The market for search engine optimization services has absolutely exploded over the last few years. According to IBIS World, there are nearly 5,000 digital marketing companies in the United States specializing in SEO company services. The growth of the SEO industry is no real surprise, not when you realize that consumers are spending more than $1.5 trillion every year online, and that 93% of those online shopping experiences begin with a search engine.
A growing number of these companies are offering their services as local SEO experts. SEO, as you may know, is moving away from the generalized tactics of the past. Web shoppers want to find businesses that are closer to home. Subsequently, local SEO strategies are increasingly important for businesses looking to attract this local foot traffic. If you’re one of the many business owners who lacks the know how to make local SEO a priority for your company, here are three things to keep in mind when tracking down local SEO experts that can help your company succeed in the increasingly local world of eCommerce.
What to Keep in Mind When Hunting for Local SEO Experts
- You Need a Team Player
- If They Don’t Play by Google’s Rules, Leave Them in Your Dust
- The Top Spot in Google isn’t a Guarantee
As Search Engine Watch points out, one of the first things you should look for is an SEO company that has a proven track record of playing well with others. Your SEO company will need to work with web devs, writers, graphic designers, and other professionals to give your company the online presence it needs. Ask each company you’re considering about their experience working with these other companies. Better yet, ask them if they have an in-house team that can provide all of those services for you.
The single biggest mistake any SEO company can make these days is defying Google. Google controls anywhere from 65 to 70% of the search engine market share at any given time, which is why following their webmaster and SEO guidelines to the letter can make all the difference in the world when it comes to getting your company noticed. Do yourself a favor and look for local SEO experts that are certified Google partners. They are the best trained and best equipped to make sure that anything they do for you in terms of SEO will only help — not hurt — your company.
You should always expect your SEO company to eat their own cooking, but as Forbes points out, just because a company manages to get themselves the top spot in Google through their methods, that’s no guarantee they’re a great company that can do the same for you. You need to take a comprehensive view of each option you’re considering to make the best possible choice.
What tips and tricks do you use to tell the best SEO services from the worst? Share your knowledge with us in the comments below. More can be found here.