Working With Your SEO Practitioner: Top Tips for Success

SEO can be a tricky subject, and when you’re dealing with the pressures of running your own business, it often pays to outsource to an expert. As is the case with any contractor relationship though, it pays to take the right steps to ensure that you get what you really need and have the best possible chances of success. Here, we take a look at top tips for creating the best relationship possible with your SEO expert.

If it’s too good to be true, it probably is

There are thousands of SEO practitioners out there to choose from, and it goes without saying that some are better than others. Before you make your decision though, do your research. If someone is offering you a dirt-cheap deal, or they’re saying that they can absolutely guarantee results within a very short time period, you need to question their promises. They’ll often fail to deliver, or will be using blackhat tactics that can do a lot of damage to your site in the longer term. It pays to invest more to be sure that you’re using an ethical practitioner.

Familiarise yourself with the process

The beauty of outsourcing is that you don’t have to know everything yourself. However, it does pay to get to grips with the general process so you understand what you’re getting for your money. Read blogs online, find out best practice, and get a feel for what’s really involved. It’ll help you to be on the same page as your chosen SEO expert.

Be clear about how progress will be reported

From the very beginning, ensure that you know how the relationship will work in practical terms. How often will you catch up with your contractor? Will you receive a report every month? What information will the report share, and what does the data really mean for your business? This is extremely important, so make sure you understand the process and what you can expect.

Remember that it’s not an overnight fix

If you start working with an SEO expert and think that you’ll see results straightaway, you’ll be disappointed. It can takes months to really start to see the benefits, so set realistic expectations and don’t give up if you haven’t seen much progress over the first couple of weeks. Giving up at that stage would simply waste the cash that you’ve invested so far. All reputable SEO practitioners will give you a realistic timeframe for when you can start to see results, and it pays to trust their experience and take a long-term view.

Your relationship with your SEO practitioner can be extremely fruitful for your business, but it’s important to get the right foundations in place. Take your time when choosing your provider, and ask plenty of questions about what you can expect.