How to Choose the Right SEO Agency

How to choose an SEO agency

There are thousands of agencies you can select to run your SEO. How do you know you’re picking the right one? Run your short list of agencies through this gut check and make sure you get one that will deliver. (FYI Seer can also help connect you to the right partner even if it’s not us. Drop us a line)

What you should be hearing during the intro call

They are asking questions to try and identify if your business is right for an SEO agency. (I’ve written about that here.) One of the most regrettable outcomes is working with an agency and not being able to take action on the opportunities.
They want to understand your goals for the year. They look to tie those goals to revenue and they make sure to ask about budgets.
They ask about your marketing channel investment, previous successes/failures in marketing, as well as wanting to understand your tech stack.
You should be hearing yourself answer questions. The agency is qualifying you based on what they know and can be successful at. Your turn is next.
The follow-up from the call should include case studies, blog posts, and other credibility factors that prove they’ve worked and had success in your space.
Whomever is on the call should have a base knowledge of what they’re selling. The less knowledge, the more likely they won’t be able to help you reach your goals.
They mention the importance of timelines because they’ll want to align their work with your goals. If your timeline is "We need results asap", they’ll likely move over to a faster channel like paid search or paid social.

What you don’t want to hear during the intro call

Guaranteed number of keywords ranking, guaranteed number of links, arbitrarily deciding on how much content should be published. They should be able to tell you exactly how they got to any projections shown.
Secret sauce. Black box. Proprietary (and can’t talk details). We talk to Google. Linkbait/linkjuice/linkbuilding.
Can we send you a proposal? No agency will want to send a proposal after the first call and you shouldn’t ask for one.
We can’t share any client names. We can’t share results.
Contracts have no out, you’re locked in for a year because SEO takes time.
A cheap monthly subscription. SEO is not $199 a month. That’s Comcast.

Are there references available?

Any good agency shouldn’t back away from sending you 1-2 references. If they say yes but still have questions, they’re still qualifying if they can help you before investing their clients time speaking with you.

Is there social proof they are experts and can deliver?

Social proof is a great way to get an understanding of an SEO agency’s capabilities. Look for reviews, ratings, and testimonials from past clients. This is the best way to get a good idea of how the agency works and if they can deliver on their promises.

Does their company ethics, character, and team match your company?

It’s important to make sure the company ethics, character, and team of the SEO agency align with your company. Find out what their core values are, what drives them, and how they measure success. This is the best way to make sure the team you are working with is the right fit for your business.

Conclusion

Selecting the right SEO agency requires research and consideration. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the agency’s capabilities and ask the right questions. By following the tips outlined above, you should be able to select the right SEO agency for your business to be successful and NOT have to go through the same process again in a year.

Interested in exploring having Seer serve as your SEO agency? Let's talk!