The present content-driven world solely relies on SEO for support, and it is an undeniable prerequisite for any business to flourish. No matter how premium your content is, without search engine visibility, it loses its purpose. So, an SEO consultant is most definitely the need of the hour, and I have explained in detail how you can find the right one for your business.
The right SEO consultant can make or break your business. A skilled SEO professional will ensure you not only get the desired visibility, but they have strategies to ensure your site ranks higher when people search for topics or products related to your business. Hence, let us quickly see how you can find the desired consultant for your business to achieve those optimal results.
What an SEO Consultant Does?
Let us understand what is the purpose of an SEO consultant in your business to justify its need and find the right SEO partner for your business. The responsibilities of an SEO consultant go back and forth within the concepts of increasing traffic and visibility for your website. It also adds an edge to your business by elevating it as compared to your competitors.
Responsibilities and Overview:
- To ensure you have better traffic and visibility, the basics of SEO consulting services include keyword research. Which is basically the keywords someone searches for pertaining to the product.
- It also includes the concept of making the search engine understand your product by optimizing your website with relevant keywords, descriptions, and URLs.
- They also help you with technical and contextual insights to elevate your relevancy with the market demand in the smoothest way possible.
Why Do You Need an SEO Consultant?
The needs of an SEO professional are not limited to the size of the business and can be opted by anyone who wishes to optimize their content. Actually, their functionality is more relevant than ever owing to the dynamic nature of the Google algorithm. Since it keeps on changing, an insight from a professional on the right practices is what's going to ensure organic traffic for your website.
Furthermore, you need to be aware of the basics of your website to understand where you stand. So, insight and analysis by a professional on-site structure, keyword usage, on-page SEO, and technical SEO, will help you go a long way.
Another and the most important aspect of SEO that we often fail to acknowledge is content strategization. You can only reach your desired goal for your content if you know what the actual benchmark is and what the market demand is. Hiring an SEO expert makes sure you have a content strategy that aligns with what people are searching for.
Qualities of a Good SEO Consultant
Now that the need for an SEO consultant is established and recognized, the next significant thing we need to ask is how do we identify the desired professional. Keeping the basic work ethics aside, which is a nonnegotiable for any professional, you can check with the below points and arrive at a conclusion.
Knowledge of industry best practices: We know the ever-changing and evolving nature of SEO is what makes it a challenging yet intriguing line of work. Hence, a professional who is updated with the industry practices is the one who is going to excel. You must look for a professional who is aware of the nitty-gritty of adapting to new strategies.
Transparent communication and reporting: Apart from breaking down the complexities for you, an SEO consultant should be patient enough to make you understand the strategies they implement and their purpose. If they are unwilling to provide actionable insights and just stick to the implementation of strategies it is not only going to create a communication gap but an understanding gap too.
Secondly, you as a business owner need to understand where you stand in terms of organic traffic, keyword rankings, and many other such aspects to plan your business strategy accordingly. So a professional who encourages thorough reporting and is transparent about it should be your go to person.
Proven track record and experience: SEO is a long-term business venture and the results do not show up overnight. So you must avoid consultants who provide quick fixes and opt for the person who has proven their merit. Someone who is able to show for their work in terms of traffic or ranking should be your ideal choice. In fact opting for a consultant who knows the industry niche and has worked in its volatile environment is always the right choice.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an SEO Consultant
Honestly, it can be an overwhelming decision to entrust an individual with your business, especially if you are still in the growing phase of it. However, apart from checking in with the above pointers, you can ask a few basic questions as written below, which will most definitely help you with a bit more clarity.
1. What is your experience level and do you have any certifications?
Asking this question will help you understand the credibility of the professional and also asses expertise based on their certification and said experience.
2. Do you specialize in specific areas or offer a full-service package?
If you have any confusion about what the consultant brings to the table this question will help you understand what exact services will you be paying for and benefiting from.
3. Have you worked with similar clients?
A consultant working with a similar client as your business is going to be well aware of the tricks of the trade and will be able to assist you better than an inexperienced consultant. You can surely give a fresher a similar opportunity with a lesser package, but it may not yield the same result as with an experienced professional.
