Did you know that less than fifty percent of small businesses invest in SEO? If you’re considering hiring a professional SEO agency, you’re already miles ahead of the competition.

But what can you expect when working with an SEO agency? How do you know whether the people you’re working with will actually deliver on what they promise? Keep reading to learn a few of the things to look for in an SEO agency.

Introductory Session

The first thing your local SEO agency will do is schedule a call or meeting with you to discuss your business and its goals. They’ll get to know you, your team, and the products and services you offer. They’ll ask questions about your industry, the work you’re doing on SEO right now, and where you want to be after working with the agency.

Comprehensive SEO Audit

Before providing you with a game plan, a professional SEO agency will audit your business’s website and social channels. That way, they can provide you with a strategy that allows them to focus on SEO in a way that will actually be beneficial to your business.

If an SEO agency hands you SEO packages or a strategic plan without looking at your business’s web assets first, be careful. This could be an indication that they use the same strategy for all their clients, regardless of what will actually be effective for each unique business.

Clear Scope of Work

After your introductory meeting, the SEO agency will come back to you with a contract and a proposed scope of work. These documents will detail the goals and timeline of your partnership. They’ll also lay out the specific SEO services that the agency will provide to you and the steps they’ll take to achieve the goals laid out in the scope of work.

Clear, Timely Communication

A professional SEO agency will strike a good balance between completing work on their own and checking in with you regularly with updates on their progress.

At first, you’ll likely have a lot of content with your SEO team. You’ll need a kickoff meeting to meet everyone and share introductions. You’ll clarify the best means of communication and what you can expect from each other in terms of availability and checking in about progress updates.

After that, you can expect to have regular check-ins with your team where they update you on the work they’ve done since your last meeting, the progress they’re making toward your SEO goals, and any questions that have come up on their end. There should be no mysteries and no surprises for you throughout your partnership with the agency.

Hire a Professional SEO Agency Today

Now you know a few of the things you can expect when working with a professional SEO agency. From consistent communication to clear goals and expectations, professional and affordable SEO services exist out there, if you know what to look for.

Interested in more business advice? Check out the other articles on our site!