Questions to ask your SEO Agency

Wednesday, 02 June 2010 01:23

Written by Hitwise Australia

Experian Hitwise has been in the online space for many years and has learnt through clients and industry experience that there seem to be many 'cowboys' offering Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) services, ultimately promising the world, only to leave clients disillusioned and with no real results in sight.

So to avoid all the heart ache, expense and frustrations, we have put together the top 11 questions you should be asking an SEO agency before signing anything plus the answers they should be giving you!

Question - What are your link building strategies?

There is an almost never ending list of link building strategies that can be implemented for your business. Here is a snapshot of some of the strategies your SEO provider can use:

• Premium Directory Submissions;
• Deep Linking Submissions;
• Internal Linking - within your own website to different pages;
• External Linking;
• Link Baiting - exercises with relevant anchor text;
• Competitor Link Strategy - where are your competitors getting them and why aren't you;
• Press Release Online Distribution;
• Article Submission Distribution; and
• Video Optimisation and Distribution.

Question : Do you allocate a strategic account manager that provides insights and direction?

There should actually be two key people that will be allocated to your SEO campaign - firstly, you should have an Account Manager that will lead the project, develop strategies and ensure your goals are met. The second person should be an SEO Analyst, who is responsible for providing you with important insights into your campaign, along with expert recommendations.

Question : What reporting do you provide?

The measurement of campaign success should be the core to any SEO project. The ongoing review and analysis that should occur throughout a campaign will ensure that your objectives are constantly being met and will continue to stay that way. Some of the key measurements within a report would be:

• Rankings
• Traffic
• Sales
• Leads
• Conversions
• Channel performance

Question 11: What is the ongoing strategy after the initial phase?

After detailed market research has been conducted, your SEO agency would ideally develop a range of recommendations, keeping in mind your objectives and how they can be best achieved. From there, progress reporting should be used to identify more opportunity for growth within your business.

So, there you have it! A detailed guide to the key questions you should be asking your SEO provider, and the responses you should receive from a professional and experienced agency. SEO is so much more than simply injecting keywords into your website - it requires a detailed, scientific approach that should be handled by knowledgeable, dedicated experts who value your business objectives as much as you do.

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* We recommend Australian Business Internet http://www.abi.am for SEO services. Editor Businesses.com.au