Finding a Good SEO Firm Can Be Hard, But It Doesn’t Have To Be

Yesterday I read an article on the top ways to identify a good SEO firm. With a million black-hatters and scammers out there, it’s great for both B2C and B2B companies to know what to look for in hiring a top-notch SEO firm. It can be daunting to find a reputable SEO firm that delivers results. We know – because our clients have stories to tell, prior to meeting us, that is! The article I read listed the following 4 ways to tell if you’ve found a good SEO firm, and we’ve added 1 more to the list.

(1) Can you find them in the search engines?

Why this is important: This isn’t an area where the ‘shoemaker’s daughter’ excuse should ever be used. If an SEO firm doesn’t rank for geo-targeted SEO search terms, move on.

How Liqui-Site stacks up: Google “SEO evaluation NY” (or NYC) and “SEO analysis NY” (or NYC). We’ve targeted these particular terms because we prefer to prove our knowledge up-front. We offer a complimentary website evaluation that focuses on SEO, but also includes evaluation of social media, email marketing and more. Ours is one of the most comprehensive offerings out there, and with no obligation or cost whatsoever. Because of that, we prefer to appeal to those looking for a baseline first. We find that it makes for a stronger relationship because we can help educate clients as we walk them through our evaluation of their site and the recommendations we’ve provided.

(2) Do they have an active social media presence?

Why this is important: SEO is not possible without social media in today’s online landscape. So, your SEO firm should be all over social – and they should be abiding by best practices on those channels as well.

How Liqui-Site stacks up: Since we also offer Social Media Marketing Management, we take our own social communications and engagement very seriously. (We just don’t take ourselves too seriously.) You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest (some seriously fun and amazing boards / pins there!), and Google+.

(3) Do they have a blog and regularly publish new content?

Why this is important: Blogging is usually the primary vehicle for companies (including SEO firms) to publish new content on a consistent basis. If they don’t subscribe to a “content is key” philosophy, I’d seriously question the tactics they use to generate ROI for their clients.

How Liqui-Site stacks up: If you’re reading this, then you know the answer! Follow our blog or subscribe via RSS or email (on the right hand side) to see how often we publish.

(4) Can you find any red flags about the company online?

Why this is important: If other people had serious issues with an SEO firm, chances are they would be pretty vocal about it. Check with your regional Better Business Bureau, Yelp and other review sites, and even Google the company name to see what comes up on Pages 1-10 of the search engine results pages.

How Liqui-Site stacks up: Check us out on the BBB (Grade A+), Yelp, Recommendations from clients on our Facebook Page, or just Google us to see for yourself what comes up.

(5) Have you spoken to their SEO clients, past or present?

Why this is important: It’s all about due diligence. You wouldn’t buy a car without checking out the dealer’s reputation online or asking friends where they bought their new car. You wouldn’t take your parents to a restaurant for the first time without reading Yelp reviews, and you certainly wouldn’t take a trip across the globe to a resort without looking at traveler’s photos on TripAdvisor, right? So you shouldn’t hire an SEO firm without asking to speak directly with their clients.

How Liqui-Site stacks up: We are very open and encouraging about having prospective clients speak with our SEO clients directly. I always say, “I can tell you how great we are and what kind of results you could expect to achieve with our SEO work, but I’d rather a couple of actual clients do that instead.”