17 Must-Ask Questions for Hiring an SEO Company

Many businesses dream of being the top result on Google. It seems simple, right? Just a few keywords, some links, and bam. But often, after waiting and searching for months, nothing changes. That’s when it’s time to call in an expert.

Picture this: You’re on a quest to find the best SEO agency. With so many options out there, how do you know which one is truly expert? Well, we’ve got you covered with 11 important questions you should ask to find the perfect fit for your business. Let’s dive in and find out what makes a great SEO company.

How do you define success for SEO?

Defining success in SEO can vary from person to person. Some folks think it’s all about getting your website to rank high in search results and getting lots of visitors. Others believe success means getting more leads and making more money. When you’re looking to hire an SEO company, it’s crucial to ask them how they measure success in SEO.

You want to find a company that:

Asks you how you think about success in SEO. This shows they care about your goals and what you want to achieve.
Shares your ideas about what makes SEO successful. It’s important to be on the same page as the company you’re working with. If you both have the same goals, it’s easier to work together and make things happen.

It’s like teamwork – when everyone’s on the same page, things tend to go smoother. So, when you’re picking an SEO company, make sure they understand your vision for success in SEO. That way, you can work together towards reaching your goals.

How do you make sure you follow the rules and avoid any penalties or blacklisting?

The field of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) changes a lot, so even the best experts can make mistakes. However, you should hire an agency that knows how to handle any problems that might come up, like penalties or blocks.

You should ask questions to make sure the SEO agency you hire uses ethical methods. Ethical SEO practices are the right way to improve your website’s visibility without causing problems. Here are some things to consider:

Ethical SEO Practices: These are methods that follow the rules set by search engines. They help your website rank higher without breaking any guidelines.
Handling Penalties: Sometimes, websites can get penalized if they don’t follow the rules. A good SEO agency knows how to fix these issues.
Avoiding Blocks: Blocks happen when search engines prevent your website from appearing in search results. Ethical practices help avoid this.

When will the results become visible?

If you hire an SEO firm, one of your main questions might be when you will see results. Usually, you will hear that SEO takes time. You might not see any results for about three months. However, it can take up to six months to see significant changes.

Experienced companies have the tools to achieve good results, but they need to consider various steps and measurements.

When you are looking for the best SEO agency, be careful of those that promise instant results. Even if you see a quick jump in your rankings, those techniques might have long-term problems.

Instead of choosing an SEO company that promises instant results, pick one that gives you a clear and detailed explanation.

For example, a good agency will check how competitive your area is before making a plan. Based on what they find, they will create a list of tasks:

Keyword mapping
Strategy document
List of technical improvements
List of links
Monthly report sample

How do you keep up with and adapt to Google’s algorithm updates and changes?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is always changing. To stay effective, SEO agencies should keep up with the latest trends and updates. Here’s how they can do that:

Attending Conferences: SEO experts go to events where they learn about new trends and changes.
Participating in Online Forums: They join online groups to discuss updates and share knowledge.

Google, the biggest search engine, changes its algorithm almost every day. These changes can affect how websites rank in search results. Sometimes, SEO agencies need to react quickly to these changes. Other times, they need to adjust their strategies to fit new rules.

Because of this, it’s necessary to ask an SEO agency how they handle these updates. The agency you hire should always be aware of the latest changes in the SEO world.

Agencies that stay updated can:

Maintain Website Rankings: They keep your website ranking high even with ongoing changes.
Adjust Strategies: They can quickly change their plans to match new rules.
Keep Clients Ahead: They ensure your website stays ahead of others in search results.

If an SEO agency doesn’t stay informed, they might use old methods that no longer work. This could hurt your website’s ranking and visibility.

Can you share examples of past successful SEO campaigns or clients you’ve partnered with?

When choosing an SEO agency, you should check if they can deliver the results you’re looking for. Here are some steps that can help you to check this:

Ask for Case Studies: After hearing about what results they expect, request to see examples of their past work. While not all agencies have case studies, they can give you an idea of what kind of results you might see.
Understand the Context: Keep in mind that case studies often highlight the best results. The numbers in the case study may not be typical for every client.
Look for Recent Examples: SEO has changed a lot in the past few years, so newer case studies are more relevant. Case studies from 2-3 years ago are okay, but anything older might not reflect current trends.

