The process of choosing an SEO agency has changed over the years, just as the SEO concept itself. SEO, as we’ve known it, has evolved drastically over the past decade, thanks to algorithm changes, revolutionary AI search updates, and increased hyper-awareness among Internet users.
As a result, it’s not enough to choose an SEO agency by just comparing SEO providers and their pricing. You need a more strategic process that ensures you explore all the angles that determine the success of your SEO partnerships.
Below, we break down the process of how to choose an SEO agency to ensure you select a partner who’s aligned with your business goals and values. The process we share below also helps you avoid the costly misstep of signing with self-proclaimed “SEO experts” who overpromise and underdeliver.
How to Choose an SEO Agency: Your 7-Step Action Plan
Choosing the right SEO company can be the boost you need for your business’s online growth. The right partner is a long-term investment that can improve your website’s rankings and visibility.
This guide shares a 7-step action plan for how to choose an SEO agency:
- Collect stakeholder requirements
- Research SEO agencies
- Compare SEO agencies
- Send a Request for Proposal (RFP)
- Perform due diligence
- Final selection
- Onboarding
Step 1: Collect stakeholder requirements
Before starting the search for your SEO partner, you need to know and clearly define what you want to achieve with SEO. Define your SEO goals, budget, timeline, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure you can objectively select an SEO partner that aligns with your success metrics.
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Step 2: Research SEO agencies
Want to compare different SEO agencies before you sign a long-term contract? Consult third-party review websites like Clutch and G2 to learn more about companies based on industry ratings and real client feedback. Research helps you narrow down your choice by uncovering each agency’s strengths and weaknesses.
Simplify your research process with our Marketing Agency Research Template that contains all you need to find and evaluate SEO companies.
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Stay organized with this free Google Sheets template for tracking your agency research!
Step 3: Compare SEO agencies
After researching and shortlisting SEO agencies with potential, it’s time to compare them. Use past results, documented case studies, and online reviews to determine how well they meet your needs.
You want to work with a company that practices white-hat SEO techniques and offers transparent pricing, custom SEO packages, and dedicated points of contact. Be sure to check out their tech stack, including their reporting software, to ensure they can help you scale and remain visible in the future.
Step 4: Send a request for proposal (RFP)
You need to send an RFP to the shortlisted SEO agencies to request proposals. RFPs outline your SEO budget, goals, challenges, and expectations to enable agencies to provide you with tailored solutions and pricing. It helps to eliminate poor agency fits, improves pricing accuracy, and helps to compare providers faster.
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Download this easy-to-use template to start your search for an SEO agency.
Step 5: Perform due diligence
Before finalizing your contract, you need to validate your choice. You can perform due diligence by verifying testimonials, requesting references, and asking them direct questions about their past work and relationships. Vetting carefully gives you confidence that your investment will be well utilized.
Step 6: Final selection
When it comes down to the final selection, reputation is the leading factor for choosing SEO companies, and up to 61% of businesses hire a firm based on expertise. So, it’s safe to prioritize expertise, reputation, and referrals when it comes down to the final selection.
Step 7: Onboarding
The onboarding process for an SEO firm involves finalizing contract terms, deciding on pricing, and starting campaign planning. It should also be the time to ensure goal alignment and provide setup access so you can set realistic expectations, timelines, and milestones.
Red flags to avoid when choosing an SEO company
Not all SEO companies are worth your time or investment. Some are just self–proclaimed SEO experts who rely on outdated tools and techniques and are incapable of delivering measurable results. Others intend to use black-hat SEO tricks and techniques to bolster results, which puts you at risk for penalties and low-quality user experiences.
You can smoke out rogue SEO companies by looking out for the following red flags:
- Guaranteed #1 rankings: No agency is in a position to guarantee SEO results, such as page-one ranking. If they do, they’re bluffing or relying on black-hat SEO practices.
- Overpromising: Run when an agency promises to drive your organic traffic in an extremely short time frame, like 30 days.
- Poor communication: A reliable SEO agency should be able to communicate effectively by providing regular updates. You should be worried if there’s no dedicated point of contact.
- Lack of customization: Avoid an agency that offers one-size-fits-all SEO packages, as they’re bound to underdeliver.
- Lack of transparent reporting: If an agency can’t clearly show what they’ve done or how it’s impacting your KPIs, you’ll be left guessing instead of growing.
Resources to help you find the right SEO agency
You can learn more about how to choose an SEO agency by exploring the following pages on our website:
- What To Look for in an SEO Company – 5 SEO Green Flags
- 21 Questions to Ask an SEO Agency Before You Hire Them
- What Does an SEO Company Do? (& How to Choose One)
- What to Expect From an SEO Company (And How to Get It)
- Best SEO Companies: Everything you need to find the right one
- Get a free SEO proposal from SEO.com
Look no further than SEO.com – a top SEO agency
In your search for more information about how to choose the right SEO company, you just landed on the best SEO agency. SEO.com is a leading SEO company with a proven track record of driving results and a 95% customer satisfaction rating.
We offer flexible, custom SEO solutions for businesses of all sizes and have gathered thousands of reviews praising our transparency and reliable communication. When you partner with us, you gain access to a team of seasoned experts and innovative tools that future-proof your SEO efforts.
Request a free SEO proposal to start the conversation about boosting your online visibility, rankings and organic traffic.
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