Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is a method of driving traffic to your website by making your site appear as close to the top spot in search results as possible. SEO a critical component of online marketing. Good SEO can potentially grow a business five to fifteen percent every month and so it is important to choose an SEO company that is a good fit for your business.
Keep in mind these questions to ask before hiring an SEO company.
What reports will I receive, and how often? Many SEO companies will provide reports monthly. Key pieces of information to look for include updates on the search rankings of targeted keywords, how much search traffic was generated compared to the prior month, and how many of those visitors to your site became paying customers.
How many long-term clients do you have? It’s not enough for an SEO company to simply show you a long list of clients. How many of those clients stayed with the company after their initial contract? You want to choose a company whose clients keep coming back because they’re happy with their results.
What is your strategy for link building? A good link-building plan should focus on quality, not necessarily quantity. A good SEO firm should be able to show examples of the link building they’ve done and explain how they obtained the links. Avoid any firm that mentions buying links. Paid links may yield short-term results, but they can cause search engines to penalise your site.
Do you focus on high-quality content? Search engines are awarding higher rankings to sites that provide valuable content to their readers. It’s no longer enough to simply stuff an article with a lot of keywords. Your SEO firm should focus on delivering content that’s relevant to your business and of high interest to your customers, and keep them wanting to come back for more. Find out how the SEO firm you’re considering plans to integrate SEO with your company’s overall inbound marketing plan.
How do you select which keywords to target? Your SEO agency should be able to recommend keywords based on a variety of factors, not simply how often they’re searched. Your industry, competition, and the time needed to gain results should all be considered.
How soon can I expect to see results? SEO is a long-term investment, not a quick fix. A good SEO campaign typically takes several months to deliver results. If an SEO company guarantees immediate results, it’s a red flag. They are likely using “black-hat” techniques that can get your site penalised.
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Please contact us to learn more about how Sticky can assist you with your website’s SEO. We specialise in helping leading Australian organisations grow their business online. Here are just a few examples.
