When you put out a requisition for a Search Engine Optimization agency it’s very likely that you’ll receive upward of thirty responses. They will all make the claim that they are the best SEO Agency in town and will deliver amazing results for you. So how do you whittle down the list to identify who to meet with? And, more importantly how do you decide which one to hire?

Identifying the Best SEO Agency

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best SEO agency for your company:

Market Expertise – it certainly helps if the SEO agency already understands your market, they’ve possibly worked for similar companies before, so they know what works and doesn’t work in your industry, and they know how to tap into your potential customer base. It’s not a problem if they haven’t worked with your industry before because Search Engine Optimization is a transferable skill, but if you need to reduce a long list, pick SEO agencies that have experience and success in your market. That applies to industry and geographic knowledge by the way.

Realistic Claims – okay we all have to make bold statements to get the attention of prospective customers, to help us stand out from the crowd, but what is our sales pitch? If an SEO agency’s sales pitch sounds too good to be true, then it probably is false or exaggerated. If they make claims such as achieving number one result page ranking for the top ten key words for a client then either the client has a monopoly of their market or their competitors live in the dark ages. Another questionable claim is gaining massive results within a short period of time. It is very unrealistic to expect transformative results within six months using Search Engine Optimization. Any agency that claims to be able to do so is likely using black hat techniques which will probably result in search engine penalties not long afterward.

Transparency – Search Engine Optimization is a mystical art, it’s a science which if carried out methodically by an expert will supply an increase in search engine rankings. So an agency that is unwilling to reveal how they will achieve results is probably using black hat techniques which will damage your website in the long term.

Customer Testimonials – while of course customer testimonials could be falsified, it’s an ethical area where any company with any concern for their reputation will ensure they claim only the truth. The best SEO Agency will have lots of positive yet realistic customer reviews from current clients, and will be willing to put you in touch with said current clients to speak to them about their experience of working with the agency. If they have a lot of ex-clients within their testimonial portfolio then that’s a definite red flag, because if a company is pleased with the results of the best SEO agency then they will want to retain them ongoing.