SEO is an important part of a strategy for business growth and should be planned and executed with care. You are very lucky if you have an in-house SEO team to take care of it all as they can be very expensive to train and maintain. Considering that the SEO rules and trends change very frequently, the teams need to stay updated and the plans also need to be updated regularly.
If you do not have a team, you need to find yourself an SEO company in India that can do it profitably for you. If you are an established company that is not happy with the way the previous strategies have performed, you might want to look for another company offering SEO in India. As a new company, you would need to look for your first SEO partner. In both scenarios, you need to be careful in your choice as you need a partner that you can rely on and trust. A wrong decision could lead to a decline in business as well as affect your finances negatively.
Do consider the following points before you sign a contract with the SEO company.
SEO Needs Attention and Articulation
SEO is not something that can be practised randomly or by trial and error. There are techniques, rules and regulations to be followed for SEO. Your search should begin by talking to people who claim to offer SEO services and assess their understanding of the subject. Anyone who talks about SEO as if it is a magic wand should be avoided. Their knowledge and in-depth understanding of SEO is what should prompt you to make the next move with them. A company that believes in using short-cuts or black hat techniques should not be on your consideration list.
Capability for Achieving Your Goal Is Crucial
When you partner with an SEO company in India, your part is to set the goals and the SEO company has to devise the right strategy to achieve the goals. Before you start your search, you should be very clear about what you want to achieve. Some of these goals can be presented to the company as a case study. If they can come up with a suitable plan that resonates with you, you can go ahead.
If you suggest unrealistic goals a genuine company will refuse to work with you and a fake company will pretend to offer you alternative plans for achieving the same. If a company gives you vague suggestions for increasing revenue by increasing the traffic, you should avoid their services. You can know about the work-ethics of a company by talking to their previous and current clients.
Communication Skills Are Essential for Successful Planning
A company may be very good with the SEO techniques and may have several brilliant strategies for you, but if they are unable to understand your objectives correctly, the strategies are also likely to be faulty as they would have been decided according to what they have understood. This could lead to a lot of misunderstanding and finally result in a failed strategy.
Reference Check on the Companies Reveal the Inside Stories
It is important to assess a company based on their experience, expertise and work-ethics. Beware of fake advertising claims of companies that offer the best SEO services. They are in the industry and know how to claim a certain position in the SERPs. An established company would not use such tactics.
You can easily judge all these for yourself by speaking to their clients – past and present. Ask the companies to offer you references of clients who have used their services. You must also research these references and the SEO techniques applied for their brand before you speak to them. By speaking to these clients, you can understand the strengths and weaknesses, the work culture, the support systems and the achievements of your prospective SEO partner.
Working Style Is the Final Check
This is an important aspect to check for the companies that remain in your consideration set after step number 3. By the time you reach this step, you would have ruled out any fake and inexperienced companies. You would have also eliminated any unethical SEO practitioners. Now is the time to check the compatibility between working styles.
If you recall, you would have given them a case study at an earlier stage. The way they report the results and explain their significance for you should be considered for further consideration. If you are not comfortable with the KPIs presented and the explanation given, you will not be happy working with them. Either they can consider customising the reporting format for you or you can look at other suppliers.
If you can find an SEO company that can understand your needs and help you get enough business, spending something extra also would be worth it. You will be able to recover your investment and probably have a healthy profit if the SEO partner is reliable.