4. What will you need from me to complete the job?
Establishing good communication is the key to any good business, and it also helps you reach clarity. Moreover, dealing with questions like this beforehand will help you avoid any lack in the future. For example, you might not be able to provide a premium tool which is a non-negotiable for a consultant, which might result in friction if not communicated earlier. Not only that, it will also hamper in generating optimal results for the services you are paying for.
5. What are your payment options and is the schedule flexible?
It is wise to discuss these two important parameters before jumping into a contract to ensure you both are on the same page. Both of these factors are critical for any professional in business, and having clarity from both ends is the only way to go about it.
6. What specific SEO strategies will you use for my website?
You can be a novice about SEO but like any other service, you should thoroughly inquire what their package is as a professional SEO Consultant offers and how it can benefit you. Not only that a quick understanding of the packages will facilitate that you take the right decision in this case.
7. How often will we communicate, and how will updates be provided?
As a professional dealing with another, it is crucial that you respect their time and get the same in return. So, fixing a schedule beforehand for communication on updates can benefit you and your entire work cycle greatly.
Tips to Avoid When Hiring
- False Promises: As a business professional, you know there is a fine line between branding oneself and making false promises. Consultants who assure you that you will be the top-ranking website in no time ignore the overall SEO environment. Moreover, they rarely focus on organic engagement or user experience and website functionality.
- Technical SEO: The practices of SEO go beyond the concept of just ranking. A consultant who doesn’t employ much thought on the aspects of speed, mobile-friendliness, SSL certificates, and URL structures is not the one for you. An ideal SEO consultant should be able to focus on the overall health of the website and not limit oneself to just one aspect.
- Black-Hat Techniques: You must avoid professionals who use black-hat techniques at any cost. Black-Hat techniques are nothing but unethical ways to manipulate Google’s algorithm with tricks like hidden texts and links, keyword stuffing, and click baiting for cloaking for more views. These practices can blacklist your business from Google permanently and cause irreparable damage.
- Lack of Track Record: As we were discussing earlier, this is one of the critical points you should consider before choosing your consultant. If the professional is unable to provide any tangible source of proof of their expertise, it is advisable to not consider them for the role. This will not only help you assess them but will assure you that in case of any SEO crisis like slow growth or change in the entire algorithm, they will be the savior.
- Team Player: Your SEO consultant should be willing to communicate with the other teams like content and marketing, since they are interdependent. A solo player is not going to achieve any feasible outcome in the ever-changing SEO environment.
Conclusion
Well, those were the few points that you should keep in mind before investing with an SEO professional for your business. Identifying the need for one doesn’t solve the purpose, but you also have to make sure that you keep in mind the above checks so that you have the guarantee of finding the right professional for you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How do I know if my business needs an SEO consultant?
The tell-a-tell signs of requiring an SEO consultant for a business are quite simple. Along with missing out on rankings even though adhering to certain self-taught SEO practices, if you notice the technical lags in your website you will know that it is time to hire a professional. Apart from not being able to rank on the first page even with business-specific keywords and seeing various glitches like page loading, broken links, and duplicate content is your sign to opt for a professional.
2. What qualifications should I look for in an SEO consultant?
You must check that the professional you are planning to hire has sound technical knowledge and prior experience to establish credibility. Moreover, they are well-versed in content strategy and are up-to-date with the recent changes in the SEO world.
3. What are the most important questions to ask an SEO consultant?
Some critical questions you can ask an SEO consultant is as follows:
- What is your experience level and do you have any certifications?
- Do you specialize in specific areas or offer a full-service package?
- How long have you been in business and worked with similar clients?
- What will you need from me to complete the job?
- What are your payment options and is the schedule flexible?
- What specific SEO strategies will you use for my website?
- How often will we communicate, and how will updates be provided?
4. How much does it cost to hire an SEO consultant?
The package of the SEO consultant will depend on the line of the business and the service you opt for. Moreover, it is also largely dependent on the complexity of your business and the consultant’s experience and expertise.
5. Can an SEO consultant guarantee results?
No SEO consultant can guarantee you results, owing to the varying nature of Google’s algorithm and the rise in competition each day.
