11 Insider Tips for Choosing the Best SEO Company for Your Business

Search engine optimization has always been important. And as the world shifts towards digital-first due to the coronavirus, SEO has only become more critical.

Organic search is often the primary source of website traffic for most businesses.

Many brands don’t realize SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Sure, there are some basic rules that overlap all businesses and industries. However, what works for a competitor might not be the best strategy for your business.

The best SEO company will acknowledge this and develop a personalized strategy for your brand.

How to Choose the Best SEO Company to Win Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Unless you regularly work with SEO, it’s easy to fall for pie in the sky scams – and there are plenty. Some shady SEO companies may even try to steal ownership of your website and digital content.

This list can help you avoid a nightmare situation and find the best SEO company to help you reach your digital marketing goals.

1. The Best SEO Company Will Clearly Define Realistic Goals

A trustworthy SEO company will make everything about YOU. They’ll

• Ask questions about your goals and expectations
• Ask about your audience and customers
• Learn about your products or services
• Understand your branding and tone.

They’ll also work with you to set realistic goals based on your current SEO strategy and available resources.

2. They Don’t Promise Overnight Results

Anyone promising you overnight first-page Google rankings, hundreds of hot leads, or an instant list of email subscribers isn’t someone you want to work with.

Solid SEO takes time, dedication, and testing effective strategies. There’s no miracle strategy for overnight results and anyone claiming otherwise is out to rip you off.

3. They Offer a Transparent Budget and Fees

Every SEO strategist or company runs on a different pay scale. Some charge hourly, others charge monthly, and some charge based on performance.

If a rate sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Sorry, but you’re just not going to find effective and ethical SEO for $300 per month.

Businesses spending over $500 per month on SEO report higher satisfaction than those spending less. At JS-Interactive, for example, our comprehensive SEO plans start at $799.

4. The Best SEO Company Provides Monthly Reports

A trustworthy SEO company wants you to feel confident in their services. They should put together detailed monthly analytic reports to show you where your investment is going. Depending on your brand, reports should include:

• Web traffic
• Keyword positioning
• Bounce rates and time spent on the site
• Social media growth
• Engagement
• Conversions
• Email subscription growth
• Local SEO engagement (like Google Maps, Yelp, etc.)

5. They Prioritize Ongoing Communication

If an Austin SEO company doesn’t respond to your emails or phone calls, that’s a huge red flag. A trustworthy SEO agency relies on your questions, input, and feedback to guide the strategy. They should always be ready for a check-in and should often reach out to you first.

6. The Best SEO Company May Not Be Local to Your Business

Just because you don’t live in Austin, that doesn’t mean you can’t hire an Austin SEO company, for example. Sometimes the best fit for your brand and audience might work on the other side of the country. Instead, look for a transparent SEO agency with experience, values, and clients that mesh well with your own.

7. They Have Great Reviews, Client Feedback, and Awards

Ethical SEO companies are proud of their happy clients. You should find client testimonials and reviews displayed proudly on their homepage. It’s also smart to Google the company name plus “review” or “scam” to see if anything unsavory pops up from third-party sources.

8. They Don’t Practice Black Hat SEO

Promising overnight results is a surefire sign an SEO company is engaging in black hat SEO practices. Black hat SEO isn’t just unethical, it can get you in major trouble with Google, WordPress, and email service providers.

In other words, black hat SEO can get your domain blacklisted across the entire internet. No bueno for long-term business.

9. The Best SEO Company Has Experience with Clients in Your Field

Every brand’s audience, products, and mission are unique. Ideally, you’ll want an SEO agency with experience in your industry. If you’re an NGO, look for an agency who takes on NGO clients. If you’re in B2B, stick with an Austin SEO company with B2B experience.

If an SEO company doesn’t have experience in your industry, they won’t be able to create the most effective content, campaigns, and keyword research for your target demographics.

10. They Have a Nice Website, Content, and SEO Strategy Themselves

Of course, it’s important not to get distracted with flashy websites. However, an effective SEO agency should care about their website, content marketing, and search engine rankings. If they aren’t ranking on the first page for branded keywords, for example, that’s a bad sign.

11. The Best SEO Company Understands Where to Place Your Bets

Most empires collapse because they spread their resources too thin. No brand needs consistent social media content on every single platform or content marketing in every single format.

A smart SEO company will learn about your audience and meet them where they’re at. They’ll want to help you drive the best ROI with the smallest amount of resources.

Work with an Award-Winning Austin SEO Company

The team at JS-Interactive has over 20 years of combined experience helping businesses grow their visibility through local, technical, and organic SEO. Brands need a sustainable and comprehensive SEO strategy designed uniquely for them. You can trust JS-Interactive to make it happen through ethical practices.

Let’s discuss your goals. Schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation – no strings attached!