can make all the difference in your SEO efforts. With their ongoing support, you can continue to grow and adapt in the ever-changing digital landscape.
Recognizing Red Flags
While there are many trustworthy SEO companies out there, it's important to be aware of potential red flags that may indicate you're not getting the service you deserve. Here are some warning signs to watch out for:
- Lack of Transparency: If your SEO company is vague about their strategies or doesn't provide regular updates, it could be a sign they're not fully investing in your success.
- Overpromising Results: Be wary of companies that guarantee overnight success or top rankings in a short time frame, as SEO is a long-term investment.
- Using Black-Hat Techniques: If your SEO company is employing unethical tactics, it could result in penalties from search engines and damage your site's reputation.
If you notice any of these red flags, it might be time to reassess your partnership and consider finding a more reliable SEO company that aligns with your goals and values.
Final Thoughts
In summary, a competent SEO company should be transparent, communicative, and committed to helping you achieve your business goals. From setting clear objectives and conducting comprehensive audits to developing customized strategies and providing ongoing support, they should be a valuable partner in your SEO journey.
At Pattern, we understand the importance of driving not just traffic, but meaningful results for ecommerce brands and SaaS startups. Our approach involves creating programmatic landing pages and crafting conversion-focused content that attracts the right audience and turns them into paying customers. We've been in-house growth leaders ourselves, so we know how SEO fits into a broader performance marketing system. We look at SEO through a performance marketing lens, ensuring every dollar you invest delivers real ROI. If you're ready to make SEO a growth channel that drives sales and lowers your customer acquisition costs, consider partnering with Pattern.