Search engine optimisation agencies are hired by you to provide SEO services, but how can you be sure they will deliver?
There have been many complaints by companies in the past of SEO agencies ‘over promising and not being able to deliver’.
It is on some occasions not the agency’s fault as search algorithms may change and successful tactics may no longer works, but you need to be able to trust them to overcome these issues and communicate everything so you aren’t left in the dark and out of pocket.
Here are the six main questions that will help you make the decision of whether an SEO agency is right for your company or not:
1. Can I speak to one of your current customers, in a similarly competitive sector, who has been with you for two or more years?
Many companies will have case studies and recommendations on their website, but you will find speaking with one of their customers directly will give you a better rounded and honest perspective of the agency you want to work with.
If an agency is not excited by this or doesn’t seem able to find someone willing to speak to you then I would take this to be a bad sign and start to look around at other agencies.
2. Can we meet with the entire team who will be working on our account?
Many SEO companies will outsource certain elements of the SEO work, such as link building and content writing, which can lead to a lack of quality control, especially if the content outsources overseas.
It is important to arrange an appointment with the team who would be working on your account, including those working on off page SEO such as content creating and link building, as you want to meet face to face the people responsible for your company’s online reputation.
3. Why do we have to sign up for 12 or 24 months, with no break out clause in the contract?
Because SEO can take time to implement and take effect, and SEO agency may as your to sign a long contract to ensure they have enough time to deliver the promised results.
But realistically you should see some form of positive impact, albeit maybe not the full promised results, within the first 6 months of working with the agency.
If this is not the case then their strategies are not working for you and you would most likely want out of the contract. For this reason, a good agency should have no issues in offering a mutual get out clause in the contract, knowing that they have sound strategies and are confident they can deliver.
4. Who is the biggest SEO client you have lost in the past 12 months and why?
All SEO agencies will lose clients occasionally, but as a potential new client you want to understand what the circumstances were regarding any clients that have been lost. If the agency is honest and open with their answer, it is a good gauge of their honesty and transparency when working with clients and their confidence in their work to be able to tell you this information.
5. Can you guarantee our SEO performance?
If an SEO agency are willing to guarantee their performance, then they are likely to over promise and under deliver. A good agency knows there are many variables that are not in the control of the client or themselves, therefore nothing is written in stone where SEO is concerned and any guarantees would not stand up.
6. What do we actually get for our monthly fee?
This question links back to meeting the team. You want to know who is doing what physical work to determine exactly where your monthly fee will be going. If you are happy that the projected outcomes of the work and the amount of work done by the agency are in line with the monthly fee, then all is well.
