7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an SEO Professional

If you are looking to hire an SEO (search engine optimization) professional for your business, it’s important to talk over all of your options first. The wrong SEO professional can actually negatively affect your online reputation and rankings.

Here are seven questions to keep in mind before hiring an SEO professional or company:

1. 1. What is your experience?

This includes their length of experience in SEO, but also their experience in your specific industry. If you have a very specific field, experience in this area will go a long way. This is especially true if you are targeting a specific geographical location.

1. 1. Which services are offered?

You might only be looking for SEO services, but you likely need the full range of content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, and more. You can use different companies for all of these things, but you can maximize efficiency by sticking with one company for all of them. This is easier to manage and provides uniform work, goals, and strategy. It also saves you time because there are fewer points of contact.

1. 1. What are your social media profiles?

It’s standard for an SEO or online marketing company to be active on their social media pages and blog. If not, it’s a red flag that they are neglecting some of the more important industry practices for themselves.

1. 1. What are the methods used?

Some SEO companies use temporary methods to boost search result rankings. However, Google does not trust these methods and they do not work for long. Look for an SEO company that uses best standards and ask about what you should be expecting. This usually means gradual traffic increases because SEO is a long term game. Minimize risks to your business by staying with an ethical company.

1. 1. Is there a portfolio?

A portfolio will allow you to look at other companies that are using the service. You can use this chance to verify that the company has experience in your industry. If other clients do not wish to be identified, a portfolio may not be available. In this case, there should be case studies ready to show you to verify effectiveness.

1. 1. How does communication work?

You need to know who you will be able to reach about your account, and how readily. In most cases, it helps to talk with the person actually doing the work rather than just a contact team.

1. 1. Are there reports?

Many companies promise regular reports but do not follow through. Ask how often you will receive reports (monthly is ideal) and then make sure they follow through.
Asking these questions will help put you on the road to finding a company that will make your business grow.