5 Things to Look Out for in Hiring an SEO Specialist in Toronto

The basics of SEO can be easily understood and implemented by even the newest of webmasters, but you still need to consider hiring an SEO specialist in Toronto. Maybe you are too busy with business responsibilities to dedicate the necessary time to the SEO of your website or maybe the basic techniques you have applied to your site are not sufficient to overcome your competitor in search engine results. That’s why you need to keep these priorities in mind if you are looking for an agency to take your site to the next level.

Things to look out when hiring an SEO specialist

1. Experience

Given how fast search engines change their algorithms, it is important to get a consultant who has experience in navigating frequent search engine updates without compromising campaign effectiveness. You can browse through each website of the candidate to see the amount of SEO experience, and any case studies, that demonstrate past successes. But you don’t have to judge the number of years SEO consultants have been in business. Some companies make it a priority to stay up-to-date, but you could encounter an older firm using outdated best practices.

2. Results

Pay attention to the results the SEO specialists promise to deliver. Steer clear of any agency that promises to get your website ranked on the first page of Google within a specific time frame. Unless you are targeting non-competitive keywords, then it’s not possible to predict the amount of time needed to achieve a high ranking for all keyword phrases. In reality, it may take between six months and a year, or sometimes even longer to rank well for even moderately competitive keyword phrases.

3. Industry Presence

As your choices for an SEO agency narrow down, look at the industry presence of each firm. You should not rule out all up-and-coming agencies since they can do a great job for you, but they have not established themselves in the marketplace yet. If you are concerned about your limited sources on a little-known agency, then you can find peace of mind in choosing a consultant with an established industry presence like Above the Fold Media.

4. Customer Reviews

Contact every SEO agency that you're considering and seek customer references. Don’t simply read the testimonials published on the consultant’s website since anyone can make up these recommendations or pay others to write biased reviews. Ask each agency to provide you with contact information for at least three to five references. With any legitimate agency, they have this information available, so you need to be wary of companies that refuse to provide it. Get in touch with the consultant’s customers to find out if their projects are successful whether they work with the agency again. These reference checks can help in providing information to help you decide whether the consultant would be a good fit for your SEO goals.

5. Cost

The fees are a critical consideration since some business owners have unlimited marketing budgets. This is why you will have to factor costs into your decision about which SEO goals to pursue and which agencies to work with. When speaking with SEO agencies, be upfront about your budget. With a good consultancy, they will give you an idea of what it can do for your budget level.

When you are evaluating these variables, it might seem like a significant time investment. That’s why if you are thinking about hiring an SEO consultant to save you time click here to spare you time and effort in finding a reliable SEO agency.