Many businesses (local or international) want to have better rankings on search engine result pages, meaning more traffic and more sales. But the process involves doing this isn’t common knowledge, especially amid competitors; hence an expert is required.

The expert here has to optimize a business website to rank well on Google or any other search engine. Finding the right service, especially if it’s your first time, can be a daunting task.

The difficulty involved is understandable, especially when one looks at the uncertainties of a service like this.

Well, we’re here to simplify the process for you and build confidence while doing so.

This article is going to take you close to knowing what’s required or expected from a freelancer or agency offering freelance Search Engine Optimization services.

Before we get further let’s clear the air about the differences between an SEO freelancer and an agency.

1. Who is an SEO freelancer?

An SEO freelancer is mostly an individual who offers SEO services, usually a small part of the process. When hiring an SEO freelancer, it’s not always for a whole task as this wouldn’t just sit right.

For instance, you can hire an SEO freelancer to build backlinks of a particular type of drive social signal to your domain name. The whole SEO process of a business or company will be too much for a single person to handle.

To hire an SEO freelancer, it means you know precisely what you want to be given. To be as straightforward as possible, only an SEO expert is advised to hire a freelancer; otherwise, you should consider hiring an SEO agency.

2. What is an SEO Agency?

This is an organized team offering SEO services holistically. They comprise of a group of experts handling all SEO parts and sometimes give the custom report. Of course, they come at a higher cost from its sound, but if you ask me which is better, I will pick the SEO agency any day. Example of an Agency is Webfx.

Let’s get down to a more critical part of this article.

3. What to look out for when hiring for SEO services?

Some things can determine if you’re about to hire the right SEO service provider or not. Consider the following tips:

a. Previous jobs:

This has got to be the most important tip on our list. Finding out previous jobs handled by an agency or whoever you’re hiring makes you ascertain if your site will be in safe hands. Previous positions are done and how it pans out can give you confidence showing that your site is in safe hands.

You can take the niches and the projects’ sizes into consideration as this will give a heads up on what the service provider can handle.

b. What problems are easily spotted:

This is where a site audit comes in – it doesn’t have to be in-depth at this stage, but a brief point where a problem is visible can go a long way to show proficiency.

Many tools out there can generate a quick audit it’s left for your potential employee to add words to it, it can be compared to your competitors. Not all site audits can be done by an online tool, so it’s left for the agency to prove its expertise.

c. Possible fixes:

Remember, at this interview stage, things must not be necessarily in-depth, but answers should be able to pinpoint possible holes.

This can be derived from the site audit gotten from a previous stage.

Most agencies are always glad to lay down what needs to be done as this is a stage where new clients are convinced or lost.

d. When do I start seeing results?

This is probably the first thing in every employer’s mind. SEO takes time to kick in; no one no matter the level of expertise can say for sure the day or week results will be seen. However, a time frame is predictable.

The experts should be able to put curiosity to rest and estimate when results should turn for the better.

e. The price:

Of course, there’s a price, and this will determine whether the deal goes through or not. Unlike, freelance SEO services SEO agencies have a list of packages where you can choose from.

These packages make sure everything is well spelt out, so you don’t have to pay extra charges when the project is underway.

f. What happens when the contract is over?

Being concerned about the post-contract period is also necessary. Questions like “Will my site be in the upward trend after the project?”, “Will things go wrong after the project?” “What should I expect after this contract expires?”

This is where you can learn on small things to keep doing or to avoid si you reap from your investment in the long run.

4. Where can you find SEO service providers?

You can hire freelancers from platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, where you find people worldwide who offer different SEO services listed there. One way to find out the right man for the job is by looking at reviews from past clients. Also, looking out specifically for people on your niche should be a factor too.

Finding an agency isn’t difficult as a simple search on Google will lead to a list where you can start your digging to find the one that suits you in all sense.

Some of the well-known agencies are:

• Webfx
• Ignite Visibility
• Straight North
• SocialSEO
• Super Star SEO and many more.

For a list of top SEOs agencies, you can go here. You might also want to use a local SEO service in your country, which may come with its advantages – Google has also got you covered.

Conclusion

In this time, you shouldn’t be in haste, as hiring a low SEO service provider can result in very harsh consequences. So, make sure to take your time.

You can also do more than talk to an agency you want to hire; you can perform an underground check to ensure their expertise. No right service provider goes unnoticed – something somewhere must have been saying about their services.

Lastly, getting yourself a braced with SEO basics is necessary as everything can make sense even if you can’t do them yourself.