For instance, in one case study, a client saw a huge increase in website traffic after using SEO and content marketing. However, this might not be typical for every client.

Track Record Matters: Examining past successes is crucial when choosing an SEO agency. Look for examples that demonstrate their expertise and clear success.
Industry Experience: It’s a bonus if the agency has worked with different industries. This shows they have the knowledge and experience to handle various types of businesses.

Which SEO tools and technologies do you employ for analysis and tracking progress?

SEO agencies use special tools to help improve your website. These tools help them understand your data and make your website better. Some common tools that the best SEO companies use include Ahrefs and Semrush, which are paid platforms.

Sometimes, an SEO agency might use a unique or exclusive tool. If they do, it’s good to ask some questions about it, such as:

Is this tool created by someone else but rebranded for your agency (white-label), or is it made by your agency (proprietary)?
Will I be able to use this tool?
Where does the tool get its data from?
Is the data from my business safe when using this tool?
Can you show me how this tool works with a demonstration?

By asking these questions, you can understand more about the tool’s purpose and how it helps your website. It’s also helpful to do some research on the tool afterward and prepare more questions for your next meeting with the SEO agency.

SEO specialists use these tools to analyze your website, look at backlinks, check how your competitors are doing, and more. The tools they choose can greatly affect the success of your SEO strategy. Knowing about both well-known tools like Ahrefs and Surfer SEO, as well as less common but effective tools, shows that an agency has strong expertise and a flexible approach to SEO.

For example, Orbeen uses various tools and technologies to evaluate your website and help it rank better on search engines. Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and Moz are commonly used in the industry. These tools provide valuable insights that help agencies make better decisions and improve strategies for better results.

Can we access real-time analytics and reporting to monitor campaign performance?

You should have access to real-time analytics and reporting to see how well your SEO campaigns are doing. This access allows you to understand the data clearly and make informed decisions based on accurate information.

With real-time insights, you can spot areas that need improvement, track your progress, and adjust your strategies to achieve better results. When you can use these tools, you may feel more confident about the success of your campaigns.

As a result, you are likely to be pleased with the SEO services provided by the agency.

What’s your link-building strategy for quality backlinks?

Backlinks are very important in SEO because they help your website rank higher in search engines. However, getting backlinks must be done carefully to avoid low-quality links that can harm your website’s reputation. You should focus on getting high-quality backlinks, which come from well-respected websites. This helps build a good image for your website and can attract more customers.

When hiring an SEO company, ask about their approach to developing your website. Make sure they include a strategy for building high-quality backlinks. A clear link-building plan improves your website’s authority and visibility in search engine results.

Good backlinks from trusted sources improve your website’s credibility and trustworthiness. This leads to better search engine rankings and more visitors to your site. High-quality backlinks come from websites that are relevant to your content and have strong authority. These links show search engines that your content is valuable and important. They also help establish your website as a trusted source in your industry.

It’s important to work with an SEO agency that values quality over quantity in link building. Ask them about their methods for earning high-quality backlinks and how they avoid bad practices that could harm your site. Some bad practices include using spammy content or link farms. These might temporarily boost your visibility, but search engines like Google will eventually penalize or even remove sites that use such tactics.

Backlinks are a key part of Google’s algorithm. Without quality backlinks, it’s hard to improve your ranking on Google. You can compare your domain authority with your competitors to see how well you might rank. Tools like Moz can show you recently discovered links to your site, helping you track your progress.

If an SEO company says they are building backlinks for you, ask to see the backlink profile. This lets you check if the links are legitimate. Since Google started with its PageRank algorithm, backlinks have been a crucial part of SEO. PageRank treats each backlink as a vote of confidence in your site, making quality links more valuable than many low-quality ones.

Be wary of SEO providers that don’t pursue high-quality backlinks or that use secretive methods. Avoid any company that talks about “forum signatures” or “link directories,” as these methods are outdated and ineffective.

