7 Things Search Engine Optimisation Consultants Wish You Knew
As the name implies, search engine optimisation consultants are consultants responsible for many different elements of search engine optimization (SEO).
Their main role will be to make sure that your website ranks high on Google, but they can also serve as an educational resource if you’re unfamiliar with SEO or want to learn more about it.
No matter what you need from them, these seven things search engine optimisation consultants wish you knew can help you work with them more efficiently and effectively.
1) Don’t treat SEO as an optional part of your marketing mix
SEO is an important part of your digital marketing strategy.
When we talk about SEO, it’s easy to understand search engine optimization as a siloed practice that’s only useful for online visibility.
While SEO can have a positive impact on your bottom line, you have to approach it as part of an integrated marketing campaign—you need to consider what links you should build and which backlinks are valuable for your business.
Title tags are important for search rankings and backlinks are vital when it comes to link building, but there’s so much more that goes into both concepts than most people realize.
To get started with search engine optimization, it’s important to work with a professional SEO consultant who can help guide you through all of these elements.
If you want to learn more about search engine optimisation in general, check out our other posts here
2) Don’t think you can do it yourself
It’s important to hire someone who has experience in search engine optimization and local SEO. They should also have a good understanding of how Google’s algorithm changes have impacted search results.
If you do your own SEO, you run a high risk of both being not noticed by search engines and ruining your company’s online reputation because something on your website could be perceived as manipulative by users.
A specialist will know what to do, as well as what not to do so that you get the best possible position for your business within search engine rankings. Don't waste time researching yourself; find someone who knows what they're doing instead.
Here are some ways you can work with an SEO consultant:
- Hire them directly: If you want to cut costs or avoid working with an agency, hire a freelancer directly through platforms like Upwork or Freelancer.
- Choose an agency: Agencies typically provide better service than freelancers because they can assign multiple consultants to one project. However, many agencies charge per hour rather than providing a flat-rate fee.
- Work with a marketing firm: Marketing firms offer services similar to those of an agency but often at lower prices since they don't specialize in search engine optimization.
- Use social media ads: Facebook and Twitter ads are free, but they aren't very effective at increasing traffic. To really grow your audience, it's best to use paid advertising methods such as AdWords and Bing Ads.
These options give you more control over targeting specific groups of people based on their interests and demographics.
3) Let them know what you want
What Makes a Good SEO Consultant The most successful online marketing strategy is one that adapts over time to accommodate new trends and techniques. If you want to really get ahead, you need someone who can show you how to be flexible and quick on your feet as far as search engine optimisation goes.
And, because everyone wants Google to like them these days, it's important that you let your consultant know what your priorities are. Your consultant will already have their own list of priorities, but if they don't align with yours then things won't go very well. In other words: no Google before God! At least not in your business.
That doesn't mean you should ignore all Google-related issues, though - quite the opposite. It just means you shouldn't make any hasty decisions about changes or investments based solely on search engine rankings alone.
Your goals may require certain changes to meet particular KPIs and meeting those goals may take some creativity - so allow yourself room for experimentation while keeping an eye on what works best overall.
But also keep in mind that being agile doesn’t mean being reckless either; when something isn’t working, call it out quickly so that both parties can work together to find better solutions instead of wasting valuable resources down dead ends (or worse).
4) Define Your Goals
The key to success in any search engine optimisation campaign is having clear and realistic goals. While those of you who are more experienced may already know what works for your business, it's always a good idea to go back to basics and define your objectives.
- What do you want people to do on your website?
- What action are you looking for them to take?
By pinpointing these things right at the beginning, you're giving yourself an achievable goal—and putting yourself in a much better position to achieve it.
Make sure that your SEO consultant knows exactly what you're trying to achieve with your search engine optimisation campaign before they start working on it.
This will save time, money, and energy. If you don't have clear goals from day one, then you'll end up spending money on ineffective tactics that aren't going to help boost traffic or conversions (or whatever else you were hoping for).
5) Think long term
SEO can be a long-term game. There’s no secret bullet or one-time tweak that will immediately catapult your website to page one of Google.
A consultant should have experience with:
- link building,
- technical SEO,
- and well-planned strategies that both meet short-term needs while laying a foundation for future growth.
Think of them as an advisor who understands how search engines work, has ideas on how to improve your online presence, and will help you get there through proven strategies – not some new hack that guarantees instant results.
And remember: just because you don’t understand what they do doesn’t mean it isn’t important! That’s why I recommend finding someone with experience in what makes a good SEO consultant.
For example:
- Did they manage outreach campaigns?
- Did they handle content creation?
If so, that means they know what works and what doesn’t – and how to implement those learnings moving forward.
6) Get Started Now!
Getting in touch with an SEO consultant doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
The first step is knowing what you want to achieve:
- Do you need help getting your business online?
- Have you already created a website but aren’t seeing results?
- Are you trying to boost sales by driving traffic from search engines?
While all of these can be accomplished with SEO, knowing what your goals are upfront will make it easier for consultants to advise solutions that work for your specific needs.
Once you know how much time and money you want to spend, find a consultant in your area who provides services that match your needs, and gets started today!
7) The Seven Must-Dos Before Starting on Any Digital Marketing Project
Every digital marketing project has a specific goal attached to it. Be sure you know what yours is before jumping into your SEO campaign.
For example, if your company just wants more leads, then search engine optimization may not be your best bet because search engines don’t necessarily send more traffic than other forms of online advertising (i.e., Google AdWords).
Also, remember that just because one form of online advertising works well for one company doesn't mean it'll work well for another; each industry and individual brand's goals should dictate which online advertising techniques are used to meet those goals.
This is an important question that every potential client needs to ask themselves before beginning any SEO campaign. Search engine optimization is not right for everyone.
It requires a lot of time and effort, so only opt for search engine optimization if you believe it will help grow your business.
It takes time to rank high in search results pages—anywhere from six months to two years—so be patient!
Search marketing consulting fees vary widely depending on factors such as location, reputation, experience level, and the number of projects completed per year.
However, most search marketing consultants charge anywhere from $50-$500 per hour.
Before opting for search engine optimization, make sure your website is optimized for conversions by using elements like call-to-action buttons and persuasive copywriting.
A poorly designed website won't convert visitors into customers no matter how good your SEO strategy is.
Yes, search engine optimization affects rankings in Bing and Yahoo, too. In fact, some search marketing consultants suggest focusing on ranking for major search engines besides Google first.
Once you've established a presence in these search engines, you can then focus your efforts on ranking for your main keyword phrase(s) in Google.