Building Trust without Hand-Holding: Questions to Ask Before Outsourcing Search Engine Consulting
Published February 10, 2024
I see it all the time: you're ready to increase online visibility with your target audience, but putting a valuable asset into the hands of an expert for search engine consulting paralyzes you.
What if they sell your data to a third party?
What if they destroy your credibility and you end up needing reputation management?
What if it's all flashy web design and terrible html?
What if their search engine optimization strategy is simply keyword research and shady link building that goes nowhere?
Black hat v. White hat?
How can you know before getting started with an SEO consulting company?
Most business owners are the subject matter experts in their industry, but online advertising is a foreign animal. The algorithm to rank well on the search engine results page is always changing.
How can you trust an organization enough to let them do their work without being naive?
If you don't already have a personal relationship with the digital marketing agency, here's a few important questions you can ask before signing up -- and what the answers might mean!
What if they sell your data to a third party?
What if they destroy your credibility and you end up needing reputation management?
What if it's all flashy web design and terrible html?
What if their search engine optimization strategy is simply keyword research and shady link building that goes nowhere?
Black hat v. White hat?
How can you know before getting started with an SEO consulting company?
Most business owners are the subject matter experts in their industry, but online advertising is a foreign animal. The algorithm to rank well on the search engine results page is always changing.
How can you trust an organization enough to let them do their work without being naive?
If you don't already have a personal relationship with the digital marketing agency, here's a few important questions you can ask before signing up -- and what the answers might mean!
1) How do I maintain access to my data during your search engine consulting?
This should be the golden rule for EVERY marketing strategy -- whether it's email marketing, some form of lead generation, search engine optimization, social media, or anything else. You or someone in your office should always have access to your digital assets.
Even if you never intend to go and do anything yourself or look up insight into progress, you should own your Google Business Profile and have access to the dashboard for Google Analytics and Google Search Console. You should also be a user in the content management system (the place like Wordpress where you can edit your website).
Why?
Because if you have a falling out with a digital agency and they are the only ones with access to your digital accounts, good luck getting them back. Enjoy trying to get Google's attention so that you can get your company information back into your hands.
I hope it never comes to that, but if you do nothing else to protect your brand before launching a marketing campaign, protect yourself with access to your accounts. Access can also help you better understand your return on investment: the best marketing is data driven marketing.
And if an agency is offended that you want to have ownership to your own account, that's a red flag.
Even if you never intend to go and do anything yourself or look up insight into progress, you should own your Google Business Profile and have access to the dashboard for Google Analytics and Google Search Console. You should also be a user in the content management system (the place like Wordpress where you can edit your website).
Why?
Because if you have a falling out with a digital agency and they are the only ones with access to your digital accounts, good luck getting them back. Enjoy trying to get Google's attention so that you can get your company information back into your hands.
I hope it never comes to that, but if you do nothing else to protect your brand before launching a marketing campaign, protect yourself with access to your accounts. Access can also help you better understand your return on investment: the best marketing is data driven marketing.
And if an agency is offended that you want to have ownership to your own account, that's a red flag.
2) Do you have any case studies about your search engine consulting?
Sometimes business owners approach a conversation with digital agencies as if they're hiring an employee. They think they should ask for references or client information.
But take a moment for understanding an SEO agency and their clients. Ideally, you should be working with a consulting firm: someone who has helped other businesses grow their web traffic with copywriting, content strategy, and web design.
But it can be bad form to name another business and their exact numbers. An SEO services consultant wants to respect their customer's privacy.
Especially when that business' experience may or may not relate at all to the services you're negotiating. You have your own business and your own sales goal.
Some agencies might share names, but no details. But better to share details without names as a performance indicator.
If you ask for case studies or a white paper about SEO services, you'll be able to see the data on their skill in search advertising in a clear way for insight into the overall SEO services.
But take a moment for understanding an SEO agency and their clients. Ideally, you should be working with a consulting firm: someone who has helped other businesses grow their web traffic with copywriting, content strategy, and web design.
But it can be bad form to name another business and their exact numbers. An SEO services consultant wants to respect their customer's privacy.
Especially when that business' experience may or may not relate at all to the services you're negotiating. You have your own business and your own sales goal.
Some agencies might share names, but no details. But better to share details without names as a performance indicator.
If you ask for case studies or a white paper about SEO services, you'll be able to see the data on their skill in search advertising in a clear way for insight into the overall SEO services.
3) Does your search engine consulting business involve custom solutions?
No two businesses are the same, and search engine optimization is a personalized industry. Your SEO should build your brand.
The best practice tools are always the same: market research, keyword research, competitive analysis, link building, content marketing, blog writing, technical SEO, site mapping, image optimization, web development, local search optimization, good user experience, optimized metadata, avoiding duplicate content.
But custom SEO goes hand-in-hand with good search engine optimization strategy. Every SEO marketing consultant should conduct some sort of audit to understand where you are and what's best for you.
What are the keywords for your target market?
What is the competitive landscape within your local search area?
What are the technical issues on your website? Speed? Unindexed content?
SEO experts might offer set service levels at set price points, and that's appropriate and cost effective. Forbes has explored current SEO costs for every budget. You get what you pay for. Be sure the research is done with intelligence and strategy so that it feels customized to your business.
The best practice tools are always the same: market research, keyword research, competitive analysis, link building, content marketing, blog writing, technical SEO, site mapping, image optimization, web development, local search optimization, good user experience, optimized metadata, avoiding duplicate content.
But custom SEO goes hand-in-hand with good search engine optimization strategy. Every SEO marketing consultant should conduct some sort of audit to understand where you are and what's best for you.
What are the keywords for your target market?
What is the competitive landscape within your local search area?
What are the technical issues on your website? Speed? Unindexed content?
SEO experts might offer set service levels at set price points, and that's appropriate and cost effective. Forbes has explored current SEO costs for every budget. You get what you pay for. Be sure the research is done with intelligence and strategy so that it feels customized to your business.
Avoid Risks with a 1:1 Search Engine Consulting Meeting
You don't have to be an expert in search engine optimization. In an ideal world, you can trust your SEO consulting business to do their job and give you updates while you enjoy the increase in internet traffic. No need to micromanage or find all the knowledge about search engine optimization yourself.
You should focus on the strategy for your business, and your SEO consultant will make a plan to use organic search results to help you realize your greater vision. We know it isn't leads for leads' sake. Or even revenue for revenue's sake.
You have a greater mission.I encourage you to put aside any hesitation and schedule a complimentary 1:1 call about an SEO campaign. Your business is your investment. A search engine marketing consultant can grow that investment.
You should focus on the strategy for your business, and your SEO consultant will make a plan to use organic search results to help you realize your greater vision. We know it isn't leads for leads' sake. Or even revenue for revenue's sake.
You have a greater mission.I encourage you to put aside any hesitation and schedule a complimentary 1:1 call about an SEO campaign. Your business is your investment. A search engine marketing consultant can grow that investment.
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