A good SEO company will openly discuss their link-building strategies. If a company refuses to share their methods, claiming they are proprietary, be cautious. Some agencies may promise to build thousands of links quickly, but these links might come from low-quality sites and won’t be beneficial.

Focus on getting quality links from authoritative sites in your industry. These links should be relevant to your content. For example, if you run a health website, links from health-related sites are more valuable than links from unrelated sites. Publishing excellent content consistently will naturally attract more positive backlinks.

Remember, links are essential for an SEO strategy, especially if you’re new to digital marketing. Google uses links as votes of confidence. When a trusted website links to yours, it signals to Google that your site is reliable.

However, not all links are equal. A good SEO company will seek links from the most reputable websites in your industry, boosting your own site’s reputation. Be cautious of agencies that use “black hat techniques,” like buying spammy links or using bulk-directory listings, as these can damage your website in the long run.

What will be your KPIs and how do you measure successes of your SEO campaign?

Measuring how well SEO campaigns work is really important for showing clients that the agency is doing a good job. They look at things like how much traffic comes from search engines and how many people buy things after visiting the website.

This helps clients see if the agency’s strategies are working and if they’re getting real results.

When you’re choosing an SEO agency, it’s smart to ask them how they measure success. You want to make sure they’re not just looking at numbers, but at how those numbers help your business.

The goals of the SEO agency should match what your business wants to achieve. They should focus on things like getting more people to visit your site, ranking higher for important keywords, and getting more people to buy your products or services.

It’s also important to ask how often they give you reports and how they explain the information. Understanding the data helps you see if the agency is doing a good job.

Some important things to look at are how much traffic comes from search engines, where your website shows up when people search for certain words, and how many people leave your site right away without doing anything

A good SEO agency will explain how these things connect to your business goals. Learning about these things can help you take charge of your own success.

One thing to be careful of is only focusing on one number, like Domain Authority. This number can be misleading if it’s only based on low-quality links.

Remember, it’s really important for the agency to focus on numbers that help your business grow and succeed.

How does your agency measure SEO’s effectiveness and ROI compared to other marketing strategies?

SEO is like a compass that guides companies on their journey to success in the digital world. One important question to ask an SEO agency is about the return on investment (ROI), which helps you see if their SEO efforts are worth it compared to other marketing strategies.

While things like radio ads or TV commercials can be effective, SEO stands out because it’s affordable and has long-term benefits. According to HubSpot’s State of Inbound Marketing Trends report, SEO is the second most effective way to get new customers after social media. Many businesses use SEO because it brings in organic leads and visitors.

When you combine SEO with other marketing tactics, it can have lasting effects, unlike paid ads. Adding SEO to your marketing plan can set your company up for success in the long run.

Understanding the ROI of SEO involves looking at both numbers and the quality of the results. Metrics like more organic traffic, better search rankings, and higher conversion rates are important. But it’s also about the value of the traffic and how engaged people are with your website.

SEO is a long-term strategy, so it takes time to see results. Unlike pay-per-click ads that show immediate results, SEO builds steady growth. It’s important to track how your website performs before and after using SEO techniques. This helps you see the impact on things like traffic and user engagement.

You should also compare the cost of SEO services with the benefits you get. This includes not just the money you make directly but also things like building trust with customers and improving your brand’s reputation.

A good SEO agency will give you reports that show how their efforts are helping you reach your business goals. This helps you understand what’s working and what’s not, so you can make changes as needed.

Overall, understanding the ROI of SEO is about looking at the big picture and always trying to improve. By using data to measure success and making regular assessments, your business can keep growing and adapting in the digital world.

Can you explain your SEO approach and how it will help my website?

Understanding how an agency handles SEO is like figuring out its path through a jungle. You should know if they focus on one thing, like link building, or if they have a full strategy covering technical SEO, content, and user experience.

A good SEO agency won’t promise instant success. If they do, be cautious. Make sure their methods are thorough and match your needs. Every SEO company does things differently, but they should be able to explain their processes clearly. Don’t hesitate to ask for details about what they do at each stage.

