When you choose a SEO agency, you probably at least have a vague idea of what you want them to accomplish for your website. You may already know that you want them to optimize your website for specific keywords, and help you rank better for those words or phrases, but what other services should a SEO company offer?
When we ranked SEO companies around the world, we looked for companies that offered specific services as part of a comprehensive SEO package. Here are some of the services offered by SEO companies on our list, and why they are important for your website.
On-Page Optimization
As you may already know, getting the right keywords on the page is crucial for ranking. If you want to rank for a specific phrase or topic, but the right words and phrases don’t appear in any of your content, your chances of hitting that #1 spot are slim to none. The right SEO agency will help you conduct keyword research, make a plan for crafting keyword-rich content, and then optimize all of your on-page text to include the right words, phrases, or full sentences.
Beware of SEO agencies whose websites are difficult to read, or have keyword-stuffed paragraphs on each and every page. The quality of their on-page content is usually indicative of the quality of the content they will produce for you, too.
Link Building
High-quality links to your website are important in determining how well you rank. Companies that offer SEO services often talk about their link building services, and some of the companies we reviewed even went as far as guaranteeing a set number of links built each month. However, quantity is not nearly as important as quality.
Seek out a SEO company that has a plan to build links through share-worthy content, not by adding your URL to directories or in the footer of questionable websites. Ask the agency up front how they plan on earning links to you. If anything they say sounds suspicious, trust your instincts and find another company to work with. In this day and age, Google knows when links shouldn’t be trusted — and too many suspicious links can lead your website to be penalized.
Content Marketing
Content is becoming an increasingly important factor in SEO. Websites that have very “thin” content — only a few pages with very little text, or even text copied from other websites — are often pushed down in Google’s rankings, or even penalized. Content marketing programs not only add additional keyword-rich content to your website, but also offer your visitors something interesting or helpful to read. And great content can be a perfect way to attract links.
Look for a SEO company that has a blog, or a content marketing program of their own. Closely examine the quality of their work. An agency that takes the time to produce great content for themselves will most likely go above and beyond for their clients. On the other hand, if the company’s blog hasn’t been updated in weeks, and their only downloadable whitepaper is riddled with errors, you should probably seek out a different partner.
These are just three of the SEO services that you should seek out when you are evaluating internet marketing companies to work with. To get a better idea of what each company can offer you, call or email them to ask for a quote. Reputable companies will be happy to provide you with the information you are seeking.