Eight Questions to Ask Before Hiring A New Zealand SEO Agency

When consumers are searching for products or services, where do they go?

Google.

That’s right. One in two consumers spend 75% of their online shopping time conducting research. Sometimes, they are researching specific products to buy or services to hire. Other times, they are just searching for answers or fun facts. No matter what these consumers are looking for, your business has a chance to introduce yourself and your business. This will only happen if your website is optimised and Google can find it while it is conducting a search. Without a commitment to search engine optimisation (SEO,) your business could get lost in the shuffle, and you could be missing out on reaching potential leads and customers.

Why is SEO Important?

When you are conducting a Google search, how often do you go past the first page of results? Rarely? You’re not alone. When consumers are searching on Google, 92% will click on results from the first page. If your website is on this first page, you have the opportunity to convert theses consumers into leads or customers. The world of marketing is changing; inbound SEO leads are 990% more likely to convert than outbound leads. Inbound and SEO strategies can result in higher revenue for your business, but this can only happen if you optimise your website and appear on the first page of Google search results.

Recruiting an SEO Agency to Optimise Your Website

Search engine optimisation and other digital marketing strategies can feel like a confusing world to navigate. The secrets of optimising your website often require a full site audit and extensive knowledge of Google algorithm. Luckily, specialists are available to help you optimise your website and put your business on the first page of Google search results.

Marketers and businesses are catching on to the importance of SEO, but not every SEO agency has your company’s best intentions in mind. SEO can be a profitable investment, but throwing your money to an inexperienced or shady “specialists” is the equivalent of throwing your money down the drain. As you shop around for SEO agencies, you may read a lot of fancy statistics or convincing sales pitches. When it’s time to narrow down your choices, have the following questions on hand. An SEO agency should have answers that show transparency, knowledge, and a genuine interest in your company’s success. If the agency gives you answers that leave you with a bad impression, kick them to the curb.

Eight Questions to Ask Before Choosing a New Zealand SEO Agency

How Much Time Do You Devote To Each Service?

SEO agencies often get away with offering services to clients without explaining exactly what they are doing. If you are going to give your money to someone, you should receive an explanation of where that money is going. Ask the agency about the details of how they will optimise your website and content, how long it takes, and the resources they use for each piece of the SEO puzzle.

What Are Your Link Building Strategies?

Agencies may not offer their most coveted SEO secrets, but they should give you a basic explanation of how they will optimise your site, including common tactics like link building. Most of these tactics can be conducted in an ethical, effective way (“white hat SEO,”) but some agencies will use spammy, unethical methods (“black hat SEO.”)  In the long run, “black hat” tactics will kill your chances at being a reputable and trusted source.

Do You Produce Content?

To start, an agency may conduct an initial site audit and fixes any bugs that could turn Google away from your website. Once all of the bugs are fixed and your site is running properly, your SEO work isn’t done. Producing and sharing high-quality content is key to optimising your website and establishing it as a trusted authority. Ask the agency about writing blog posts, eBooks, or other content, and how it can be used to optimise your website.

If the agency doesn’t produce content or provide a content marketing strategy as a part of their SEO services, you may not be reaching your full potential.  

How Often Will You Communicate With Our Team?

Some clients prefer to hand all of their SEO tasks over to an agency, while others prefer to be more hands-on. If you tend to regularly update your website and add new content, discuss how this process will work with the SEO agency.

In addition to communication, ask the agency who they will need to communicate with. Do they require the work of a developer in order to access and change your site? What members of your marketing team will help them create and optimise the most up-to-date information about marketing campaigns and other changes to your business? Get a picture of what this partnership will look like before you choose one agency.

Who Are Your Other Clients?

If the agency is working with clients in the same industry, they may be more focused on their success than yours. Your digital marketing and SEO strategy will translate directly to your growth and success in the industry. If the agency is working with two or three of your direct competitors, you aren’t guaranteed to come out on top.

What Case Studies Can You Show Us?

The best way to predict your success with an SEO agency is to see their past work with similar clients or industries. Ask to see case studies where the agency worked toward goals that you have for your company (lead generation, conversion rate optimisation, etc.) How did the agency determine and work toward these goals for the client? How did they measure success? How did the results of their campaign help the client? Are they currently working together now? If an agency offers case studies and similar information on their website, read through them before you sit down for a meeting. Prepare a list of specific questions about these case studies to learn more about what you can expect from the agency.

When Do You Expect to See Results?

Optimising your website is not an overnight process. Market research, site audits and fixes, and developing online strategies may help you reach your growth goals in a week or even a month. Be wary of agencies that offer immediate results. Digital marketing strategies, including content marketing and website optimisation, require consistent work. Remember, a professional SEO agency should be transparent and honest about how they can improve your SEO, and won’t just tell you what you want to hear.

How Do You Monitor and Measure Results?

Measuring ROI and other metrics is consistently one of the top challenges for marketers, but it is one of the top ways to understand the value of your effort and where to focus your marketing budget. Ask about the ways that the agency reports their work back to customers. What does a typical report look like? How can they determine where your leads and customers are coming from, and how to amp up those efforts in the next coming months?

A monthly report to gather data is a common and organised method of communicating progress, but SEO professionals shouldn’t just analyse data once a month. If you can’t call up the agency and get a clear picture of how your rankings look on that day, you should explore agencies that put more focus into their clients. Google constantly updates the way it presents search results. If the agency isn’t on top of these updates and doesn’t adjust their strategy to fit new requirements or updates, you may fall behind competitors who are on top of their game.

Why You Should Trust Digital Squad With Your SEO Goals

Now you know how to spot a professional, ethical SEO agency. If you’re looking to hire SEO specialists in Auckland, look no further than Digital Squad.

Digital Squad is a leading SEO agency, specializing in white hat services. Our small business works for big brands across the globe, and we devote our focus and time to each of these clients every day. Digital Squad clients know that SEO isn’t just a small project that you can put aside after a month; we invest our expertise and time so that you can achieve sustainable, long-term success. We only work with one client per industry so we do not face any conflicts of interest. We work for you and your digital marketing goals.

In addition to SEO, Digital Squad specializes in content marketing Auckland, AdWords marketing agency Auckland, and conversion rate optimisation. Knowledge of content marketing best practices or CRO testing helps us optimise your website further. Our specialists have conducted over 9,000 hours of research on Google Algorithms, and we’re not stopping yet. We monitor clients’ rankings every day to ensure that they stay on top of their game.

Read up on how we help clients optimise their content and place their website on the top page of Google search results. When you’re ready to make an investment in search engine optimisation and put your business on the first page of Google search results, reach out to the experts at Digital Squad.

Megan Okonsky is a copywriter and content marketing specialist with Digital Squad. She is originally from Philadelphia but has landed in Melbourne after traveling for eight months in Southeast Asia and New Zealand. She also teaches vinyasa yoga online. 

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