What Is an SEO Company? How Do They Help Your Business Online?
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Let’s face it: your brand needs SEO to thrive online in today’s world.
There’s a reason why 69% of marketers invested in SEO in 2021. It’s viable, cost-effective, and vital to improving web presence. The higher you rank, the more people see your website, and the better your chances of reaching a larger client base.
That said, SEO isn’t a one-and-done process.
You have to stay on top of your SEO efforts to obtain substantial results. Given that most entrepreneurs have a lot on their plates, this can be time-consuming and overwhelming – especially if you do not have any SEO professionals on your team.
Additionally, SEO success depends on several factors. There’s a lot to dive into, which can be challenging if you’re new to digital marketing.
This is where an SEO company comes in.
You’re probably asking yourself ‘what is an SEO company?’ More importantly, how can you benefit from working with one? That’s what we’re here to answer.
What is an SEO Company?
As the name suggests, an SEO company helps clients boost their online visibility. Simply put, they make it their goal to ensure you rank higher in relevant online searches. An SEO firm can take all the headaches and effort out of search engine optimization, so you don’t have to spend hours struggling with it.
When you hire an SEO company, you join forces with a team of professionals specializing in the field. They have all the tools and expertise to boost your on-page and off-page SEO performance, which helps you get more visitors, more leads, and eventually, more sales.
What Services Do SEO Companies Provide?
Every SEO company operates differently. Although the exact services might vary, there are a few tactics that are similar across the board. Let’s explore them in detail.
1. Website Audit and Analysis
Most SEO companies will kick things off by auditing your website and current SEO rankings. Usually, they do this by:
- Examining your site’s architecture to ensure it shows up on search engines
- Identifying which keywords your website ranks for
- Measuring website speed
Conducting a thorough audit lets the SEO company determine your website’s existing strengths and weaknesses. For example, if your site loads slowly, the agency will hatch a plan to improve page speed. On the flip side, if you already rank well for certain keywords, they will capitalize on it in their SEO strategy.
Finally, the company will pin down your SEO competitors and figure out what they’re doing right – and what they’re getting wrong. This could open up opportunities for your site to end up ahead of the curve.
2. Campaign Development
After completing the research phase of the project, the SEO company will create a custom strategy to help your site rank better. The campaign may include:
Keyword Research
The agency will explore all keywords relevant to your products or services and pursue the most lucrative ones. Then, they’ll make plans to naturally include them throughout your website and other content.
Content Strategy
Quality content is the lifeblood of an SEO campaign. It’s a Google ranking factor, and it also helps drive brand awareness, build credibility, and educate audiences. The SEO company will optimize the existing content on your page by making it more focused, natural, keyword-rich, and query-driven.
Link Building
Most SEO agencies are skilled at outreach, which is a massive part of the SEO process. They’ll work to build backlinks, secure guest posts, and generate a rapport with other high-ranking websites in your niche.
Technical SEO Audit
Technical SEO fixes fine-tune the way your site performs. An SEO agency will look at site architecture, mobile responsiveness, and security (among other things) to tackle any potential shortcomings.
Constant Check-Ins and Improvement
An SEO strategy can take months to pay off. Once everything is in order, you’ll have to hurry up and wait. Does that mean your SEO company should sit still during this time? Absolutely not.
As we mentioned before, SEO is an ongoing process. Data like ‘click-through rates’ and ‘session duration’ offer more insight into how web crawlers interact with your site. The SEO company will use this information to bridge lingering gaps and further refine the campaign.
Moreover, site engines routinely update their algorithms, meaning SEO trends can change by the hour. An experienced SEO company will stay on top of all new additions/alterations, ready to adapt your strategy as and when required.
Why Work with an SEO Company?
Now that you have an answer to what is an SEO company, the next big question is: why work with one? Let’s find out.
✓ Increased Savings
Funding an entire team of in-house SEO professionals is no small cost. Elements like employee benefits, healthcare, retirement plans, and paid vacations can seriously dent your capital.
When you outsource your SEO needs to an external agency, you get all the perks of an internal team at a significantly lower cost. An SEO company can also save you money by running a data-driven, highly focused campaign that makes the most of your marketing budget. It’s a win-win!
✓ Industry Expertise
If we’re being honest, SEO is far too important and complicated to be entrusted to someone who’s still learning the ropes. This isn’t something you can master overnight.
When it comes to SEO, experts know best. By letting an experienced professional handle your SEO, you’ll get the results you’re looking for much faster.
SEO companies have the tools, insight, and resources to make smart decisions for your site. They have a dedicated team of skilled people hired for different marketing roles and processes. They also have experience working with clients in different industries, which allows them to tackle your unique situation, needs, and expectations with much more finesse.
✓ Higher Efficiency
SEO agencies with tightly-knit teams can develop and implement your SEO strategy at the same time. Since they have experts, website technicians, and content writers on staff, you can expect them to make updates and changes quickly.
