What To Ask SEO Consultants To Find The Right One

1. What Access or Support You Need?

You may feel unsafe when SEO consultants require various privileges, especially if you are new to the SEO field. However, they usually need to access your data and tools to carry out a successful strategy. It is always a good idea to inquire about what types of access they need and what will they do with it. Having this discussion beforehand saves you from unwanted situations later. SEO consultants usually require the following:

• Google My Business (if your website is for local purposes)
• Google Analytics
• Google Search Console
• Keyword Research Tools
• Content Management Systems
• Previous SEO reports

Note that most of these tools are used to investigate the current SEO status of your business, and determine if their efforts are going in the right direction.

2. What Type of SEO Services Do You Offer?

Many SEO consultants provide a whole SEO package that includes all the main services required for ranking a website such as On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, Technical SEO, and Local SEO, and they may have specific expertise in just a few of these areas. 

Some SEO consultants can only provide separate services. If you ask them about their services, all of their answers will be correct. But you have to know which one of them is most suitable for you. The only way to know this is to have a clear idea of the specific SEO services your project demands. Do you need only a Technical SEO Expert, Link Building expert, or an All-Rounder? 

3. Do You Have Experience in Our Industry?

If they show experience exactly to your industry, it can be both good news and bad news for you. The good news is that they already understand your industry and can implement SEO strategies faster. The bad news is a lack of fresh perspective and depending on the previous strategies, which can not always guarantee success since catching up to the latest algorithms is what successful SEO is all about. 

Don’t worry even if their experience does not exactly match your industry. This is just to get the idea whether their past experience is relevant and matches with your goals such as ranking websites or e-commerce stores locally or internationally. If their experience is somewhat relevant to your business goals, adapting to your industry will not be a problem.

4. Can You Give Examples Of Clients You’ve Worked With

If you are interacting with consultants, chances are they have already shown you the portfolio of their past clients. However, don’t just accept them at face value. You should ask anything revolving around their past clients to analyze what details they are sharing. You can also notice their behavior when mentioning their past clients, are they happy about it? Or are they trying to avoid it? 

This is to investigate whether they genuinely worked for these clients or are just bluffing. 
The more specific details they provide, the more trustworthy their claims are likely to be. And this is only possible if you ask deep questions. Don’t fall for general claims like we ranked our clients to the 1st page. We earned them millions of dollars. To check their authenticity you can ask them about their recent clients, projects, or any stories on how they faced a challenge and how they solved it. 

5. What Is Your Off-Page Strategy/ How Do You Build Backlinks?

Nothing harms the ranks of websites more than low-quality backlinks. This is the same technique shady SEO specialists use by attaching spammy backlinks to their competitors to pull down their rank. So asking about backlink strategy should always be included in the meeting. 
Many specialists use black hat techniques to rank a website, and they work too, but only for a short period of time until search engines like Google find out and throw it under the rubble.

I am sure you are not looking for a quick spike and crash technique for your business or company.  If you are offered backlinks from spammy websites, or personal blog networks, it’s a big no. And if you get answers like “We create quality backlinks from reputable sites using outreach methods” then you are looking at the right person. Just make sure to confirm it by asking for proof.

6. How Long Do Your SEO Projects Typically Last?

If they claim that they usually ramp up the SEO game for their clients in just a few weeks, then chances are they are just looking for quick dollars. SEO is an ongoing game. However, it also does not mean they should be providing services to their clients for a lifetime. 

Usually, when companies see profit in SEO, they build an in-house team rather than outsourcing services. Relationships with clients that last a year or more are good indicators. If their answer is somewhere near this timeframe, then it’s a good sign. 

7. How Do We Know If Your Campaign Would Be Successful

The marketing department works by setting clear goals. The same is the case with SEO campaigns. Although the reporting is long term unlike  PPC, social media ads, email marketing campaigns, or influencers promotions. 

But they are necessary to keep check and balance on where the campaign is going, like, if goals are not met, what might be the reason, and what solutions or adjustments will be made to make the campaign effective? If they don’t agree on this, then it is a big red flag. Also, asking such questions persuades them to make appropriate claims and stand by their words.

8. What Is Your Pricing Structure and How Do You Charge for Services?

It might sound like a prickly question. But hey, we are doing business here, right? Some discussions have to be made earlier before things get out of hand. When outsourcing any service, you have to check what’s currently being charged in the market. 

Although the pricing for SEO greatly varies for every business even if it’s in the same industry. But still, to get a rough idea,  you have to get to know about the average charges for each specific service to have a better idea. Ask about their billing structure, and if they like to be paid hourly, per project, or per service.