How can a company find the best SEO company in their area? Here are the different ways and the main notion to avoid. 

Define SEO goals 

Before a company heads to an Austin SEO company, it is imperative for the internal team to set SMART goals. Smart goals are segmented goals based upon: 

• S: Specific

• M: Measurable

• A: Achievable

• R: Realistic

• T: Timelined 

Specific objectives are critical to the success of any digital marketing campaign because without these goals set in place, goals will never really be achieved. A SEO expert could explain all of the wonderful things that have happened since hiring them or their agency, but if these specific goals were never set internally, then a company really is not getting what they want. 

Measurable goals in the digital marketing world are everything due to the fact of everyone being an “expert.” From analytics to SEO reports, a company needs to show that a 50 percent rise in organic traffic actually raised 50 percent, and if not, what needs to happen to reach that 50 percent. 

Achievable means these goals can be achieved. It does not matter if the company is the number one company in the world, if the goals are unattainable due to present strategies or a lack of understanding, these goals will not be achievable. Start with where the company is at, and speak with a couple of SEO companies, see what the average is achievable out of all of them.

Realistic is a place where SEO lives. You cannot and should not rank overnight. This is not realistic and any reliable Austin SEO company will not get that to happen. Think of the overall strategy because SEO is a marathon, not a race and whoever short-cuts ends up losing the race anyway. 

Timeline is huge when it comes to SEO because our experts let clients know that rankings could take six to nine months to start being where you want to be. If this timeline needs to be shortened, it is important to find a company that can provide both organic but even paid SEO strategies to help with the timeline. 

Work smarter not harder with SEO. With this in mind, once these SMART goals are set in place, here is how to find the best SEO company in Austin, Texas. 

Don’t let “high-ranking” fool you

“They are first for all of these keywords, they are obviously the best options out there.” Stop. Do not let the high ranking positions trick you. Yes, it makes sense that the best SEO company is ranking for all of the local SEO keywords, but the really great SEO companies do not need to rank number one. 

What?! Yup, it is true. Just because one company is ranking number one does not mean that this company is the best option. A company wants to find an SEO company with a high retention rate with those who are so busy that they have to turn down clients. 

As Moz states, “As a result, you are often left with some of the dregs here. Many companies who rank well for SEO plus city name or best SEO plus a region or plus a particular specialty are not the best.”  

Find the one that is BEST for the company GOALS. Do not let the ‘fame’ of first ranking discredit any other companies who are not first page or first ranking, but could offer better and more tailored services. 

Tracking data 

Remember about the “m” in SMART goals. Measure, measure and measure again. A company should have more than some basic analytics set in place. What SEO tools are being used? If the company does not have a reporting system in place to show results and goals being hit, go back to the list of experts. This can include, but not limited to,

• Website leads

• Phone calls

• Contact forms

Where are these leads going? Who is responding? All of this should be clearly set and defined the moment a company is a serious consideration. 

SEO is not magic and don’t let them sell you magic 

While SEO might sound like some voodoo magic happening inside the agency, it really is not voodoo magic. SEO is the process of optimizing a website to drive organic traffic to said website. Yes, there are constant updates and Google Algorithm updates and everything else in between, but the thing is, the best SEO company in Austin, Texas requires an understanding of search engines requirement, specifically Google’s, and the ability to continue hitting goals and milestones even throughout all the changes and updates. 

This leads into the dreaded budget conversation which could make a company want to hire the cheapest, but not the best SEO company out there. 

Budget 

Sigh, budgets. This is arguably the worst part about all of this because there are companies who do not understand why they need to spend budget on SEO; on the other hand, there are companies who blow money on companies when they could choose a better one for thousands less. 

While there are two different ends of the spectrum and those companies in the middle ground, it is important to find a company who can meet goals and provide all of the needs and wants within budget. It is important to understand the exact fees of the contract, monthly price, how long is a contract, can we modify the contract or what is the fee for canceling? 

Do not sign with your blood for a company who is not worth the investment to begin with. 

Signs of Black hat SEO

How do you know a company is offering services that are too good to be true? This company will have plenty of ways of getting around the questions and not being able to describe their overall process. The next sign is, “we can get you 10K backlinks in one week’s time and ranking basically overnight.” Woah, slow down. 

Let’s not get a company blacklisted on Google just to completely have to start over again. If a company can guarantee a crazy ranking, run. These “experts” are called Black Hat SEOs and they practice “illegal” SEO methods that only hurt a client at the end of the day. 

Do your own research 

Yes, so and so recommends this company, but is that what your company needs? It is important to find the Austin SEO Company who can help you achieve your goals and needs while making sure there is mutual respect between everyone. Do not hire a company that seems to be the “best” but really is not the best for your company. 

Now, still searching for the best Austin SEO company? Call us for a free consultation!