If you’re proud of your website and want more people to see it, you need an SEO specialist. This stands for “Search Engine Optimisation” and these are specialists who keep up to date with the ever-changing requirements of search engines.

As you are looking for SEO services and providers, you can feel overwhelmed by what you find with a quick search. However, the results you yield from this quick search may not always be the best. You may get lots of providers popping up, but not all of them are suitable for you, and of course, not all of them will meet your exacting standards or requirements. We’re not event telling you to use our SEO partner, Tom, not necessarily, though he’s great. So, just how can you find an effective SEO service provider, and how can you separate the excellent from the average?

Local providers

Start your search by looking at local providers. Local providers and companies are going to be easier to contact, and they are going to have an interest in your website and success. For example, there is a local provider called YEAH! Local who are based in Atlanta, Georgia, who have a specific promise to always aim to help local businesses in any way that they can. And we’ve got TLD spread across in London, Vilnius, Sofia, Cape Town, and Tel Aviv! When you can reach out and communicate with a local company that cares, you can begin to build rapport. You can begin to build a lasting and strong working relationship. Local providers will want to help your business and help your website appear on the first page of searches, whereas providers based in other countries will not have the same level of interest.

Results and success stories

You want to be sure that you are using a provider that has experienced success previously. If a provider does not readily have any positive results (or success stories) to share with you, then why not? Have they not been in business for long, or do they not have the clout and impact that you would expect them to have? You will be investing in SEO, and you want to know what kind of results you are likely to achieve for your budget. If a provider is hesitant to show you previous case studies, and levels of success, then always question this.

Budget and expectations 

You are going to have to have a budget when you are looking at incorporating SEO into your business, and into your website. It is important that you share with budget (along with expectations) with any SEO providers you contact. An awesome provider is going to help you in any way that they can, and they are going to find solutions that match your budget and timescale. SEO service providers that are not clear about budgets and costs upfront will be the ones that you will want to avoid.

Transparent communication 

Even though a local company is going to be best for your SEO, you may find that you never meet them face to face. This is OK though, as long as other lines of communication are transparent and readily available. If a provider is transparent with their communication, you will be able to find out much more about their services and their availability. You will also be able to speak to them about how efforts will be monitored, and what SEO services will be implemented. If you are not receiving transparent communication from the beginning, then always question this.