If you are looking to hire the best search engine optimization expert. There’s no time like the present! According to Google, hiring an SEO professional can provide a lot of value to your website, including:
- Improving your site content and structure
- Optimizing technical aspects of your website that can influence the Google core web vitals score
- Content and keyword research and development
- Manage and improve online campaigns
- Improve citations and profiles that can increase local map rankings
- And much more.
Regardless if you’re looking to update your current site or launch a brand new website for your business, an SEO expert can be a fundamental asset. But if this is your first time dipping your toes into the world of SEO, it’s important to do a little preparation to help you find the right person or SEO agency for the job. Below you’ll find some valuable questions to ask when hiring an SEO expert.
What specific goals are you looking to achieve by hiring an SEO specialist?
In this article, you’ll find:
Knowing your business website’s goals is always a great place to start. Even if you’re unsure of the technical aspects of SEO, having a general idea or plan in place can help your potential SEO hire understand your vision. It could be something as simple as wanting more organic traffic or increasing your domain authority. While your SEO expert interviewees should make suggestions and provide objectives, it’s always vital to know what you want and set expectations from the onset of your professional relationship.
What questions should you ask an SEO expert before hiring them?
During the interview phase, asking the right questions is the best way to identify the right SEO expert for your business website. Here are some essential SEO interview questions and reasons why they’re important:
Can you talk to me about your experience and show me examples of your previous work?
As with any new hire, it’s vital to know if they have the type of experience that you need. Asking to see examples of previous work helps you learn more about their SEO techniques.
What are some of your professional success stories?
It’s always a good idea to allow an SEO expert to show off their work and describe the steps they’ve taken to achieve a significant goal.
Do you have any experience working with businesses in my industry?
It’s one thing to have experience, but having experience in your industry takes their SEO value to another level. Allow them to explain what they know about your industry and critical aspects of your business.
Do you have any experience working with local businesses in my area?
If you have a business or service that solely depends on local consumers, working with an SEO expert familiar with your community or your local competitors is beneficial.
What are your most dynamic SEO techniques?
Your SEO interviewees may have different perspectives on what they believe is critical. They may rank SEO strategies in other ways or have varying opinions on what they think is the most effective SEO technique. Asking this question can shed some light on their background knowledge and ability to set priorities. For instance, one SEO expert may believe that optimizing the mobile version of a site should take precedence, while others may urge that upgrading the overall user experience is key.
What’s your communication style? Will I be updated on each phase of the SEO development?
Knowing more about an SEO expert’s communication style can give you a better idea of what it’s like to work with them. Will they be calling you constantly for every small detail? Will they work independently and only touch base when it’s important? Do they prefer weekly check-ins? As with any business, communication can make or break a professional relationship.
Do you follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines?
Since the vast majority of online searches involve Google, it’s crucial to have an SEO expert familiar with the Google Webmaster Guidelines. Following these guidelines is the best way to design an SEO strategy that meets Google’s expectations.
What’s your workflow or production timeline like for a website like mine?
Suppose your potential hire has experience remastering the SEO for a website similar to your business. In that case, it can be helpful to know how long it took and if they expect a similar timeline for your SEO project.
What kind of results do you expect to see? How do you measure success?
While asking about experience, strategy, and techniques are always important, talking about results is just as important. What does success mean to them? Ask them to explain their bottom line.
What other steps should you take when hiring an SEO specialist?
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a handful of SEO experts that you’re considering, there are two main steps to take for each candidate.
First, it’s necessary to check references. While this requires a bit of work on your end, you should never hire an SEO expert, or anyone for that matter, without checking their professional references.
It’s easy to come across as an SEO expert in a 10-minute interview, so following up is essential. Speaking with their previous colleagues, managers, or directors can significantly influence your decision. Be sure to cross-reference their interview answers with what their previous employers or associates have to say. It’s also helpful to ask about their overall opinion of the SEO candidate. Were they easy to work with? Did they meet deadlines? Did they welcome constructive criticism?
The second step of this phase is asking your final candidates to conduct a technical audit of your website. A technical audit is when a potential hire analyzes your current site and search rankings and designs an SEO plan. If they have experience, you’ll most likely have to pay for this audit, but if it means finding the right SEO expert, it’s worth it. They can explain what they think the site needs, how much it will cost, and how long it should take.
Be wary of SEO experts that make unrealistic promises. For instance, if they state that your site will rank at the top of relevant Google searches in a short timeframe with minimal changes, most likely they’re deceiving you. You want their SEO techniques to be both practical, possible while only using white-hat SEO techniques. You do not under any circumstances want to hire an SEO expert that utilizes black-hat search engine optimization strategies.
Why Hire Jupiter Marketing Agency SEO Services
Our SEO experts provide a wide range of SEO services that include Local SEO, Franchise SEO, eCommerce SEO, On-Page SEO, On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, Content Writing, Link Building, and Conversion Rate Optimization. We also have experience working with a variety of industries in several locations. If you’re ready to learn more about what our experienced SEO experts can do for you, contact us today to schedule a consultation!
