4 questions to ask your SEO agency to drive better results
Sometimes it can be confusing and complex to try and understand how your SEO agency goes about creating a strategy for you. Communication is key when it comes to creating a relationship of trust and understanding, so we’ve determined the best questions to ask your SEO agency to drive better results!
Asking the right questions achieves the right results. Gaining these answers means additionally gaining reassurance, trust and a strengthened partnership in which both participants can thrive.
At Embryo, we communicate effectively with clients to create bespoke, effective SEO strategies. Choosing us means choosing expert knowledge and uncovering your website’s potential.
How will you get our site towards first-page results?
Due to the constant change in the SERPs, it can be hard to determine a direct answer to when you could rank on the first results page. However, what your SEO agency can tell you is how they plan to get you there, or at least how they’ll get you closer with effective progress.
You’ll be able to rank higher with local SEO by using more specific, bespoke keywords, as competition decreases the more specific the search gets. It’s important not to have unrealistic expectations for your site, and false promises from an agency should be taken as a red flag.
That being said, if you plan to rank globally, you should ask your agency how they plan to use international SEO practices to get you there. This strategy must be done carefully and properly to avoid ruining your current plan, so it is vital to ask your agency whether this is the right avenue for your site.
Additionally, it is a good idea to ask your SEO agency whether technical SEO should fit into their plan for ranking you highly. Often overlooked, it can be a vital component for fixing the foundations of your site so your ranking position can be boosted.
Using technical SEO can have your site running smoothly in no time, helping to achieve a higher ranking and getting you one step closer to ending up on the first-page results.
What SEO services do you use for our strategy?
Asking this question helps you get to grips with what is being implemented on your site and how it works. It is a good question for strengthening the relationship of understanding.
Knowing what’s recommended for your strategy and how the services are used to benefit your rankings can help you make informed decisions on what to invest in.
For example, mobile SEO could be beneficial if most of your users are likely to be those who access your site using a mobile. Or maybe your agency recommends national SEO if your aim is to get your name out there across the country.
Are the number of links we’re getting affecting our results?
Link building is recognised as an essential part of SEO, increasing the amount of traffic to your site and heightening its authority.
Only looking at the number of backlinks can be a possibly harmful mindset to adopt, as it is the quality of the links that takes importance here. It’s essential to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks, as low-quality or spammy backlinks can harm your SEO efforts.
Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites, supporting the fact your website is trustworthy and reliable- you don’t want a platform that lacks authority to point to your site. What you do want, however, is authoritative platforms with an audience and trustworthy content to link to your site. This signals to Google that your page should rank highly.
Asking your agency this question can put your mind at ease that the numbers aren’t always a priority. It is the quality that is likely to affect your results.
How do you measure success?
Determining how successes and conversions are measured should be made clear to your SEO agency, but it can often be difficult to create a set goal. However, you and your agency should be on the same page for what’s expected and establish how success is measured.
Again, it is almost impossible to answer how many conversions are expected for your site, but what your agency can tell you is the best way to achieve them. It’s crucial to share your intentions and objectives with them, whether that means your conversions are sales, leads or clicks.
Your agency may use e-commerce SEO services to achieve conversions for your site
The way you measure your conversions could change the goal of your SEO strategy, shifting what keywords are best to rank highly for. This question ultimately tells your agency which direction to take when aiming to put you in front of the right users who are likely to give you either sales, clicks or leads.
Asking how your agency measures success also makes you aware of what metrics are taken into account and what elements of your site are tracked. For example, this could be:
- Keyword rankings
- Website authority
- Bounce rate
- Technical health
- Click-through rate
- Site health
- And more!
Why choose us as your SEO agency?
At Embryo, we build relationships of trust and forever strive to understand your business. We create bespoke strategies driven by the expertise of our SEO team and are there to answer any questions you may have.
Get in touch with the team to receive your comprehensive SEO audit, or simply chat with our team about any queries you may have.
FAQs
Answered by Charlotte Fallon
Do I need to have goals and objectives before going to an SEO agency?
You will always get the most out of an agency if you have clear business goals and objectives set out. These don’t necessarily have to be SEO related- that’s what the SEO experts are for.
Should I feedback on my thoughts on the strategy or trust the experts?
There should always be an element of both. While the SEO experts can be trusted to know all things SERP, you know your brand and industry better than anyone. The best SEO strategies are ones with true collaboration and a sharing of knowledge from both sides.
Do I need to help writing content or will an SEO consultant do this for me?
Here at Embryo, we are flexible. While we do have a content writing team, we do understand that you may do too! The content element can be a huge chunk of an SEO strategy, and an SEO agency should always advise what would be best for your business.
Will I get regular reports and updates on my SEO journey?
Yes, here at Embryo, we give monthly reports at a minimum, however can also provide bespoke reports if you want more regular updates. From an SEO perspective, with results not fluctuating on a granular scale- monthly, quarterly and bi-annually can give a great perspective of performance over time, such as conversions and traffic.