Questions to ask your SEO agency – Part 2

The digital era is well and truly in full flight. Just 10 years ago, some businesses were allocating minimal percentages of their marketing budgets to online, including SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Fast forward to 2010 and no business can afford to be without this element of the marketing mix.

Following are the second in our three-part series of questions:

Question 4: Do You Focus on rankings or delivering ROI by focusing on the right search terms?

It really does depend on the nature of your business. If you are an e-commerce based business, your agency’s focus ought to be on building traffic on top converting keywords. For a lead/quote based business, the emphasis would be placed on building traffic of top converting or lead keywords. Finally, if your business is based on traffic (e.g. a publisher), your agency should be giving the focus and attention to rankings. After all, it is very rare for people to look any further than page one on Google!

Question 5: Which industries have you done SEO work in?

The foundations of a sound SEO practice are easy to find in any decent agency, but experience within your specific industry sector can be more difficult. Each industry has its own eccentricities and it is always ideal to have your SEO provider know and understand these. Different fluctuations in your market, seasonality, market share and growth opportunities in your area of expertise are all elements that your SEO agency should be well versed on.

Question 6: How many clients have you done SEO for?

SEO is an ongoing project which cannot be quickly ‘switched on’ and forgotten about. While important to acknowledge how many businesses your SEO provider has worked with, it’s far more vital to look at how long they have kept these relationships going. The longer the relationship, the better understanding you will have of how satisfied their current clients are.

Question 7: How experienced are the actual people that will work on my SEO?

It is important to look for SEO providers with a team that come from a solid marketing background – so they can understand where SEO will fit into your integrated marketing mix and how to best leverage their involvement to make your business a success. It is also important to keep an eye out for SEO providers who employ people with international experience. While Australians are hot on the heels of our UK and US counterparts in SEO and the Internet in general, these countries have been leading the way in online technology and marketing for many years.

This report has been republished with permission from the authors at Experian Hitiwse.

See also: Questions to ask your SEO agency – Part 1