7 Factors to Consider When Comparing SEO Agencies

SEO Agencies – Search engine optimization (SEO), or the process of optimizing your website, is more complex than just picking a name at random. After more than 25 years of experience in the industry, we know that choosing an SEO agency that suits your budget and goals requires careful evaluation and research.

Our team has put together our top tips for comparing SEO agencies.

Looking for more information on offline SEO? There is a wide range of companies that offer offline SEO course in Surat.

Compare SEO Companies: 7 Factors to Consider

There are many factors to consider when comparing SEO companies. This is true whether you are a smaller or medium-sized company (SMB) looking for enterprise SEO services or a large corporation. Some factors are more important than others, but they all help you to choose the right SEO provider for your company.

Select an SEO agency based on these factors.

• Agency deliverables
• Expertise in the Industry
• Expertise and experience in general
• Customer service
• Location
• Technology and software
• Pricing

1. Agency Deliverables

Compare the deliverables of each agency to know what you can expect.

What you will receive, on an ongoing or one-time basis

How often will they perform these tasks?

What You’ll Need to Do These Tasks?

You can determine the most appropriate SEO firm for your business by understanding what you are looking for. If you want a full-service SEO plan, then focus on agencies that offer a wide range of services, rather than niche agencies.

The best SEO companies will provide you with the following as a minimum:

• SEO audit
• SEO Reporting
• Call for SEO consultation
• Account Manager

If you are partnering with an agency that offers full service, it should deliver on the following:

• On-page optimization
• Off-page optimization
• Technical Optimizations

Remember that the amount of work delivered by a company will also depend on how well your business is doing. If you can’t give the agency access to your site, then you will be responsible for the optimizations.

Before you compare SEO companies, you should outline the deliverables you are looking for. Outlining your requirements will help you narrow down the pool of SEO companies and find those that are best suited to meet your SEO goals.

Questions to Ask

• What services do I need?
• What do I want to achieve by using these services?
• Do I need to hire a full-service or specialized agency?
• How much time is required from me and my team by the company?

2. Expertise in the Industry

You should also consider whether the agency has experience in your industry. Your business and your industry are unique. You need an SEO strategy to keep you competitive.

An SEO agency with experience in your field can be a great asset. It will give you peace of mind.

Asking about previous clients and case studies is important when choosing an SEO agency. Is any of it related to your industry or business? An SEO agency with experience in the industry you are in is an asset.

Questions to Ask

• What industries has the agency worked in?
• This agency has worked in my field or a related one?
• Are there case studies that show results?

3. Expertise and Experience in General

Consider the overall experience of each agency, and not just their specializations or industry experience. Businesses can get caught up in the details when trying to decide how to select an SEO agency. They may forget to consider the bigger picture.

Questions to Ask

• How long has the agency been in operation?
• Are they able to deliver consistent and proven results?
• Are they specialists in my industry sector?

4. Customer Service

You probably picture salespeople helping customers in a shop when you think about customer service. Customer service is a key factor in choosing the best SEO agency. It’s all about how and how often agencies interact with clients.

Look at the SEO services offered by an agency and ask if there are regular meetings for discussing goals, SEO results, and strategy.

Client testimonials and reviews can help you understand the agency’s service quality.

Find out if they mention working with representatives of the agency. Did they feel satisfied with the help that was provided? They listened to the client’s concerns and questions. Or did they feel like they were being ignored?

Also, look at the SEO services offered by an agency and check if there are regular meetings for discussing goals, SEO results, and strategy. Look for high employee turnover. For example, if a client is frequently moved from one account manager to another.

Questions to Ask

• Are previous clients satisfied with the assistance provided by the agency?
• Do they offer you SEO advice and then abandon you or help you to implement it?
• How often does your agency share results with you?
• What is the average employee turnover rate of your agency?

5. Location

When choosing an agency to work with for SEO, it’s important to also consider their location. Do you prefer to work with a local agency? What about working in the same time zone as your agency? The location of your agency will influence how and when you contact them.

Local agencies provide the option of both in-person and virtual meetings.

If you work with SEO agencies located in your locality or nearby time zones, you can expect faster response times if they are available during normal business hours. You will need to plan if you want to work with an agency overseas.

It all depends on your team and what they need.

Questions to Ask

• Do I prefer to work in person with this agency or remotely?
• What time zone does this agency operate in?
• Would you prefer to work with an agency in your locality?

6. Technology and Software

SEO agencies often use software to assist in their work. The software used by SEO agencies can be anything from white-labeled platforms to third-party tools, to proprietary technologies developed in-house.

The tech of an SEO company can transform a business.

The tech stack of an SEO company is important for several reasons:

• It streamlines tasks like keyword research, linking building, and more.
• Track competitor movements, gains, and losses, as well as strategic changes
• Reports about rankings, traffic, and even return on investment
• Aligning other departments like sales and marketing campaigns like paid
• There are some things to consider when comparing the software options.

Third-party tools are also useful. Most SEO agencies use one or more of these platforms. Be skeptical if they don’t.

Many agencies use platforms with white labels. Updates, patches, and innovations are dependent on a third party that sets prices, which are then passed onto your business.

Top SEO firms often have proprietary technology. Tracking, reporting, and management are easy with a platform designed for SEO marketing, like MarketingCloudFX.

Compare the Tech Stacks of SEO Agencies and Ask:

• What kind of technology (third-party white-label or proprietary) does the company use?
• What is the cost of using their service versus buying the technology?
• What problems can I solve using this technology?
• What impact will this technology have on other departments or campaigns?

Our experience has shown that the tech of an SEO company can transform a business.

Imagine, for instance, if you were able to remove the silos that exist between marketing and sales. What if you were able to track the online and offline journey of a user from beginning to end? You could change the role of marketing and SEO in your company’s growth.

Take the time to understand the technology used by an SEO agency and involve other members of your team such as your IT department to better understand the integration with your tech stack.

Questions to Ask

• Is this agency using marketing technology to support its work?
• What marketing technologies does the agency employ?
• Does the technology have a white label (which may incur higher costs)?

7. Pricing

Pricing is an important factor to consider when choosing an SEO company. Do some research before setting a budget to see what good SEO will cost.

Our research shows that SEO services range from $2500 per month to $10,000 and are dependent on:

• The experience of the agency
• The Agency’s Tech Stack
• The location of the agency
• The team of the agency

There are risks associated with “cheap SEO” plans. These providers will waste your marketing budget and can:

• Your website will be banned from Google search results
• Online reputation damage to your business
• Reduce your SEO performance by losing rankings and traffic

It can take several months to repair the damage caused by these services. Some businesses are unable to afford SEO afterward because their budget has been drained. We can’t stress enough how important it is to avoid these providers.

Research the cost of good SEO and build your monthly budget.

Remember that the initial cost of most SEO services is separate from your monthly fee. This cost is for onboarding and preparing the site to be used in ongoing SEO.

When you compare SEO agencies, you will find that most do not publish their prices online. Some, such as WebFX do. If you want to know the cost of an SEO agency, you will need to contact them with information about your company and goals.

Questions to Ask

• What is my monthly budget for SEO?
• Does my budget reflect my goals and my needs?
• What is the price range for SEO services that I am willing to pay?