Have you decided that it is time to stop doing your SEO 100% in-house? Is it time to start looking for a local SEO agency to help you meet your goals?
It’s a decision most businesses have to make at one point or another, especially when things start picking up for a brand and the work required to maintain a good online presence becomes too much.
For many, the solution is to hire a local SEO agency to help not only pick up the extra work but also to leverage their expertise to take your business to the next level.
It is crucial that you ask the right questions and know what answers to expect when thinking of hiring an SEO agency.
You want to ensure that there is a good fit with the company you are working with, and the questions below should help you determine that.
Identify Your Local SEO Goals Before You Get Started
Before you begin to look for a local SEO agency, it’s important to prepare.
You should first:
- Know your company’s goals.
- Understand your competition.
- Have a basic knowledge of local SEO to evaluate candidates effectively.
- Know your options (for example, an individual vs. a company).
- Have a schedule or an ideal way to monitor progress and work with the company you hire.
Key Questions to Ask When Hiring a Local SEO Agency
As you evaluate your options, be sure to ask these essential questions.
1. Have You Worked with Businesses in Our Industry?
It’s very helpful to identify whether the local SEO agency has worked with other businesses similar to yours. This may give them an edge in knowing how to optimize effectively for your company’s needs. SEO can be very different depending on the industry and company size, so the more direct experience an agency has, the better.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
Ideally, you want to hear “yes” and see examples of companies they’ve worked with to support their claim. However, don’t immediately dismiss the company if the answer is “no.” They might have worked with similar brands and could still be well-positioned to help your company succeed. The key is the portfolio examples they provide, enabling you to make a judgment call to see if the work they do for others can benefit you.
2. Can You Guarantee Local SEO Results?
Many SEO companies claim to guarantee results or suggest they have a “proven” relationship with search engines. Common guarantees often sound like “Guaranteed a page one ranking for any keyword within the first 6 months.”
What You’re Looking to Hear:
The honest answer is “no,” as there is no way to guarantee SEO results or possess some secret expertise that other companies (or even in-house specialists) do not. If they’re so confident they can meet a goal that matters to your business that they’re offering a money-back guarantee, that might be worth considering. But simply guaranteeing rankings for specific keywords doesn’t guarantee it’ll result in new customers or revenue. You want an agency that is confident they can help you, but will be honest, realistic, and legal in their approach. If they use black hat tactics, you could end up in worse trouble and might have to spend significant time and resources undoing the damage.
3. What Aspects of SEO Should We Consider Outsourcing?
Local SEO is multi-dimensional, and outsourcing every part of your SEO work isn’t always necessary if you decide to go with an agency. The company you are interviewing should give you a solid idea of at least three aspects of local SEO they can help you improve.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
Ideally, the SEO agency should be able to handle any aspect of SEO work, but they should also recommend specific aspects to start with. For example, they should acknowledge that they do their own link building, local listings management, and content creation. If they outsource these aspects further, be cautious as these are critical SEO components that should be directly handled by the agency, especially important in local SEO.
4. What Metrics are the Most Valuable to Analyze/Which Metrics are a Top Priority?
This question helps determine their best practice when examining your metrics from the beginning. Identify which local metrics matter to you, then see if an agency is on the same page.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
Effective SEO account management should focus on increasing leads and sales, which is why you are outsourcing. These two metrics should be a top priority. However, metric analysis is multi-faceted—rankings, traffic, and backlink numbers are all crucial too—and you should hear them mention these as well. Remember, SEO involves more than increasing rankings or traffic levels; it’s about prioritizing the business and leads/sales are essential for overall SEO improvement. This importance is particularly relevant in a local SEO strategy.
5. What Are a Few of Your Best Clients or Examples of Case Studies?
An SEO agency’s portfolio is vital, and they should provide you with examples of their best client success stories. This should include data, testimonials, and actual screenshot examples.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
“Let us show you!” They should show you a few sites and case studies, leading to further questions about your own business site. Be cautious if they don’t have relevant examples.
6. What Kind of Reports or Monitoring Updates Will We Be Receiving?
Understanding what week-by-week and month-by-month reports look like with the company is essential. Communication is crucial if you’re working with a third-party company.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
They should not only show you the reports they will provide but also explain them clearly. Reports should be easily understood by you and your team. They should answer questions such as:
- What was done, and why?
- What have the impacts of previous changes been?
- What kinds of returns have been generated?
- What obstacles stand in the way?
- What must be done to overcome them?
- What are the next steps?
Explain the importance of measuring and reporting on conversions, especially from online to in-store visits, and dig into the tools they use.
7. What Can Our Team Continue to Work on In-House?
In most cases, hiring an SEO agency means most issues surrounding SEO will be outsourced. However, this doesn’t mean your team can neglect all in-house work.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
The agency should reaffirm that they will handle the majority of the workload, but always remind you of areas where you can keep SEO in mind. For example, if your team handles content development, staying connected with the agency on content specifics is vital. Ideally, the agency should augment your efforts, and your actions should support a successful local SEO program as a whole.
8. How Do You Select Top Keywords for Our Brand?
SEO is multi-dimensional, and there is no single answer to driving keyword selection. This is one question where being open-minded is crucial, focusing on the reasons an agency gives.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
There is no right answer, but it isn’t “traffic” alone. You want them to explain that relevance, searcher intent, traffic volumes, and competition are all important for keyword selection. Ensure their response aligns with your business goals.
9. How Long Does It Take to Start Seeing Results and Improvements?
This varies depending on how established your company is and necessary improvements. Flexibility is essential, but realistic expectations are crucial.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
Honesty. Anything less than 6 months should raise a red flag unless you’re hiring for maintenance, in which case they should explain that improvements take time and aren’t overnight.
10. How is Your Company Positioned in the Current Climate of Change in the Local SEO World?
SEO is constantly evolving, and an agency should explain how they stay at the forefront of changing trends and evaluate opportunities for your business.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
If an agency suggests SEO has remained consistent over time, be cautious. Core aspects haven’t changed much, but many specific tactics have been updated. Ensure they can walk you through recent changes and explain them clearly. Ensure they have the knowledge and drive to keep moving you forward in competitive local markets.
11. Can You Solve Complex Google My Business (GMB), Yelp, Apple Maps and Other Listing Issues?
Ensure they’re experienced in managing local listings and citations for a business like yours. Beyond GMB, other platforms such as Yelp and Apple Maps are also crucial.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
This is a big one. Managing GMB can be time-consuming, and you need an agency experienced in handling new product launches, blog posts, and troubleshooting issues like incorrect information. However, GMB isn’t the end-all; industry-specific listings matter too. Ensure they have experience with important local sites and that they’re familiar with your industry’s needs.
12. Is Review Monitoring and Response a Part of the Package, and What Does That Look Like?
For a local business, reviews are everything. They impact local search rankings and visibility.
What You’re Looking to Hear:
They should monitor reviews on GMB, Facebook, and niche networks relevant to your industry. Confirm how they escalate negative reviews for your intervention. Usually, you will want to respond to negative reviews with the agency’s guidance, rather than them responding for you. Let the agency tell you this. If they say you won’t have to see negative reviews, that’s a red flag.
Conclusion
Be cautious and well-informed before deciding to outsource your local SEO. The best and most successful agency relationships are collaborative and cooperative, providing a true partner you can rely on. These questions should help you determine whether the local SEO agency you are interviewing is a good fit for your business!
More Resources:
- 12 Proven Local SEO Tips to Dominate the SERPs and Map Pack
- What Is Local SEO & Why Local Search Is Important
- Local SEO: The Definitive Guide to Improve Your Local Search Rankings
