Making decisions about SEO can often seem tricky because there are so many different levels, types, strategies, and theories about this newer industry. Everyone wants a piece of the SEO pie, and every SEO agent or SEO firm is trying to brand themselves as unique. As a company in need of SEO services, it can be tough to know in which direction to go. Therefore, it's important that you ask yourself not just who the "best" SEO firm might be-which SEO firm won the most awards, which has the highest success rate, which has the most positive reviews, etc.-you have to ask yourself which type of SEO is going to be best for you.
SEO and the Different Aspects to Keep in Mind
Part of choosing the SEO that is right for your particular project is understanding some of the most fundamental differences between different aspects of SEO. In other words, there are certain traits that you should look for in an SEO strategy or SEO firm that depend completely upon the goals of your company. A few things to consider include:
- On-Page versus Off-Page Optimization. Every website needs on-page optimization before it can move on to off-page optimization; however some SEO firms put a big focus on guest blogging or link building. You might feel like you're not past the on-page stage, in which case you need to put this as your first priority.
- Immediate Results versus Long-Term Results. In the majority of projects, you're always going to want to wait for any long-term data in order to really determine if your efforts are working. SEO is a long process, and you can't expect to see results right away (never sign on with a company that promises a certain ranking by a certain date). However, sometimes you want to see immediate results so that you can make a design. For example, if you had a web design project, you would want to see some sort of success fairly soon after your switch. If you are just looking for rankings, long-term might be where you want your head.
- Aggressive versus Passive Approach. As with anything in business, you can take an aggressive approach to something or you can be more passive. With SEO, most projects probably warrant an aggressive approach (you have to constantly be working with SEO to succeed, which is why it has become it's own department with full-time staff for many companies). Aggressive SEO can often refer to making changes directly to your site. However, some projects require you to be more passive. For example, you may want to occasionally share a competitor's piece of content in order to provide your readers with relevant information as well as create a helpful relationship with that company. This might jumpstart someone into paying it forward, thus giving you more visibility, more clicks, and hopefully more conversions.
- Mobile versus Desktop Device. Most obviously, you have differences in SEO based on the device that your readers will be using. It's important to look at your data to determine where your readers are reading your information, and it's important to always be prepared for the mobile users by creating mobile friendly sites. This will change the way you optimize and might change the layout and navigation of the site.
It's really all about assessing your website and assessing your goals. Many SEO firms will analyze your website for you, but understanding a little bit about the basics will help you make sure that you have a say in what the right route for your business is going to be.
How do you make sure that you choose the best SEO for your project? Is there anything else you take into consideration? Let us know your story and your thoughts in the comments below.