So, you’ve finally done it! You’ve built your website and decked it out with all the bells and whistles, and it looks nice. Like, really nice. You’ve probably spent a small fortune on making these dreams a reality, and you’re so incredibly proud of yourself! The only problem is – no one’s visiting it. You’re barely getting any clicks, and your lovely website is going to waste.

Fear not! There is a remedy for this situation: a great SEO company. An SEO company can help you find a niche that makes your website blow up! Here are some tips to guide you to the right company.

What Not to Do: Fall for the “Best of” Trap

First off, there are some rookie mistakes you can make when looking for a new SEO expert. Here’s what to avoid. Don’t go by the top Google ranked ones. The reality is, SEO experts know how to get their sites highly rated on search engines like Google, and companies that are actually good are too busy with all their clients to worry about where they’re ranking on Google. So, doing this method might actually land you with an inexperienced SEO expert.

For the same reason, don’t go to “best SEO” lists online, either. Companies can pay money to rank higher on these lists.

What to Do: Search Local

So if the “best of” lists don’t work, what should you do? The answer is always do a local search.

A local search is beneficial in multiple ways. For one, it supports your local economy. You can also meet with consultants at a local agency. Local agencies are also often more affordable – but just as good of quality – as the ones appearing in the paid advertisements on SERPs.

You can search for companies in your area by simply searching for the service along with the name of your city. For example, if you live in Minneapolis, you can search, “Minneapolis SEO services“.

Establish Your Goals

Before even starting to look for an SEO company, figure out your goals for hiring an SEO company. Examples of good goals are things like: knowing what type of groups you want to target, and what these groups of people may search.

Another solid goal is boosting revenue through new sales and using SEO to get more sales. Other good goals are: wanting to get more knowledge about your brand out or wanting more people to sign up for free trials (if your company offers those).

Goals that are solely centered around “ranking first” or “getting more hits” are empty and will leave you with a bad SEO experience.

Evaluate Good Companies

After you’ve figured out what you want out of an SEO company, now you can contact several and whittle the list down to one. It’s good to start with three to five agencies that friends or peers have recommended personally – people who have worked with these agencies and have testimonies for them.

After that, you want to compile a list of questions to ask all of them and compare each agency’s answers across the board.

Good questions are ones that ask how their company functions: how they communicate, what their processes are, how they fix issues that aren’t working, etc.

Narrow Down the Decision

When you’re just about ready to make a final decision, go back and review the questions and answers you received from each agency. Which set seemed more honest and genuine? Which agency did you “click” with, in terms of communication style? Which agency seemed more trustworthy? Which company came with more glowing recommendations from peers? And, of course, which agency goes along with your price-point?

Wrapping It Up

Finding a good SEO Company is a decision that takes practicality and planning. This is something that could make or break your company! A bad SEO expert selection could lead to your website getting less traction and loss of money that you invested in the company. Making a carefully calculated decision could change the whole course of your website in a very positive way!