As an entrepreneur or a startup owner, you are probably managing many things at your end. However, when it comes to online marketing, you have to consider outsourcing, even when you have the budget to hire a team of professionals.
Online marketing has the following major components –
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Search engine marketing (SEM) or Pay per click
- Social media marketing (SMM)
- Online reputation management
- Email & content marketing
A comprehensive digital strategy is a mix of all of these, and each of these components will matter at some point. However, to start with online marketing, you have to initiate SEO first. Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to all the practices, strategies, and ideas used to promote a website organically. If you don’t want to spend on online marketing extensively right away, you should consider SEO as the steppingstone in your approach. All you need a reliable SEO agency for the job, and here is a look at the various benefits of SEO.
- Get more visibility in search results. SEO allows your website to feature in the top search results, and that automatically enhances visibility of your brand. You can expect to get more traffic, which is organic.
- Ensure more brand value. Users trust search engines for results displayed, and when your website appears on the first place, it automatically adds value and trust to your brand. SEO is, in fact, one of the core aspects of brand.
- Improve your conversions. SEO may not work in the same way as paid marketing, social media ads and PPC, but you can still improve your conversions considerably. The leads and traffic you get from SEO are organic, so there are better chances of site visits translating into sales.
Working with an SEO agency
Finding the right SEO agency for your brand may seem confusing, but there are a few aspects that you need to keep an eye for. We recommend that you ask the following questions –
- How long have you been doing SEO?
- Do you specialize in all branches of marketing?
- Can you handle paid marketing campaigns?
- Who are you clients? Can you share references?
- Have you worked on projects with a similar profile as ours?
- Can you share a few case studies?
- Do you have an in-house team of marketing experts?
- Who from the team will be working on my project?
- Can you offer an estimate in advance?
- Do you handle web design work?
- Do you offer a free site audit for new clients?
- What’s your approach to link building?
- Can you explain your work process?
- Will you offer regular reports?
- Can you start with a short-term contract?
These are some of the basic questions you need to ask, and keep in mind that an SEO agency may have the necessary expertise, but unless they can align their work experience with the needs of your brand, none of it makes sense. SEO is for the future, and it is a continuous process, so you need to collaborate with a service accordingly. It is also a wise idea to review and understand if an agency has worked on projects with a similar profile as yours. For instance, some SEO companies only work with big corporate firms, while others may work with all kinds of startups and growing brands.
Finally, do discuss the pricing. As far as just SEO is concerned, you can expect to pay a fixed amount per month or for the entire duration of the contract. Nevertheless, the price alone shouldn’t be a reason to hire a marketing firm in the first place, and you should consider the things we just discussed.