If you’re going to hire a SEO consultant you need to know if they understand the world of SEO. There are numerous people who claim to be consultants but do these people actually know what they are talking about?
We put together a list of questions to ask an SEO consultant before you hire them from an actual well respected marketing consultant who owns a real marketing agency.
Let’s dive into it!
What does success look like to you?
The first and most important question to ask a consultant before you start working with them is what does success look like to you? The reason why this is important is because determining what success looks like will help set the stage for how the consultant will work with your business. If the answer is just to advise on simple things like best practices of SEO or algorithm updates there may not be much hands-on work involved.
How long have you been doing SEO for?
The answer to this question will give you a good understanding of the SEO professionals ability to weather Google algorithm updates and will also allow you to know if somebody is knowledgeable in their industry.
People or companies who have been doing SEO for a long time will understand the inner workings of a search engine and will be able to produce more consistent results on a regular basis.
At Cindtoro We have been doing SEO since our inception in 2019. This was the first service that we offered at the company. Led by Walter Moreira who became highly proficient in how search engines work he gained an understanding into ways to think like a machine and gained the ability pull obscure topics out of text to search for keywords.
It was in late 2020 that I put my knowledge to use working with national level companies to help them improve their SEO on search engines.
Do you have any experience with artificial intelligence and SEO?
While large language models have been powering search engines for decades Artificial intelligence in the world of SEO is a relatively new thing. understanding if the consultant has experience with artificial intelligence and SEO will give a good gauge on if they are up to date on the latest things happening with search engines. At Cindtoro we use AI to parse through massive amounts of information to identify keywords / topics we would not think about utilizing third party research tools or our brains.
How long does it take for your clients to see results?
On average it should take about 3 to 6 months before SEO STARTS working. Knowing how long it takes for clients to see results will allow you to understand if the marketing solution you are looking to implement is the right thing for your business. If the consultant says they can get you on the first page guaranteed then you are likely looking at a scam.
If you are on a strict timeline with a limited budget, search engine optimization is not the best idea for your company as it can require a significant timeline and financial investment to make the efforts pay off.
Do you have any case studies you can share?
Before you decide to work with a consultant you want to know if they have success with others. Asking for case studies is a great way to do this if a company does not have case studies then it means they just got started or they have no clients.
What certifications do you hold?
You should want to work with the consultant or company that holds as many certifications as possible. There are numerous digital marketing tools SEO professionals use on a daily basis. asking if the consultant is certified in them will give you some peace of mind they care about being the best. These certifications could be things like google tag manager, google analytics, google ads or other marketing channels which may be important. Certifications signal the need for the professional to constantly be evolving and maintain a high level of excellence.
How do you deal with Google algorithm updates?
Did you know that the Google algorithm updates hundreds of times per year? Ask an SEO consultant how they deal with Google algorithm updates to give you insight into their ability to diagnose reasons why a website is not performing or the reasons why traffic is fluctuating.
Has there ever been a time where SEO has not worked for somebody you worked with?
There will be times that an SEO solution will fail to deliver results. This should not be an immediate disqualifier to work with a consultant, rather an opportunity to see if the person you are going to hire has integrity.
You can also use this question as an opportunity to ask them what they learned from the SEO failure that has made them a better professional moving forward. Hard lessons are invaluable teachers. Don’t miss your opportunity to ask this question prior to making a decision.
Will SEO work for my industry?
SEO will work for any industry. It does not matter what your product or service is. If people are searching for it there are ways to get it by found by your target audience. But, seeing how the consultant will answer this question will help to see if they understand the most important parts of SEO.
How search works, importance of backlinks, and describing EEAT, Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. People think EEAT is a Google ranking factor which is completely wrong. EEAT is actually a methodology to create the best possible high quality content which is what Google strives to promote so heavily.
Work With Cindtoro
Looking to hire an SEO consultant? Trust in the team at Cindtoro. We have the industry experience to help take your business SEO to the next level. We founded our company on the ability to produce quality results for our clients. We specialize in working with businesses who are looking to increase their brand awareness and quality leads with SEO and other digital marketing methods made custom to your needs.
