Did you know that even in 2022, around one-quarter of small companies still don’t have a website? Failing to build up an online presence or creating a website without considering search engine optimization can make it harder for you to attract new customers, especially millennials and Gen Z. SEO agency software and marketing experts can help you get started or improve your existing site.
There are many SEO agencies out there, and not all of them are equally good. To make sure you achieve your goals, you’ll need to vet the company before hiring them and manage your collaboration with them. This might mean setting up regular meetings, making sure that all kinds of SEO are worked on, and monitoring your search engine ranking yourself.
How to Vet and Manage Your SEO Agency
Delegating search engine optimization to an agency is a great way of freeing up time and making sure you get the best results possible. But don’t just leave your SEO team to it. Instead, work with them by communicating regularly and checking that the strategies and tools they use are suitable for your business.
Set Up and Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console is an incredibly useful tool for small businesses trying to improve their SEO strategy. It allows users to monitor and troubleshoot their site’s appearance on search engine result pages. You’ll be able to see how your webpage is performing and how many errors there are. Have a look at your stats before starting to work with your agency.
Once you start collaborating with digital marketing experts, the number of errors and issues should go down, not up. Google Search Console is a great way of checking whether you’re making progress. Also, a good SEO agency is likely to ask you for access to your Google Search Console account. If they don’t, they might not be monitoring your progress.
Check What Kind of SEO Agency Software Is Used
Different SEO agencies use different kinds of software, and this can affect the quality of their work. Before hiring someone, ask them to show you the program they use so you can see whether it fits your goals. At Anthem Software, we always work with our own product, which can help both us and you to manage almost every aspect of digital marketing.
With our software, we can automate email and text message campaigns and social media marketing, track leads, store documents and photos safely, create quotes and bills, create financial reports, and manage your company’s schedule. Our software also allows you to manage your customer relationships more easily, and it sends you text message or email reminders, for example when you need to follow up with someone.
Make Sure They Are Looking at Both Types of SEO
In the past, SEO was very simple. You just had to put together a good website with lots of relevant keywords, and you appeared at the top of search engine results pages. But this is no longer the case because there is so much competition. To make sure you have a good experience, check that your SEO agency can help you with both on-page and off-page SEO. On-page SEO is everything you can see on your website.
Your marketing experts will help you create great content, use keywords correctly, lay out your website in an intuitive way, and keep your images and animations small enough that they load quickly. Off-site SEO involves partnering with other websites to get more exposure. Some tasks are generating and distributing reviews, getting your business listed in directories, and collaborating with bloggers or complementary small businesses.
Determine Your Goals and Timeline
Holding regular meetings with your SEO agency is crucial because it allows you to set goals for your company and make sure you’re on the right track. Your marketing experts should be happy to speak to you about the work they have done and how it has impacted your website’s visibility. A good company will always keep a record of their work and show it to you.
Once you’ve gone through what has been achieved, you can determine the next steps. Listen to what the experts have to say and give input that is specific to your company. If anything changes, for example, if you are bringing out a new product or you are changing the way a service is presented to customers, let your SEO team know well ahead of time so they can make the necessary changes to your website and social channels.
Be Patient
No matter how good the SEO agency software is, changes in search engine rankings aren’t instantaneous. When you first start working with an agency, you might notice an improvement quite quickly because the experts have fixed technical issues. But long-term success takes several months or even a year to become visible because search engines don’t change their ranking right away.
Don’t pressure your SEO team by asking “when will I rank on page 1 of Google” repeatedly. Ranking on the first page is a great goal, but it might not be possible for popular keywords because there is simply too much competition. Consider other options such as ranking on page 2 for a wider range of keywords. Depending on your situation, this could provide a higher ROI.
Pay Attention to How Algorithm Changes Are Handled
Good SEO agencies aren’t scared of algorithm changes. If your website has been set up in an intuitive way that attracts leads and encourages them to linger, it’s likely that you will actually see an increase in traffic every time the search engine changes its algorithms.
If you do experience a drop in page views, experienced marketing professionals will be able to analyze your site and find the flaw that is causing the problem. This means that the change is an opportunity to make your website even better rather than a setback. Agencies that speak negatively of algorithm changes are best avoided.
What Should Your Agency Help You With?
At the core of every digital marketing strategy is the business’s website, so it’s important for your agency to focus on building the best website they can for you. But once they’ve achieved this, they might offer you additional services, so you can benefit from even more leads and better relationships with your customers. Let’s look at some of the core services of a good digital marketing agency.
Optimizing Your Website
The best websites often look quite simple, but that doesn’t mean they are easy to set up. Before creating your site, your SEO team will determine a design that fits with your company’s values and goals, write texts and compile images, decide how to lay everything out, and choose a suitable domain name.
They might also focus on responsive web design, a strategy designed to improve user experience on different devices. Depending on the visitor’s screen size, your site will be displayed differently, so it’s easy to read even on a tablet or a mobile phone.
Social Media Marketing
Search engine traffic is an excellent way of getting more leads, but it isn’t the only method that works. Your SEO team might also set up one or more social media accounts for you, so you can widen your reach and build up positive relationships with your customers. Since these platforms are free to join, they are a great way of connecting with potential customers without spending a lot of money. When done well, social media marketing can be extremely effective.
Email and Text Message Marketing
Social media sites are controlled by the company that runs them, so you don’t own your account. This isn’t the case with email and phone lists, which belong to you. For this reason, building up a network of current and potential customers who are happy to hear from you via email or text is important.
Your digital marketing team will help you put together engaging emails and text messages that prompt people to click on your links and visit your website. Over time, you’ll build a relationship with your customers, and they’ll be more likely to buy from you when they next need a service or product you offer.
Content Marketing
Content marketing produces something, for example, a blog post or a video, that is useful for people. You might create a how-to guide or explain a complicated concept related to your industry. If your leads find this free content interesting, they might sign up for your newsletter or contact you to find out more about how you can help them.
When used together with social media marketing, SEO, and text or email marketing, this strategy can be extremely effective. It can also position you as an expert in your field.
Using SEO agency software and working with digital marketing experts makes it easier for you to build a successful website. To optimize your experience, always vet your agency before signing up with them, and communicate with them regularly to make sure your goals are still aligned. Give us a call at Anthem Software to find out how we can help you improve your business’s search engine ranking.
