Any small business interested in hiring their first SEO firm has a lot to figure out. For instance, are there different types of search engine optimization services?
The short answer is yes. There are several different types of search engine optimization (SEO) services. To know which service is right for you, you have to understand what it is and how it can help your company. With that in mind, let’s get started.
What is SEO?
In digital marketing, SEO is the act of increasing your search engine visibility to get your website in front of more people. You want to rank on search engines and focus your results on the demographic that makes the most sense for your industry or service.
The art of SEO services is diving into keyword research to understand what keywords work for your business and how to make your website competitive in the market. There are over 200 factors that contribute to where you show up on search engine results. So, as you can see, it’s not as simple as creating a website and hoping for the best.
That’s where search engine optimization services come in
Almost every company specializes in a certain type of SEO and offers different services. From local SEO to e-commerce, there are a million industries out there. If they specialize in your industry, that’s always a plus. But depending on your needs, it’s wise to know what else they have to offer.
SEO Audit
Before any company even begins to work on your account, they should offer an SEO audit.
The company should run an in-depth analysis of your current strategy or where your website stands. This gives them an idea of where to begin and what to improve upon.
If a company doesn’t offer to do an SEO audit, it’s an indication that they’re not willing to do the prep work that’s necessary.
A Planned Strategy
Hiring a company also means they should present you with an SEO strategy that is customized to your business. It should take into account your industry, competitors, current standing, and keyword research.
If all you get is a general plan that doesn’t included any industry-specific customization, it’s probably a good idea to choose another company.
Competitor Research
We all have competitors, and to better position ourselves as businesses, we have to understand what they’re doing and make a plan to compete.
Your SEO service is no different. They should be willing to provide competitors’ analysis so that your strategy takes into account what they’re doing. It will also ensure you set up a budget and plan that will compete with them to the best of your ability.
On and Off Page Optimization
Most Search Engine Optimization services offer both on and off page optimization.
Off page optimization includes things like link building, sharing content, and getting mentions on social media.
On page optimization revamps the content that’s already on your website to ensure it’s performing to the best of it’s ability.
Optimizing, whether on page or off, is one of the key services to a great strategy. You want to ensure that this is included in your plan.
Whoever you decide to go with, walking into a meeting with an SEO service armed with knowledge will help you choose the right company for your business’s success!