The right SEO specialist can make a huge difference in whether a website sees a flood of traffic or fails to ever get more than the accidental visitor here and there.
There’s no gatekeeping to someone declaring themselves or their agency “experts” in SEO, so how can you tell the real experts who can get results from the so-called experts who can not?
When you know what to look for, it gets much easier to tell the legitimate and high-quality SEO experts versus the imposters. This article teaches the seven things I always look for before hiring an SEO expert.
Let’s dive in!
But First, SEO Expert or Website Operator?
This is a common misconception. Do you need someone that just focuses on SEO or someone that is as more holistic website operator?
SEO experts focus on driving organic traffic to your business. A website operator focuses on driving traffic (organic or not) while improving business monetization (either through conversion optimization, adding new revenue streams, and/or partnerships).
Make sure you understand what you are looking for example.
If you are looking for an operator, check out WebOperators.com; a boutique agency offering management services for online businesses.
Regardless if you need an SEO expert or a website operator, these 7 things are critical when hiring.
Proven Track Record
A proven track record is one of the most important things to look for when hiring an SEO expert. Anyone can do a Google search and list a dozen services or talk about the importance of certain SEO factors – but having the information and turning that information into an effective strategy are two different things!
Any SEO expert needs to have a proven track record. If they’re good at SEO they could even create their websites in multiple niches, rank them, and use those as proof of their ability to rank in Google.
Any agency or expert that can deliver results will have a proven track record that they are eager to share with potential clients.
Experience & References
Experience backed by references is another thing to look for when hiring an SEO expert. A longer track record shows they have consistently found success over the years through multiple Google updates.
A good SEO expert will have no problem providing references from happy clients.
Beware if all the case studies are from the past 9 months. It is possible to use spam/blackhat techniques for a short time to game Google’s search rankings, but these will eventually get caught and punished, often during a core update.
If every single case study they offer is from the last 9 months, that is a major red flag.
Case Studies
In-depth case studies are considered standard in this industry.
Most SEO experts will have multiple case studies available directly on their website, or a section that encourages potential clients to contact them for more in-depth case studies.
These need to show the niche, screenshots to verify traffic numbers, and have a detailed outline of what actions were taken, the results, and the strategy behind it. This is the SEO expert’s chance to really show they know their stuff.
Understanding of Multiple “Types” of SEO
Any SEO service that only talks about one strategy or one type of SEO is one you should stay away from. While certain agencies will have specialties, every SEO expert understands that ranking factors are grouped into three main categories.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO refers to a wide array of ranking factors that are related to the more technical aspect of a site such as code, XML sitemaps, hosting optimization, and schema markup. These are things that a user may never actually see, but they are important things Google and other search engines look at when ranking one site over another.
Getting the technical SEO on a site right takes a lot of skill and is something most SEO experts offer – especially because it’s so hard for most individual website owners to do on their own.
On-Page SEO
Sometimes referred to as “on-site SEO,” this refers to factors like keyword density, quality content, using keywords in the headers, relevant related topics, internal linking, image optimization – basically anything involving the on-page content of the site.
On-Page SEO often involves a heavy combination of editing, page optimization, and new content creation.
Off-Page SEO
Sometimes referred to as “off-site SEO,” this refers to citations, backlinks, brand mentions and the such. This is one of the most well-known aspects of SEO and one of the hardest to do well.
Understanding how SEO experts acquire backlinks is extremely important. Do they use HARO? PBNs? Guest posting?
There are many different ways to get backlinks to help with a website’s off-page SEO but not all of them are good, or consistently effective. This is going to be a crucial part of any SEO expert’s services and it’s important to understand how they are going to go about this.
What’s Their Plan or Process?
Before hiring an SEO expert, get a sense of what their plan or process is. This should include on-page, off-page, and technical SEO as well as a timeline. If the expert offers a free consultation, this is the time to get a lot of details on the process and how it will be customized to work on your specific website.
How Will They Track/Report Progress?
Tracking progress is crucial. This lets you see what you’re getting for your money and is important to make sure that the work is getting results. Do they track traffic, keyword rankings, both?
Knowing when you can expect reports, see the work done, and see the results that are being obtained is an important part of any deal. That data shows actual progress. It’s also important to know this to make sure the client and SEO expert are measuring the same things and are on the same page when it comes to goals & expectations.
Clear Communication
There shouldn’t be any confusion about what an SEO expert is doing, how they’re working on your site, or what progress is being made. You certainly don’t want confusion when it comes to billing or renewal of services.
If an SEO expert is using a lot of muddy language or being evasive in any way instead of giving a direct answer, it’s best to go with another provider.
The same is true if the expert seems exasperated or angry when explaining a little bit more. Some parts of SEO are highly technical, and an expert needs to be able to break that down in simple terms to make sure everyone is clear on what work is being done and what progress can be expected from that.
What’s Promised?
There’s nothing worse than a miscommunication about what was promised. Reputable SEO experts may give educated guesses on jumps in ranking or tell you traffic numbers from case studies, but they are very unlikely to promise a certain traffic jump or set of number 1 rankings in Google.
There are just too many variables to accurately predict those things. A good SEO expert will do the work to make your website look as authoritative as possible – but dealing with Google is never a 100% guarantee.
Why Are They Superior to the Competition?
There are many great SEO experts and agencies out there. Before working with an expert I want to know why they are superior to the competition – why they are confident they can provide the best results for my website or websites.
This is where an SEO expert has a chance to explain what makes them stick out whether it’s unusually strong technical skills to handle any technical SEO, good connections for backlinks, or a high HARO success – whatever their strengths might be.
If an SEO expert struggles to explain what makes their services better or stand out, that’s a serious red flag. Look for an expert who is excited to tell you what sets them apart and why they are a great fit for you.
Final Thoughts
The effects that a good SEO expert can have on a website’s rankings (and traffic) are remarkable. Getting the right expert is going to play a huge part in determining how successful the SEO campaign is going to be.
By paying attention to these 7 important things, you have the tools you need to separate the good SEO experts from those who leave something to be desired and make sure you spend money on a campaign that is far more likely to bring the results you want to see from your SEO professional.
