All businesses with a website are familiar with SEO and recognize its importance for boosting sales and online traffic. However, small local businesses may not fully understand its potential impact.
So, why should you invest in a local SEO agency as a local business owner? In today’s article, we will explore this topic and provide you with essential questions to ask before hiring an agency.
Regular & Local SEO: What’s the Difference?
When people search for topics related to a business, regular SEO ensures that you show up randomly or across the search engine results pages, with no geographic location in mind.
Consider a nearby brick-and-mortar retail store that doesn’t ship its goods. If it only operates in Montreal, it wouldn’t benefit from showing up in Toronto or Vancouver searches unless someone had been specifically searching for products in those cities.
However, you can use local SEO (search engine optimization) to ensure that your business appears in the search engine in your geographic location rather than halfway across the country.
Why Invest in a Local SEO Agency
If you’re a local business and want to sell in your area, hiring a local SEO agency can help you achieve that. For example, what strategies can you use to promote your business if you’re a cosmetics shop in Montreal, and should you hire a local SEO expert? Of course! Social Media and print ads will help, but when users are served your ads, they might not be looking for your service. SEO will help you reach your local audience when they are actually searching for your products and services.
Search for terms like Montreal SEO Agency or SEO Agencies in “XYZ” (any city). Doing so will give you a list of top experts in your city or local area. Now, it’s best to choose from the ones that are in the top 5. Because if they can’t push their website to the top, they will likely struggle with yours as well.
Questions to Ask When Hiring a Local SEO Agency
If you hire a random SEO agency that shows up online or is recommended by someone you don’t know, you must ask the following questions to ensure they’re credible to work on your project:
- Ask if they have experience in your industry
- Ask for case studies and client references
- Ask for their method of keyword research
- Ask about their ideal strategy for local SEO
- Ask for their standards to measure success
- Ask for their ideal link-building strategy
- Ask about how they keep up with search engine algorithm changes
- Ask about their reporting and KPIs (key performance indicators)
- Ask the agency about their tools
1. Ask if they have experience in your industry
Discussing the SEO agency’s experience is important, mainly if they have completed any work in your industry. SEO tactics and strategies differ significantly from industry to industry. What works for one industry or business, might not work for another. So, how would you find out? Hire an agency that understands your niche better and can use strategies that can 10x growth for your business.
2. Ask for case studies and client references
Professional agencies always provide case studies and client testimonials to prove their credibility and quality of work. With this information, you can decide whether they would be a good fit or not.
3. Ask for their method of keyword research
Keyword research is key. If the targeted keywords are irrelevant, the efforts will be wasted. Ask the agency about tools and strategies used for keyword research and optimization. Ask about their approach and how they intend to target the most relevant keywords for your business.
4. Ask about their strategy for local SEO
Local SEO is vital for geo-specific and brick-and-mortar businesses. Ask the agency about its optimal strategy for driving people to your local business and how it intends to grow your online visibility. What methods will it use, such as optimizing your Google Business Profile or creating local citations?
5. Ask for their KPIs to measure success
Ask them about what KPIs and methods will be used to measure success. Clear metrics like search engine rankings, organic traffic, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI) should be some of the data you review with them regularly. This will enable you to assess how well their efforts are working and ensure they align with your business’s goals.
6. Ask for their link building strategy
Though link building is a must for SEO, doing it wrong can hurt your campaign more than help it. Make sure they use white-hat and organic link-building methods to build relevant, high-quality, and genuine backlinks. Agencies that use outdated or black-hat methods, like purchasing links, are a red flag.
7. Ask about how they keep up with search engine algorithm changes
Maintaining your search rankings takes effort and time. Your local SEO agency must keep up with search engine algorithm updates and other factors to ensure your website stays at the top of Google and Bing. Ask how the agency keeps up with industry changes and adjusts its strategies to stay effective.
8. Ask about their communication practices
Effective communication is crucial to have a successful collaboration. Ask the agency about their reporting tools, how frequently they’ll provide updates, and who your support person will be. By being familiar with their communication methods, you can set standards to ensure a productive working relationship.
9. Ask the agency about the tools they use
The tools an agency uses strongly impact the efficiency and quality of the work. Ask the agency about the particular tools the agency uses for tasks such as link building, rank tracking, site audits, keyword research, etc, to be sure they have the resources necessary to provide accurate data and outcomes. If they use leading tools like SEMRush, Ahrefs, Google Search Console, Yext, Google Analytics, etc – you’re good to go.
Conclusion
Regardless of your industry, choose an SEO agency that is reputable and qualified to help your business thrive online by asking the right questions (mentioned above) and closely examining the answers. The correct agency can make all the difference in reaching your long-term digital marketing objectives, whether you’re concentrating on local SEO or more general search optimization campaigns! Good luck!