For example:

If they mention doing an SEO audit, ask what it involves.
If they talk about keyword research, ask how they pick the right keywords.
If they mention technical SEO, ask what that means.
If you’re still unsure, ask for more explanation. They should be able to explain things in simple terms.

To understand their strategies better, ask them to break down the essential parts of what they do. Give them a specific problem and see how they’d solve it. This shows how they apply their knowledge to help your business grow.

Usually, SEO involves these steps:

Technical Audit: Checking your website’s technical parts to make sure it’s set up for SEO.
Keyword Research: Finding the best words to use in your content.
Content Creation: Making interesting, high-quality material for your audience.
Content Optimization: Tweaking your content to rank higher in searches.
Backlink Building: Getting good links from other trustworthy sites to boost your website’s authority.

Understanding these steps helps you pick the right SEO partner to boost your website’s traffic and popularity.

After knowing how long it’ll take to see results, ask about their plans to improve your rankings. Look for a company that offers a detailed list of how they’ll do it.

A good SEO agency will start by auditing your site to find out where you stand. They’ll research keywords to use, fix any issues with your site, and work on getting quality links for you. Both internal and external links are important for boosting your SEO rankings.

How will you conduct keyword research for my business?

Understanding SEO might seem tricky, but it’s important to learn about key aspects like keyword research and content optimization. These elements help you gauge the expertise of an SEO consultant.

A reputable SEO agency will openly discuss the tools they use, such as AHrefs, SEMrush, and Mo. During keyword research, they consider factors like search volume, competition, and user intent.

A skilled SEO team prioritizes finding relevant keywords. They analyze competitors’ strategies and trending topics, focusing on terms commonly used by real users. Keyword research is fundamental for SEO success, so it’s crucial to inquire about the agency’s approach and tools.

Ensure the agency selects keywords that attract potential customers. Keywords are foundational to an effective SEO strategy. Ask about their methods for finding keywords, including short and long-tail variations, and how they determine relevance based on user search behavior.

Your SEO partner should recommend popular keywords for your site. You can also explore related terms at the bottom of Google search results or ask if they utilize tools like SEM Rush for keyword discovery.

Selecting the right keywords requires thorough analysis. It’s not just about popularity but understanding user intent and competition levels.

A reliable agency considers user search behavior and assesses keyword competitiveness. They prioritize keywords that align with your business goals and target audience.

Inquire about their process for understanding user intent and assessing keyword competitiveness. This reveals their proficiency in modern SEO techniques.

Understanding the agency’s keyword selection process ensures they’re equipped to meet your business needs.

What’s your content strategy for fulfilling user intent?

Content is a big deal in the world of SEO. The SEO agency needs to keep working on making better content strategies.

This means making content that matches what people are looking for online, so they come to your site and stay there. Having more people visit your site means you get a higher ranking on search engines.

Content is super important for SEO because it helps decide where your site shows up in search results. Make sure the agency cares about making good, relevant content that fits what people want. Ask them how they come up with ideas for content, how they make it better for search engines, and how they share it on social media and other places.

Having good, well-optimized content is a must for SEO. Make sure to ask how they plan to share your content on different platforms like social media and email. While many SEO companies write blogs, you should think about whether those blogs really help your business.

Some people think just having a blog is enough for SEO, but it’s not. Your blog should answer questions your customers might have that aren’t already on your site.

There’s less competition for questions like “what to ask your SEO company before hiring them” compared to just “SEO company,” but these questions still bring in people who are interested in your services. Even though fewer people search for these kinds of questions, they’re more likely to become customers. Plus, you can rank high for these questions not just locally, but across the country.

Content is a big part of SEO, and knowing how an agency plans to handle it is important. Asking about their content strategy helps you see if it matches your brand and what your customers need. A good content strategy includes finding the right keywords, understanding what your customers want, and making content that’s valuable to them.

They should also have a plan for sharing and promoting your content to reach more people. A good SEO agency makes a content strategy that boosts your ranking and makes your customers happier.

How often will you send the reports of progress?

