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7 Things You Need to Look for in an SEO Management Company

When you look at SEO practices for the first time, it can look intimidating and challenging. But, if you have the right SEO company helping you out, then it’s a walk in the park. Choosing a full-service search engine optimisation company is difficult; choosing a superb search engine optimisation company.…

By Pawan Kumar
October 11, 2017

When you look at SEO practices for the first time, it can look intimidating and challenging. But, if you have the right SEO company helping you out, then it’s a walk in the park. Choosing a full-service search engine optimisation company is difficult; choosing a superb search engine optimisation company. It can be difficult to find a company with whom you can work on something as important as your online image, but there are plenty of possibilities. Don't worry if you're not sure how to hire an SEO firm. Take a look at some key considerations that can assist you in making the best decision. #1. Be sure of what you want Do you have a to-do list? Or is it about a one-off assignment? Are you looking at ongoing SEO, link removal, an SEO audit, reputation management, link building, retargeting, PPC management, or any of the other services offered by SEO services companies? If you’re still wondering what is required, give it a think-over and come up with a list that needs to be taken care of. Is it sales growth that you aim to undertake next year, or do you wish to increase leads in the coming six months? Do you want to see your ranking increase, or do you want to feel satisfied that someone out there is doing SEO for you? Make sure you know what you want from your SEO management company. It will only help you determine your success once you associate with them. Have a goal in mind, and let the SEO company know about it. If you don’t know whether your SEO efforts will be successful or not, how will you manage to have a successful relationship with the SEO management company?

#2. Don’t make the job posting easy

You can figure out a lot about an SEO management company through your job posting itself, by setting up hurdles for the companies that apply. If they do not think about it too much and simply jump over them, then you know it is the best choice to pick the company up. This will also help you distinguish good applicants from bad ones without even poring over their resumes. Attention to detail is immensely important in SEO, and if this is compromised, then the results would be disastrous. Your Google traffic can be impacted by SEO which does not pay attention to detail. Coming to the applications, a careful review would go a long way in making the right choice. Typos, grammatical errors, or content goof-ups in the application would mean a lack of attention to detail in the very first step itself. This spells trouble, and taking the engagement further will not lead to acceptable results. You could also set up a problem-solution situation for the applicants that would demonstrate competence as well as the ability to solve problems. Do not consider applicants who do not adhere to your instructions. Not complying with your requests portrays a dreary picture of the SEO company, which shows a disregard for rules and regulations.

#3. Test your job postings

A/B split testing can be used fantastically to attract applicants. If you’ve been in marketing for a long, you know what we’re talking about. If you look at it from a new perspective, you’ll realize that job postings are pretty much comparable to PPC ads. You can use your imagination and creativity to optimise the postings with image and copy changes as and when required. Your workload will be lessened by a considerable amount if you manage to attract the right kind of SEO companies. If you wish to include the salary levels in the first round of tests itself, then you can try removing them in the later ones. Use words that resonate with the people who are applying, and make sure that the content and imagery are not ambiguous.

#4. SEO Company's portfolio and case studies

An out-of-the-box SEO management business is capable of flawless tactical and creative implementation. This method will assist you in determining what the SEO services firm is all about and what it represents. Examine the specifics of what an SEO business has done for other clients before choosing them. You may get a basic sense of their style and the types of results their clients achieve by looking at their portfolio and case studies. Find how they combine SEO with other services like pay-per-click (PPC), social media, and web design.

#5. Use tricky questions

Tricky questions will never bother a candidate who is good at his/her work. These questions are designed to trap those who pretend to know it all. These bookish people may come up with best theoretical practices, but SEO is more than that – it is about taking care of metrics like testing, measuring, agility, reacting, and dealing with an ever-evolving industry. To know more about your candidates, you could go for queries like: How do you optimise meta keywords? The smart candidate would know that it makes no difference even if one does not optimise the meta keywords because it has no significance for Google. The meta descriptions have no bearing even on the rankings. The candidate should know the basic difference between Penguin and Panda. While Penguin is all about links of low-quality, Panda is about content that is low-quality. If you went in to ask what a good keyword density was and the answer was anything but that then it’s a worthless metric to go for; you know you’re barking up the wrong tree.

#6. Schedule A Consultation

It's critical to meet with the SEO firm before you consider signing the contract. You might even request that an SEO expert join the conversation so that you can learn more about the process and possibly meet the individual you'll be working with regularly. Getting a consultation will allow you to learn more about algorithm upgrades, best practices, and industry news. So, if a candidate has trouble answering questions, seeking consultation is a good idea. Similarly, if someone tampers with systems or acts outside of established norms, scheduling a consultation is a good idea.

#7. Go for a trial period

So, you have finally found the right candidate. One who is capable of adding value to your company with her/his skills and the one who inspires confidence in you. You want to create a long-term relationship, but first, you should give it a try. This will show you how they perform in real life. The trial should be about handing over responsibilities to the candidate that are well-defined and clear. With projects and assignments to complete in a stipulated time frame, you will also get to know their pressure-handling attitudes. Their duties should also be connected to their values. Once you have invested time and effort in aligning personal values to the job duties, you will notice enhanced performance as well as loyalty from the candidates you have chosen.

Wrapping up

It might take more than a few months to hire the right SEO company, but you will realize that it’s well worth the efforts and see what it can manage to do to your brand and your business. With the ever-evolving digital landscape moving at light speed, getting the right SEO management company on board would probably be one of the wisest business decisions you will ever make. Take note of the tips mentioned above, and you’ll figure that you’ve done yourself a great favour that will transform the landscape of your business.

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