When you are so far entrenched in your own business, sometimes it can be difficult to manage your digital footprint. You may know how to describe things on a very technical level, but that is only going to get you an audience among people already in your market. Unless you are catering to other businesses in your field, this isn’t going build your customer base. In part, this is why hiring an SEO consultant is such a good idea.
An SEO consultant works closely with your business to understand it, but comes at it with fresh eyes and a different perspective. You are the expert in your field and we are the experts in ours, so when we meld the two we are able to establish an online presence that brings in customers.
Why Use An SEO Consultant:
While you may be fully able to do your own research, we’ve even provided a lot of resources right here on our blog, you probably won’t be able to replicate what a dedicated SEO consultant can do. It’s the equivalent of watching a YouTube video on how to change a transmission and taking it to an auto-mechanic who does it for a living. It may be cheaper and you may be able to get your car running, but there’s going to be a lot of headaches along the way.
SEO consultants, like us, specialize in using predicative forecasts, tools, and a general understanding of SEO’s inner workings to improve website traffic and business growth. The basic principles of SEO may not be too difficult to grasp, but they are very difficult to master and implement as a whole.
Before You Hire an SEO Consultant:
Before you sign the dotted line, we really want you to consider your online needs. First you should determine the following:
- What goals would you like to achieve by expanding (or starting) your online presence?
- Are you realistic with your expectations?
- If you think your consultant can dive right in and make you appear first on Google, you are going to be very disappointed by the results. SEO takes time to cultivate.
- What challenges does your online business face?
- Does your business have enough resources to develop keyword research, write your website content, build links, or make the necessary technical changes?
- Does the SEO consultant you are talking to have experience in your market?
- Hiring a consultant that is familiar with your market means they are better suited to build a strong SEO campaign.
The Benefits of Using an SEO Consultant:
If you are meeting with an SEO consultant, you should know what services they offer and how they will apply them to your website. If you aren’t aware of what services you should be looking for, the following are industry standard:
- Keyword research and implementation
- Content revisions (existing content and new)
- The ability to create new pages where necessary
- Develop keyword rich content (pages, posts, images, etc.)
- Link building (internal and external)
- Website traffic tracking
- Monthly reports
Some may offer more services than this, but every consultant should at least offer the above. If they don’t then it’s time to look elsewhere.
Now that you know which services will be applied, you should have a better understanding of what goes into developing a strong SEO campaign. The advantages of using an SEO consultant versus navigating your own search engine optimization are the following:
- Since consultants do this so often, they are able to provide a comprehensive approach to targeting the most effective keywords and phrases.
- SEO consultants are able to look at your website and know exactly what methods are needed to best optimize your site, what the costs are likely to be, and what content will produce the best results.
- Consultants are able to provide clear goals and realistic objectives for your website. A good SEO consultant will never feed your head with lofty expectations that cannot be achieved in a realistic time frame or manner.
- It is their job to stay up to date on new trends and changes in SEO.
- They can target your audience with relevant content that will get them in the door and making a purchase.
- Lastly, they can provide expert advice and analysis should your business not have the exact budget to hire an SEO full time.
Why You Shouldn’t Hire an SEO Consultant:
This may sound counterintuitive since we are attempting to provide you with adequate information to hire us or another expert, but there are times when you shouldn’t hire an SEO consultant. Outside of budgetary constraints, the following are examples of why you should turn your attention elsewhere:
- You are looking for instant results that garner you traffic. SEO takes time and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you.
- Search engine marketing may be what you need if you’re looking to make a splash in a hurry.
- The consultant you are talking to is promising you the world. If they tell you that they can make your website appear first or even on the first page of major search engines, they’re likely not a reputable source. While you’ll eventually appear on the first page by optimizing all of your content and website, it’s going to take time.
- So if they are promising you these things, it’s certainly a case of “if it sounds to good to be true it probably is.”
Final Thoughts:
Perhaps more so than anything else, SEO has become the essential marketing tool for any business looking to expand their digital footprint. When you hire a consultant to optimize your website, you are hiring them for their past experiences and their industry know-how. It’s better to hire someone who has gone through the motions a thousand times than it is to make all of the costly mistakes yourself. So if you do plan on hiring an SEO consultant, make sure you hire one that has a wealth of knowledge and practice. Like us, of course.
