Today it is generally understood that SEO is a requirement for any business with an online presence. But most businesses also need an affordable SEO service.
Today it is apparent that SEO is far more complex and organic than it was at any time previously. Failure to keep up with the evolving state of SEO can cause a business to literally "fall of the radar" of organic search. And this means that keeping up with the changes can require a full-time SEO specialist.
However, not many businesses are in a position to make that type of addition to their staff and payroll. And this is why hiring an SEO company can be a good strategy, both operationally and fiscally. But the question that remains for many small business owners and CEOs is "Do we really have to hire an outside company for SEO?"
And the follow-up question to that is often, "Why can't we just do it ourselves?"
Why Consider an Affordable SEO Company
Those are valid and legitimate questions that do not have simple answers. If your company is relatively large and you have the capability of bringing on additional staff to handle the various inbound marketing tasks and functions, then doing it yourself can be a fiscally strategic move.
On the other hand, why invest in a number of employees and have the added costs of benefits, payroll taxes and equipment costs such as workstations when you can simply look for a good agency that specializes in SEO strategy?
Note that the emphasis here is on the word "good".
While the goal is to find a "good" Inbound marketing agency, finding one that is affordable is also a primary goal. No matter how much you think you're saving, going with a poor performer will cost you far more in the long run. A common failure is to take too much at face value simply because it all seems so "technical."
But the wrong company will make promises that sound legitimate, but never be able to follow through on them.
Making sure you can spot the less-than-stellar agencies and find a quality vendor can be challenging, but the good ones are out there. You just need to know what questions to ask and what references to review.
Not Every Inbound Marketing Agency is Good. Or Affordable!
So why hire a good and affordable SEO company? One overriding reason is that quality SEO service does not need to break the bank. However, there are still firms out there that are not in alignment with the current industry averages when it comes to fees and pricing.
There is much more to good SEO besides ensuring that your search engine optimization efforts really do optimize your search engine rankings, for example.
In addition to quality of service and affordability, there are three main reasons to only work with a proven inbound marketing agency. A good SEO company will:
1. Analyze Your Performance
A good agency help you see exactly what your performance online looks like in terms of visits, leads and customer acquisition. This way, you’ll know where and when to increase engagement, or cut back on investing your resources. The main goal of having a good SEO company to partner with is to make your marketing investments smarter and better.
Some of the components analyzed should include:
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Social Media Measurement: This will help you understand how your social media efforts are (or could be) driving traffic and creating leads.
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Organic Search vs. Paid Search: Allows you to see how much of your search traffic can be attributed to search engine optimization, and how much you're paying for.
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Buyers vs. Browsers: Helps determine which online channels brought in serious leads versus website visitors who just came to look around.
2. Optimize Your Website
There is far more to SEO than cramming in keywords and phrases, In fact, this old-school approach to SEO is no longer effective and can even cause your site to be penalized. Relevancy and web page quality is far more important today.
There are different aspects of your website that can be optimized according to their specific functions. For example, what needs to be optimized on your blog posts will differ in some respects from factors for landing pages.
A competent firm will work with you on the following:
- Blog Posts: They will help you identify what type of blog content is working best to attract visitors and drive traffic, and help you make your business blog posts effective and engaging. If you want, they will provide written blog content for you that is fully optimized.
- Landing Pages: They will work with you to create pages that convert better by measuring and optimizing your landing pages for success. This should include comparing pages against each other to see which performs best. They should also track progress over time, and see what offers are most effective.
3. Provide Consistent Data Reports
Consistent and regular communication is a must when it comes to inbound marketing and SEO. At the very least a quality firm will provide monthly reports of your website's analytics along with their input and explanations. In addition, you should expect to have a dedicated account manager who is available by phone and by email.
While face-to-face meetings might be nice, the truth is they are not always necessary nor feasible. But if the logistics allows for it, you should at least have an initial consultation in person. And if there is no initial consultation required, you can already start looking for another agency!
Let's Talk About Content
The most beautifully designed website is of almost no value without quality content. This is because quality content builds awareness, increases engagement, drives traffic and provides truly useful information for the reader. When your content engages, educates and entertains, you have created high-value content – and your visitors will be more likely to return for more as well as share your content with their social networks.
A good SEO company will provide content creation services as part of their offerings. While you may not feel you need this feature, expect to be given a fair appraisal of your existing content. A good company will insist on working with engaging content that is, or can be, fully optimized.
To be engaging, your content needs to be fresh, timely, relevant, interesting, and entertaining to your readers. It is content that your readers are searching for and want to share with their colleagues, friends and family.
Your content must not only be compelling, it must also be optimized to maximize its value, and therefore also needs to be:
- Search engine optimized
- Written for a specific keyword or keyword phrase
- Keyword rich
- Properly formatted
- Naturally linkable
Finding the Right SEO Match
If your online presence is being overlooked, you need not despair. For businesses managing their own marketing, the help of a trusted marketing firm can be a life saver. A quality marketing agency that specializes in SEO and Inbound Marketing, such as BroadVision Marketing, will have the resources and know-how to bring your website up to the standards Google continues to establish.
Sometimes it requires an outside perspective to see what your website homepage really looks like to first-time visitors. Acquiring the insights and assessment of a third-party professional can be an investment that will bring a quantifiable return.
BroadVision Marketing offers all this and more. At BroadVision Marketing, we assist our clients in developing custom, quality content that fits your organization’s needs. We also distribute, bookmark, and syndicate your content to engage visitors, drive leads, recruit clients, increase sales, and reduce your costs.
In addition to bringing your website up to date with mobile-friendly design, we invite you to get a free Complimentary Inbound Marketing Session. Being found through mobile search requires more than a mobile-friendly design. Request a free complimentary session to help you make an informed decision, or call BroadVision Marketing at 707-799-1238.
