If you want a prominent position in the organic search results and to get your brand in front of potential customer’s online, search engine optimisation should be a focal point of your marketing strategy.
SEO is an ongoing investment but provides a much greater ROI than paid search and other advertising avenues. Many business owners decide it would be more cost efficient to give the task of search engine optimisation to someone untrained within their organisation in order to cut costs, but this can lead to a multitude of problems that you will need to hire a professional to correct.
Doing SEO right can cost, but doing SEO wrong can cost your company something a whole lot more valuable than money: your reputation.
Choosing the right SEO agency to take on your project is a crucial step in ensuring that you are working with a reputable business and getting the most value for your money. Just like with any service provider, look into the company and see what previous customers have said about their service on their site and on external review websites.
If you are using an agency that has been said to use out of date techniques, does not provide you with an in-depth strategy or communicate what they are doing for your money this should be a red flag. Taking the time to profile different agencies will ensure that you don’t lose money using the wrong agency and create more problems for your next agency to fix at further costs.
If you already have steady rankings for your priority terms and have decided to assign a new agency to your project, you could risk losing your rankings if the new agency uses black hat and aggressive techniques to try and give you ‘quick fixes’.
If you rely on organic as a traffic stream, this could be catastrophic to your traffic and sales figures. If the SEO agency is reputable they will ask you what has been done prior and discuss with you or your previous agency to create a strategy that will not undo the work that has helped you maintain your current rankings but help you succeed further.
Thankfully, if you are located in Manchester, finding a reputable SEO agency is made easier due to the large selection of quality agencies in the area. A simple search online and some research into their work history and client testimonials can help you find an agency that will provide you with effective and ethical services. When looking for the best SEO Consultant Manchester has to offer, make sure they have a proven track record of success and are transparent with their strategies and communication. If you choose to go with a company that promises quick results and uses questionable techniques, the potential cost of fixing their mistakes can be much greater than the initial cost of hiring them. Remember, your reputation is on the line as well.
One of the most catastrophic outcomes of doing SEO wrong is your website being slapped with a Google Penalty. Google have very strict algorithms in place for all aspects of the search results from spammy link building to duplicate content issues, the most important part of SEO is following Google’s guidelines. Penalty recovery can be a long process which requires expert knowledge and a complete revamp of your website, in the worst case scenario some businesses have never regained their rankings and have had to start afresh on a new domain.
When hiring an SEO agency price should be a factor in your decision making process however it should not be your primary focus. Hiring cheap can come with a cost in the long run and put your website in a worse position than it was originally. Hire an SEO agency that can work with your budget and is upfront on how much time they are spending on your project as well as what they are doing during that time.
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Lauren Squire is a digital marketing executive at In Front Digital, a Midlands based digital marketing agency in the U.K. specializing in SEO, PPC and analytics consulting. In Front works with a range of local and international businesses to help them increase their online visibility and achieve a great ROI. View the case studies.