Verifying the work done by your SEO agency

So you have hired an seo company, but how do you know if they are the right people for the job? Is this the company that you should trust to get your ranking to rise higher?

When you hire an SEO agency, it is important that you find out what they are doing and often. It is most important within the first few months of hiring them. The earliest that you can find out what they are doing to help you the better chance you will have of knowing if they are doing more harm than good.

Here are the warning signs that show your SEO agency is not doing their job correctly:

Nothing to show you

The SEO agency that you choose should have something to present to you. This doesn’t mean showing the result of your ranking, but they need to show you what SEO practices they are conducting. Up to four months into the contract, it may just be a little too early for them to show you significant results, so give it time for you to see results. Your SEO agency should be showing you what they are doing with the money that you are paying them.

These are what they should be able to provide to you within the first few months:

  • Optimised content of your site
  • Analysis of your sites link profile
  • SEO audit of your website
  • Articles with their links to the sites that are being published or have already been published.

Your SEO agency is not asking for anything

Your SEO agency that is doing what they are supposed to be doing will be needing things from you every so often. You are the owner of the site, so be wary if they are not asking you for the following:

  • A list of target keywords
  • Past penalties/work/audits
  • Access to the social accounts
  • Access to the Google webmaster
  • Access to Google analytics
  • Editor access to CMS

If you are not getting asked for anything, then they may be adding linkbacks from spam sites. These are harmful actions that don’t need access.

No offerings for improvements

If you have an SEO agency that is not telling you how to do certain things, or where improvements can be made, then it is a sign that something is not right.  In order for your site to be successful, your SEO agency needs to work with you. The team will make recommendations so look out for this.

An SEO agency cannot share their techniques

Ask your SEO agency what they are doing. If you get any of these answers then your hitting red flags:

  • Our efforts remain confidential
  • We are not permitted to disclose our techniques
  • Basically, we optimise your site for search engines and perform expert seo
  • We do heaps, but it would take too long to explain
  • We will get back to you

If you are getting answers like these or they seem to be avoiding the situation by not answering calls or returning your messages then move on. A decent SEO agency do practices that are proven to get results and are more than happy to share them with you. There are plenty of agencies out there don’t be afraid to find another if you believe the current SEO agency is not the right fit for you.