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Today’s consumers begin their customer journey with a search engine. This means that businesses with a website must rank on the first page of Google or any other search engine such as Bing and Yahoo. This makes search engines the most powerful online marketing tool available. Search engines not only attract the highest volume of users, but also bring you customers.
Websites that rank on the first page of Google see a massive increase in traffic and conversions. Ranking on the first page increase traffic by 134% for those previously listed on the second page. Ranking #1 on the first page of Google gets 34% more organic traffic than 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th combined, and you get this: 75% of search engine users never scroll past the first page.
However, to rank in the top ten of Google (the first page), you need a fully optimized website that is best friends with search engine algorithms. This is achieved by practicing ethical search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO isn’t magic, but it does require knowledge of search engine algorithms and a specialized skill set. This is why most business owners turn to experienced and reputable SEO professionals. However, choosing an SEO agency to manage your online presence is not as simple as it should be. Not all agencies will deliver on what they promise. But there are telltale signs to look for to make sure you choose the right one.
Related: It Might Be Time to Fire Your SEO Firm
Do your SEO strategies meet Google’s guidelines?
The best SEO agencies understand how Google algorithm works and don’t stray out of bounds. You should look for experienced professionals with a proven track record of ranking their clients high. More importantly, you want to be sure that the methods you implement are ethical. Search engines have a list of “Quality Guidelines” that prevent subtle tactics designed to manipulate search engine results. And there are many SEO agencies that use “black hat” tricks.
Illegal SEO techniques include auto-generated content, sneaky redirects, scraped content, paid link building schemes, and thin content (less than 300 words per page). Google makes it clear that any website that violates the quality guidelines will be banned from the search engine listings until the problem is fixed.
Google claims“Website owners who spend their energies defending the spirit of the core principles will provide a much better user experience and subsequently enjoy better rankings than those who spend their time looking for loopholes to exploit” .
Be careful with the promises of SEO agencies
SEO works, but it takes time to get to the top spots. You shouldn’t expect to climb into the top three in a year. It can take six to 12 months to get to page #1 on Google.
This is probably not the news you want to hear, but it is the advice you should look for when choosing an ethical SEO agency. Anyone who promises to get to the first page of Google in three months is using black hat techniques. Quick results may be great in the short term, but they will have detrimental long-term effects that could cripple your business. Good SEO involves a slow and steady climb to the top, but you stay there once you get there.
Are their testimonies authentic?
Testimonials are supposed to provide consumers with security and trust. The problem is that online testimonials can be faked. Never rely solely on testimonials posted on a website. Quality SEO companies have a strong online presence. You should be able to find positive reviews on consumer rating websites such as TrustPilot and Trustist, along with a selection of social media accounts.
You would expect an experienced SEO agency to have a lot of positive reviews and maybe even some negative or mediocre reviews. But even these so-called trusted platforms cannot be trusted. A company or its competitors can fake reviews.
The best way to verify if the positive reviews are genuine is to contact the people advertised on the agency’s website. If the reviews are honest, you should be able to find the companies on the first page of the search engines. It is even better if the SEO agency also publishes case studies on their website.
Related: 5 Tips for Choosing Your Next SEO Company
Ask about your own keywords
Search engines rely on keywords to match search terms with the most relevant pages. However, search engines rank millions of websites that use the same main keywords.
A creative SEO agency will use smarter tactics, namely niche keyword research. This technique identifies high-quality keywords that have the lowest competition. Essentially, niche market research bypasses competitive searches by using long-tail keyword searches. This allows businesses to find their target audience more often.
For example, let’s say you provide a self-development program aimed at people with depression. The general keywords that everyone will use are:
“Self-development tools for depression.” “Depression Therapist”.
These can be high quality keywords, but they are also very competitive keywords. Niche market research will identify long-tail keywords that target people looking for a specific product or service. For example:
“How to cure depression without medication.” “What causes depression?” “How to Manage and Overcome Depression Fast”.
Long-tail keywords increase conversions because they identify customers who are looking for a specific solution.
Does the agency specialize in local SEO?
Local SEO helps small and medium-sized businesses attract customers by targeting search engine users in your local area and 46% of all Google searches have local intent.
Optimizing your website that tells Google how you can provide a solution to people in your area will help you appear in search engine results. Also, attracting local customers leads to more sales.
Related: 3 Tips for Choosing the Right SEO Agency
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