✓ Better Security
SEO isn’t always fun and games. One wrong step and you may open the doors to traffic-crushing Google search penalties, spam, and fraud. For example, using the wrong links can result in your site being penalized, or worse, removed from the results page.
You may not know a good SEO technique from a bad one – but an experienced SEO agency will. They’ll help you sidestep these pitfalls, no questions asked.
✓ Increased Focus on Core Business Objectives
Developing, implementing, and monitoring an SEO campaign takes time – hours you could easily invest in other parts of your business. With an SEO agency on board, you will be able to focus on what you do best while they take care of everything else.
✓ Data and Analytics
An often ignored side benefit to hiring an SEO agency is all the data you get. If that was not enough, you also receive professional insights on the acquired data to scale every part of your digital marketing strategy.
For example, an SEO company can:
- Leverage user intent to reach conversion-ready searchers.
- Align your keyword strategy with your ideal target audience.
- Isolate pages with higher bounce rates and strategize ways to fix site exits.
- Identify what content is leading to conversions and what is not.
- Analyze reports to pinpoint where shoppers are most interested (for e-commerce sites).
- Read between the lines in traffic data to notice where, when, and why things are going wrong.
7 Tips to Find the Right SEO Company for Your Business
When it comes to choosing the right agency for your business, the answer is seldom cut-and-dry. Crossing names off a list of SEO firms is not enough – you’ll have to dig deeper and proceed with caution.
To help you start things on the right foot, here are our seven top tips for effective SEO hiring.
1. Define Your Goals
Figure out exactly why you want to hire an SEO company. Consider whether you need a one-time site audit, ongoing SEO, or pay-per-click management.
Remember: getting more eyes on the product is just part of the struggle. A well-rounded SEO strategy involves a lot more.
Articulate your desires as directly as possible. You don’t want to sound vague or ambiguous. Let the prospective agency know what you want, and see if they are willing to take up your case.
2. Ask Your Existing Network
One of the best places you could ask for SEO firm recommendations is your existing network, particularly the entrepreneurs in your industry. This way, you’ll have people who can vouch for the company’s services, offer an honest review, and guide you in the right direction.
3. Investigate Their Claims
It’s one thing to show positive results, but it’s another to guarantee outcomes. If an SEO company promises to get you on Google’s coveted first page over one weekend, we suggest you run in the other direction. It’s nearly impossible for anyone to undoubtedly secure a specific rank unless there are nefarious means at play.
Instead, a reliable SEO agency will pledge to follow search engine guidelines. They may also tell you what a successful SEO campaign would look like and the results you can expect.
4. Ask About Their Techniques
Excellent SEO success requires a tried-and-tested execution strategy. Your agency should have a clear plan of action to get your website where you want it to be.
More importantly, they should be able to answer questions about their techniques in simple terms. No jargon, no mumbo-jumbo.
Don’t hesitate to request a breakdown of the agency’s processes. For example, if they conduct SEO site audits, ask them to walk you through each step. Similarly, if they mention keyword research or technical SEO, inquire about the tools they use.
5. Do Your Research
It’s best to run a background check on the SEO firm to learn more about their services, approach, and the results they have delivered for previous clients. It’s a good idea to:
Scope Out Reviews and Testimonial Sites
An SEO agency’s online reputation can reveal a lot about its service quality. Check out the firm’s testimonials to get a read on how they work and what their past clients think of them.
Don’t just stick to the company website. Venture into third-party review platforms for a more neutral opinion.
Browse Their Socials
Many SEO companies are active on social media. Thumbing through their profile is a great way to discover more about them. Reviews aside, look out for blog articles and other content being shared on their platforms to see if their brand values fit with your company’s culture.
Look for Case Studies and Portfolio Examples
Case studies are a strong indicator of whether the SEO company’s services move the needle at all. Evaluate their past performance, be it through portfolio examples or industry awards. With concrete proof of success, you’ll know you’re choosing an SEO company worth its weight in gold.
6. Be Upfront About Cost
Request the potential SEO company for an honest estimate right out the gate. If possible, get it in writing to prevent unsavory surprises down the line. An established agency should be able to provide a quote without any trouble.
Be wary of providers who pitch an “all-inclusive” SEO package. Chances are, they may cut corners with their services and stick you with a run-off-the-mill SEO plan. Since there is no one-size-fits-all answer to SEO, you want a firm that takes the time to understand your business goals and craft a suitable campaign.
7. Keep Your Options Open
You don’t have to jump at the first SEO company you come across. Feel free to shop around, get a second opinion, or meet with different providers before deciding on one.
The Bottom Line
SEO is a fast-moving game. Although you may want to tackle it on your own, not knowing the correct moves can hurt your ranking in more ways than one.
Don’t despair – an SEO agency will ensure your website checks all the right boxes, so you can make your way to Google’s coveted first page, hassle-free.
Do you have any more questions about SEO services? Are you still confused about what an SEO company is? The team at Foxxr will be happy to clear things up for you! Our SEO specialists work hard to put your brand directly in front of potential customers.
Just tell us what you want, and we’ll take it up from there. Get in touch with us today to learn more.