When you’re working with an SEO company, it’s like having a coach for your website. Just like in sports, you want to know how your team is doing, right? That’s why you must ask about the reports they’ll give you.

Before you start working with an SEO company, ask them how often they’ll send you reports. Will you get them every month? Every week? It’s important to know when you’ll hear from them.

A good SEO company will show you reports regularly. You can ask to see an example of what they send to their other clients. Also, ask them what important stuff they track in their reports.

It’s a good sign if they use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Moz. These tools help keep track of things like how many other websites link to yours, where you show up in Google searches, and how many people visit your site.

You should also make sure you can access these tools yourself to double-check what the SEO company tells you.

The best SEO companies look at things like how many other sites link to yours, where you show up in Google, and if more people are visiting your site. They might even tie these numbers to how much money your business makes.

It’s not just about getting reports, though. You want to make sure you understand what’s in them. So, ask if they can explain everything in a way that makes sense to you. You don’t want to get a report full of fancy words that you don’t understand.

When you’re starting out, it’s a good idea to make a list of words that are important to your business. This way, you can see if your site is getting better over time. For example, if you’re a cricket coach in Melbourne, you’d want to know if your site is showing up when people search for “Melbourne cricket training.”

But don’t make the list too complicated. Some SEO companies make reports that are so confusing, even the business owners can’t understand them. It’s better to keep it simple and focus on the most important things.

Getting regular reports from your SEO company is like checking your progress in a game. It helps you see if your website is getting better and if your business is growing. So, make sure you ask about reports before you start working with an SEO company.

Who will I talk to for my project, and how will we communicate?

When it comes to communicating from the agency you are going to hire, make sure you know who will be talking with you and how they’ll reach out. If there’s no assigned person to talk to or if they assign someone who’s still learning, it might not be the best fit.

For a successful partnership, you need a clear person to talk to and decide on the best way to communicate, like through emails or phone calls. Ask the SEO agency how they’ll get in touch with you, whether it’s by phone, email, or video chat. Also, the agency must confirm how often they would communicate, like weekly, monthly, or quarterly. This way, everyone stays on the same page about what’s happening and what the results are.

At Orbeen, we believe in keeping you in the know at all times. We make sure our communication is clear and transparent, so you’re always aware of the strategies and methods we’re using for your project.

What metrics do you monitor?

SEO involves some technical aspects, but you don’t have to know everything about it. However, most SEO companies will likely tell you that they keep track of a few key things:

Rankings: It’s important to know where your website stands in search engine results for specific keywords. You should receive reports that show if your site is moving up or down in the rankings.
Traffic: Another important aspect is how many people are visiting your website from search engines. You should get reports that compare your search traffic over a certain period, like a month or a year, to previous time frames.
Conversions: This is a fancy word for when visitors to your site take action, like making a purchase or signing up for something. Good SEO companies know that conversions are where the real value lies. Without conversions, all the traffic in the world doesn’t mean much.

All these things are important, however, you can’t have conversions without traffic, and you can’t have traffic without good rankings. If your website is new, it’s a good idea to focus on tracking your rankings until you start showing up on the first page of Google. Once you’re there, you can start tracking traffic and conversions too.

Do your reports include actionable suggestions?

When you’re talking to an SEO agency, it’s really important to ask if they provide actionable insights or recommendations in their reports.

This question helps you figure out if the agency does more than just show you numbers. Getting actionable insights means they take a deep look at the data, understand what it means for your business, and give you practical advice on how to make things better.

If an agency offers this, it shows they’re serious about helping you succeed with SEO.

Reports with actionable recommendations are super helpful because they help you make smart decisions. You’ll understand not just what the numbers say, but why they’re important and how you can use them to do even better. So, next time you’re talking to an SEO agency, don’t forget to ask about those actionable insights.

Final Takes

Finding the right SEO company can make a huge difference for your business. By asking the right questions and finding experts who understand your goals, you can set your website up for success. Remember, SEO is an essential part of digital marketing, and with the right team behind you, you can climb to the top of Google’s rankings and reach more customers than ever before. So, don’t hesitate to do your research and find the perfect SEO partner for your business’s needs.