Often times, people will come to us and say that they purchased SEO from an agency, but they aren’t sure exactly what they bought. They know that SEO is important, but they aren’t quite certain what it is, what it looks like in a tangible format, and how to determine if it’s working.
If this is you, please know that you’re not alone. Many business owners are confused when it comes to SEO. But here’s the thing. If you’re purchasing an SEO package from an agency that can’t explain their SEO tactics in a manner that makes sense to you– there’s a good chance that the agency also doesn’t understand SEO.
Simply put, SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to a number of different tactics that help to get your website in front of your customers. SEO isn’t one thing. It’s an umbrella term.
SEO tactics can include blogging, claiming and enhancing Google, Bing, Yelp, and other directory listings, and enhancing the structure of the content on your website so that it’s easier for the search engines to scan.
The following questions can help you to initiate a thoughtful SEO conversation with a digital agency:
What specific tactics are you performing on my behalf?
Ask the agency to list each SEO tactic and how frequently the tactic will be performed. If you’re not familiar with the tactic and how it can enhance your online presence– ASK! Good agencies are more than happy to answer your SEO questions.
How can I participate in SEO?
Initiate a goals conversation with your agency prior to signing an SEO agreement. Let’s say you’re the owner of a dental office and you want to draw more patients from a nearby suburb. Share this with your agency and ask them to build SEO tactics to support this goal.
How will I know if SEO is working?
Ask your agency how success will be reported back to you. Ask to see a sample report prior to signing an SEO agreement. Does the report make sense to you? Is it relevant to your business? If it doesn’t make sense, ask questions. If it doesn’t make sense for your business, ask for modifications.
Can you track phone calls and form submissions on my behalf?
In our experience, most business owners are most interested in how much business their investment is generating. That’s usually the best measure of how a marketing investment is performing. Ask your agency if they have the ability to track and report on the total number of phone calls and form submissions that their SEO tactics deliver for your business.
Have questions on SEO tactics, how to read an SEO report, or how to determine if your SEO investment is paying off? Reach out to us via the contact form on formadasocial.com. We’ll respond quickly, we promise. We love to talk marketing!