Identifying a good SEO agency: A “route planner” for your search
Without SEO, you are invisible on the web and have no chance of being found by potential customers and standing out from the rich competition. But not all SEO agencies are the same and there are major differences, which are particularly evident in the quality of the services provided, but also in the price. It cannot be denied that there are some black sheep in our industry and thus a high risk of rip-offs. With these tips we would like to protect you from wrong decisions with cost-intensive effects and give you helpful information on how to find a reputable SEO agency and how to choose an experienced expert. an experienced expert decide.
How do you find the right SEO agency?
Before you start your search, you should define your own personal criteria. Do you value personal proximity or are you looking for a full-service service in which you can have your SEO, SEA and SEM jobs done from a single source? What is the relationship between price and performance? What impression does the agency make in the initial meeting?
Tip: When choosing an SEO agency, you can listen to your intuition and refrain from a provider if your gut instinct gives you this “hint”. Nevertheless, you should above all let the facts speak for themselves and refer to the following tips from our checklist.
1 | What is important to you when working together?
We have made the experience that the most important criteria and requirements of our customers are very individual. In order to find a suitable SEO agency for you, you should therefore focus on your personal requirements. Ask yourself:
- Whether you prefer a presence agency at your place of residence or would like to carry out order processing online.
- Whether you “only” need SEO or a full service including web design, SEA and SEM.
- On which core area the focus and thus the specialization of the agency should be.
Ultimately, the focus is on your satisfaction with the service provided, if you make the right decision and clearly define what the collaboration should look like and what possibilities it should include before the actual search.
2 | What first impression does the chosen SEO agency make?
In order to form a helpful opinion here, you should not go on the search without any SEO knowledge. Because if you have “no idea”, you will not be able to use the information from the initial interview and you will not find any tendency towards a good agency or a “black sheep”. With a few basic information you are well advised and can determine from the first impression whether the favored SEO agency has the standing you want or whether you do not feel well advised from the start.
3 | Where is the best place to search and how do you compare offers?
This is actually quite simple. Would you like to be in the top 10 on Google and are you looking for an SEO agency for this very reason? Then it’s best to search directly on Google! The best agencies implement their own strategies for their own website that are offered to you. If an SEO agency can be found on the first page of Google, you can assume that you will achieve the same status in your industry and can rely on the services of the provider. If, on the other hand, an SEO agency is not or only visible on the back pages of the search engine: Keep your hands off this offer! Those who do not rank their own website at the top will not provide this service for your homepage either!
4 | How do you authentically evaluate the preselection made?
This question can be answered succinctly. Did you choose an SEO agency from the Google Top 10? Then take a close look at their website and get an initial overview of how the design, content, keywords and other measures that are important to you have been implemented. Do you like the structure of the website and do you consider the design to be of high quality? Then you can assume that this SEO agency will also implement your project to perfection!
5 | Does the favorite SEO agency do cold calling?
Cold calling is always a sign that the provider is too focused on sales and too little on the individual customer. Our tip: A good SEO agency does not have to do cold calling, but takes care of the accepted projects. In the case of a sales-oriented agency, we at ONMA scout say: hands off, because the employees cannot take enough time for their project due to the high number of customers.
