Don’t just jump into an SEO program. So many businesses don’t look before they leap, and they initiate a search engine optimization campaign without really understanding how it works within their whole business model. Here are a few factors to consider when you talk with a search engine optimization company.
1. How Will SEO Fit Into Your Overall Marketing Campaign?
This is the first place to start. What are your overall short- and long-term marketing goals? How will search engine marketing fit into and contribute to those goals? Don’t do SEO just because everyone is doing it; set out with a purpose.
2. What’s the Best Timing?
Before you give your search engine marketing company the go-ahead, consider the timing of your campaign launch. For instance, do you have a slow season and a busy season? Start during the slow months so that you’re more likely to be well-positioned during your boon time. Or, if you’ve got a feeling you’ll be doing a website redesign soon, think about doing the site first. Launching a new site during an SEO campaign can seriously impede your success.
3. Is Your Web Developer Reliable?
A good search engine marketing campaign needs to be fluid, and it requires lots of little adjustments that tend to be very time sensitive. If you don’t have a web developer or web designer, or the one you’re working with isn’t willing to made real-time changes, you should find a search engine marketing company that will be reliable and available.
4. Are You Ready to Create Content?
Every update Google releases only serves to put more emphasis on relevant content. It’s a huge part of SEO, and you may have to provide a hefty amount of content upfront, along with regular content through mediums such as blogging. If you don’t have the capability to keep up with content creation, talk with a professional copywriter or with your search engine marketing company about it.
5. What’s the Return On Investment?
If your search engine marketing company can’t provide you with any estimates on ROI or explain the metrics they use to measure success, strongly consider consulting with another company for a second opinion. Discuss your expectations, and learn about their ROI evaluation methods.
6. Is Your Search Engine Marketing Company a Partner?
Your SEO company cannot make you successful if you tie their hands by only asking them to do one aspect of SEO for you, or by treating them like a vendor. Instead, realize that you are partnering with experts- let them have a complete understanding of your goals and current state of affairs. Let them do what they do best and let them do it with all the information available.
7. How Much Time Does Search Engine Optimization Take?
A good SEO campaign takes time to be effective, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. Most of the time, you’re looking at 6 months minimum to start seeing results, so if you’re jumping into SEO in October so that you can finish the year well, you’ll probably be disappointed.
In order for your SEO campaign to be effective, you have to be involved, and you have to work with your SEO company as a team. Partnership and good communication is key, so if you’ve worked with someone who couldn’t deliver that, find someone who will. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
What other questions would you ask before launching a search engine optimization campaign?
