Search engine optimization (SEO) continues to become an increasingly important marketing channel for companies that want to improve their digital presence. In step with this, there are also more and more SEO companies on the market, which means that it can sometimes be difficult to choose a supplier when buying SEO. To facilitate this, we thought we would share 7 things that are important for you as a buyer and which also make an SEO company last.

Why is this guide needed?

If you have found this guide, you are probably looking for a partner who can help you improve your company’s presence in the search engines. Maybe you have done a classic search on Google and discovered how many potential partners there really are, how many different “packages” they offer, and how much the price of these can differ.

This often creates a great deal of confusion among the companies that want to buy SEO. In the worst case, it also leads to the discovery that the package you bought did not match the expectations you had at all.

To avoid such a scenario, we, therefore, thought we would share 7 things to think about before choosing a supplier, which also makes it worth your time and money. All for you to find the right partner, get the best conditions to succeed in the search engines, and get the highest possible return for the investment!

Tip 1 – define & start from your goals

Even before you start looking for a provider that can help you with search engine optimization, you should start thinking about what goals you have. Why do you want to work with SEO from the beginning? Is it to:

• Increase sales
• Increase the number of contact requests
• Increase your organic traffic

By having clear and well-defined goals to start from, you create the best possible conditions for finding the right partner. It also reduces the risk of misunderstandings between the parties. Longstanding SEO companies can fulfill these goals and this is a sign that a provider is worth your time and money.

Tip 2 – check working methods

In principle, all agencies and SEOs have their own interpretation of what search engine optimization is really about. If you ask 10 different people, you will probably get the same number of answers. Depending on how you interpret this area, you also work in different ways. When contacting an agency or consultant, you should therefore check how they view search engine optimization and what ways they will use when working with your site.

Well-established SEO companies believe that SEO is about improving customers’ presence in search engines and thereby increasing their organic traffic. To achieve this, they develop a well-functioning way of working that generates results for the customers.

Tip 3 – no individual keywords

This tip could be said to go hand in hand with the above point. Namely, there are many companies out there that offer ready-made packages that include optimization for a certain number of words.

Personally, we think that working methods or layouts like these are a big warning sign because you should not stare blindly at individual keywords. There are many reasons why this should be avoided, but the top three are:

• Every third Google search is unique. How can you then generate more traffic if you only optimize your presence on a few keywords?

• No matter how much analysis you do, you can never know if you manage to position yourself well on a certain word. Sometimes it does not matter how much effort is made to position yourself on a specific word, but it may not give them the desired result. Due to this, it is important to try it out!

• You do not get value for money.

An SEO team that understands these aspects when offering SEO packages, makes an SEO company valuable on the market and can thrive over the years.

Tip 4 – transparency & communication

Perhaps the most important thing you should check before deciding to seek the help of an agency or consultant, is how they view transparency and communication. Too many companies that buy SEO feel that they do not know what efforts are being made and that communication between them is poor.

A successful SEO company map all their time and all their efforts. In addition, they always communicate these efforts to the customer directly when they are made. In addition to this, they also send out manual reports where they compile efforts, results, and plans for the future. This makes a company 100% transparent while the customers know what the team does and what result they get.

Tip 5 – customer cases and reviews

Something that you should also check before choosing an agency or consultant, is whether they can offer any customer statements, customer cases, or references. It is understandable if many want to keep their customers secret or also hold confidentiality agreements, but a couple of customer statements or cases should all serious parties should be able to offer.

However, a successful SEO company will share such data with the customer in order to settle credibility and trust.

Tip 6 – flexible price

Another mistake that many people make when buying SEO is that they stare blindly at the price. Many people want the absolute cheapest price and let this guide the choice. Of course, the price should feel reasonable and be within your budget, but here the good old adage “you get what you pay for” fits quite well. What results do you think are reasonable if you pay $20 per month?

With that said, it does not automatically mean that a more expensive result means better results. There are many players who charge a lot without generating any results or added value for the customer. These companies are not meant to last for long on the market.

To sum it all up, the price should obviously be a contributing factor in the choice of supplier, but do not stare blindly at it. As long as you get a good return on your investment, I would say it’s worth it!

A successful SEO agency usually offers price flexibility and tailors the packages to clients’ needs and requirements. When you decide to make a purchase, look out for such companies. Reading reviews and contacting the company directly can save a lot of time and headaches later.

Tip 7 – Prepare to take time

Last but not least, you should be prepared for the fact that it takes time! Goof SEO companies will never promise you results over the night. Search engine optimization is a long-term job that usually takes effect within a couple of months. If you want an immediate effect, we recommend that you instead work with digital advertising via, for example, Google AdWords or social media exposure, which some companies also provide.

As you can see, there are many things when buying SEO, and also what makes an SEO company last. Good luck!