Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Best SEO Company To Work With

If your business has an online presence, you probably need SEO.

SEO is an established way of making your business easily discoverable online. Like the bright signages and strategic location of a physical store, SEO leads people to your website by putting your website near the top of the search engine results page (SERP) for relevant searches.

The problem is, not many business owners have a good idea of how SEO works, or what’s the best SEO strategy for their business. And that’s precisely why outsourcing your digital marketing strategy is a brilliant idea!

On top of saving you precious business hours and manpower, you can also expect quality SEO services from SEO companies, from choosing the most suitable keywords to use, to building a solid infrastructure of quality links.

Naturally, the next question you might face is, how do you choose the right SEO company?

There’s no one formula, as it differs according to your business type and needs. To guide you along your search, here are some questions you should ask before settling on your choice:

What services does the SEO company offer?

Do a search on Google and you’ll find that there is an overwhelming abundance of SEO companies in Singapore alone. Not to mention, you don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to local companies – SEO is a service you can receive remotely as well.

To narrow down your options, decide what types of services you require, and look out for companies which offer them. SEO services can be further classified into types such as:

White-hat or black-hat SEO: White-hat SEO uses ethical methods of SEO. Black-hat SEO involves illicit activities that can jeopardise your site’s reputation and ranking if they are discovered.

On-site, off-site, and technical SEO: Not all SEO happens on the webpage itself. Some take place in the backend and others involve external sites. Certain SEO companies may only focus on one or two of these areas, while fewer are truly comprehensive.

These days, few companies specialise solely in SEO. Many also diversify into fields like social media marketing, web development, branding, and more. If you are looking for a one-stop solution, ensure that the company can also provide content creation and web development for your website, as these are closely related to SEO activities. Other digital marketing solutions you might want to consider are social media marketing or pay-per-click advertising.

A further criteria to look at is the company’s expertise and past experience. By their clientele you would usually be able to tell if a company is more well-versed with working with SMEs, B2B companies, or MNCs. If your business is in a relatively niche industry, it might take more work to find the right fit.

Can they deliver the results you want?

You’re looking at marketing companies, after all, and it is commonplace for them to wax lyrical about their own services. But, not every promise is to be believed!

It takes a little more sleuthing to see through the marketing hype to determine if a company is truly capable of delivering strong results.

Don’t be shy about asking to see a company’s past case studies. While they will probably select only the best cases they have, you can still double-check the reliability of their claims by noting the KPIs and metrics they use. Beware of sneaky exaggerated scales on graphs, and selective use of statistics!

Some other signs of a company’s ability are the certifications and awards they’ve received, and client reviews. As client reviews can also be fabricated, you have to scan vigilantly, or consult a third-party directory like Clutch.co (like a Glassdoor for B2B businesses).

Do they work well with clients?

SEO is a long-term service, so you want to make sure the company you engage can provide a pleasant long-running partnership with your company.

The first things you’ll want to check out are client testimonials, recommendations, and referrals. What do a company’s past and present clients say about working with the SEO company? Are there any red flags, like unresponsiveness, or rude managers? Or are they generally in agreement that the working relationship is pleasant and smooth?

When you have more or less shortlisted the companies you hope to work with, it’s also helpful to set up a meeting with the company’s SEO manager. This allows you to communicate your goals and expectations to the person who will potentially be handling your project, and see if you can work well together on the same page. 

Can they meet your budget?

If you’re talking about hiring the best SEO company, it definitely comes with a price. But, more realistically, your budget is a practical constraint that will limit your choice of SEO company.

When scouring the rates for SEO services, you’ll notice that not just the prices – but the payment models – vary drastically as well. Some agencies provide a one-time consultancy fee, many go by a monthly retainer fee, and yet others peg their rates to the results their deliver.

Most SEO companies don’t display their rates openly because it can differ widely based on your goals and services requested. Your best bet at getting an accurate gauge is to get a quote directly from the company you are interested in.

Conclusion

Choosing the best SEO company in Singapore for your needs may seem like a challenge, but the results will be more than worth it. Besides the research and questions to ask SEO companies, you’ll also need to first decide what you are looking for and what you want to achieve.

As a final word of advice, don’t be afraid to ask! Enquiring with SEO companies is usually free, and you can also get more information by getting in touch with other business owners and asking them about their experience with digital marketing agencies. Good luck with your search!