It is every entrepreneur’s dream to achieve record sales and booming popularity. Having your business in the first page of search engine results is an important fete in the digital marketing world. According to a recent study, approximately half of website owners fail to properly utilize their potential online market. Furthermore, more than three-quarters of shoppers use the internet as their main source of research when looking to buy new goods and services. It is important for you to hire an SEO expert who will be able to help your business to achieve a high ranking for specific keywords on search engine result pages (SERPs). Here are 7 vital questions that you should ask yourself when hiring an SEO professional:
- What is your level of experience?
An SEO professional’s experience can be measured by how long they have been in operation. Their experience can also be measured by how many clients they have served in a specific amount of time. Some companies might not have been in operation for a very long time, however in their short existence, they have achieved major fetes. An experienced SEO company is in the best position to provide high quality services that will meet your expectations. As a general rule, the longer the company has been in business, the better the services you can expect to receive. A well-established SEO company is aware of the emerging and latest trends in the world of SEO thus they are able to offer unique services that are tailored to your needs. When it comes to Google Algorithms, it is important for you to find a company that is highly-experienced in tackling this robust aspect of SEO.
- What specific strategies do you use to improve a site’s ranking?
This is another important question that you should ask before hiring an SEO professional. Ensure that the company is able to give you a comprehensive account of the specific techniques that they intend to use in order to improve your company’s ranking on SERPs. Be wary of any company that is hiding the details of their operation. Since this might be an indication that they use black-hat strategies which could lead to serious penalties.
- Can you guarantee that my business will always appear at the top of search engine results?
This is a somewhat misleading question which will help you to trap rogue SEO professionals. A sincere and honest SEO company will tell you that the SEO world offers no guarantees. Even with the best SEO strategies and advanced technology, there is no way to guarantee that your business will always achieve the highest ranking in SERPs. This is because Google Algorithms are extremely complex and ever-changing. The main role of an SEO professional should be to audit your company’s website, ensure that it fully conforms to the set guidelines and finally employ legal SEO techniques that will help your business to achieve better rankings.
- Do you provide local SEO services?
As a local business, there are many ways in which you can benefit from local SEO. By appearing in the local listings for search engine websites such as Yahoo, Google and Bing, your business will be able to achieve higher conversion rates which ultimately leads to better sales. Always ensure that your business location is stated on your website and other online platforms. A good SEO professional should be highly skilled in local SEO.
- How will I be able to know the whether your SEO strategies are working?
Monitoring and evaluation is a very important aspect of SEO. For most businesses, it might take several trials before you discover which specific strategies actually work for your company. Thus, you should hire an SEO professional who uses top notch analytic tools to monitor the progress of different SEO campaigns.
- How will I be able to get in touch with your SEO Company?
The SEO Company should have clear communication channels that allow you to make any inquires or lodge complaints whenever something isn’t working properly. They should also offer you regular updates and progress reports.
- What type of changes can I anticipate to see on my website?
Finally, you should inquire about the specific changes that you can expect to see on your company’s website. The right SEO professional should be able to enact changes that are completely in line with your website’s unique objectives.
