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5 Ways To Stay Ahead Of The Marketing Curve

marketing-ahead-of-curve-1

businessmarketingworld.com

Marketing is ever-changing. But one thing will never change, we live in a customer-based world. Consumers have their choice and it’s up to brands to ensure their business stays ahead of the curve. Successful brands are those that tailor to their customers – and one way to do that is by utilizing marketing strategies that keep you ahead of the game. Here are five of them.

Keep it Personalized and Look at the Data

With all the competition out there, brands need a way to stay out. Since customers want to know you actually care about them, creating a personalized experience can help you stand out. In fact, personalized calls to action convert 42 percent more than non-personalized ones.

Gathering and studying data is a great way to find topics that matter to your audience. You can track their spending habits, follow their journey, and learn their general interests. Utilize personal data to see how they enter your site, where they go after your site, and when they actually become a customer.

Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Agents

Technological and customer demands are quickly outperforming human marketers. The amount of data may reach 40,000 exabytes by 2020 but the human brain can only hold about 1 million gigabytes. Today’s technology can help uncover information about user behavior but the key to using that information will be artificial intelligence.

Although AI can never take the place of marketers – and their human creativity – it can help optimize and streamline the process. AI will make it easier for brands to create digital strategies and analyzing data.

Find areas where AI can help – like triggering e-mail campaigns – but don’t use it too much or it will turn customers off.

SEO and Content Convergence

Content and SEO go hand in hand. They need to work together in order to boost rankings and be seen. To utilize this to get you ahead of the curve, make sure to remember that customers recall experiences more than words. Use specific SEO insights – like trending topics or keywords – to find relevant topics. Then, create amazing content based around that.

Analyze your customers and watch how they interact with your material, including what they read it on. And, be consistent! Regularly posting outstanding SEO content will help your brand stand out.

Utilize Native Advertisements

Native advertising is already extremely popular and it’s not slowing down. Native advertising fits better into the user experience. Rather than customers having to respond to pop-ups or other ads, they’re able to see ads specifically tailored to them. And, these ads are often seamlessly integrated into their social feeds.

To use native advertisements successfully, make sure to research your audience and target site’s content to select the platform that best aligns with your target audience. Make sure you create content that attracts readers and makes a strong impression. Since you have a better ability to target a particular audience, you’re able to not only track what content works best but also what platform works best.

Connected Devices: The New King

It’s no secret mobile is dominating search. And while many brands have already optimized everything for mobile, there are new devices on the rise, like fitness trackers and smart watches. Customers use these to get information – often on the go – so brands need to make sure their content is optimized for those devices.

Although digital marketing is constantly changing, use these tips to help you get stay ahead of the curve and gain an edge over the competition.

Get ahead of the marketing game even quicker with Retaliate1st. We are a full service marketing team that specializes in everything from content marketing to social media to search engine optimization. Learn more about our services here.

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How To Handle Customer Complaints Like A Pro

customer-complaints

customer-complaints

nakedsecurity.sophos.com

No small business or large company wants to have bad customer service. And yet, there are countless businesses that aren’t at the top of their customer service game.

Even if you are a business with impeccable customer service, you are bound to get at least one customer complaint at some point. While it can be a total downer, there is a way to handle it correctly without launching into a sea of self-doubt.

Here’s how.

Look Past the Negativity

If you’re just starting your business, it can be scary! You’ve invested so much time, effort, and money into an uncertain venture. So when a customer complaint comes in, you may take it personally – like you have failed. But, complaints are quite the opposite.

Customer complaints are actually a way to improve your business.

While not every customer can articulate a complaint in an artful way, take any complaint with a grain of salt. These customers are providing information on how you can improve your business as well as your customer service tactics.

Rather than view complaints as a sign of failure, view them as an opportunity.

Try meeting with your team and listing every complaint you’ve received. That way, you can figure out ways to either address those problems in the future or come up with ways to respectfully resolve the issues.

Having a tried and true customer service plan in place will reduce the number of chances you or a team member feels totally lost or upset while dealing with a complaint.

Find a Balance

Most likely, your positive comments will far outweigh your negative comments. While we tend to focus and harp on negative reviews, don’t pass over the positive ones.

Not every happy customer will post a comment, especially if they are completely satisfied with the product or service. So when you do receive a glowing review, don’t ignore it!

Most companies try their hardest to please every customer but that’s just not possible. Your service or product will not be for everyone and that’s okay. While you should always try to provide your customer with the best possible experience, not every customer will be happy.

A common mistake businesses make is showing every single customer complaint to the entire team. Constantly focusing on negative comments or reviews will decrease morale – especially if they are shown as failures.

Since you don’t want your team to transfer negativity from past complaints to future customer interactions, always use customer complaints as a learning opportunity. Empower your team and train them to handle complaints the smart way so the issues are resolved the first time.

Don’t ignore customer complaints – study them and embrace them. When you begin to see the same complaints over and over, try getting to the root of the problem so you don’t receive those complaints anymore. Or, put specific procedures in place to handle specific situations.

And don’t forget about the positive reviews and comments! Celebrate them and use them to fuel new ideas and grow your business.

Speaking of growing your business, let Retaliate1st help you. We’re a full-service marketing and growth team that provides services such as performance marketing, business strategy, and more. Learn more about our services here.

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5 Ways To Stay Ahead Of The Marketing Curve

marketing-ahead-of-curve-1

marketing-ahead-of-curve-1

businessmarketingworld.com

Marketing is ever-changing. But one thing will never change, we live in a customer-based world. Consumers have their choice and it’s up to brands to ensure their business stays ahead of the curve. Successful brands are those that tailor to their customers – and one way to do that is by utilizing marketing strategies that keep you ahead of the game. Here are five of them.

Keep it Personalized and Look at the Data

With all the competition out there, brands need a way to stay out. Since customers want to know you actually care about them, creating a personalized experience can help you stand out. In fact, personalized calls to action convert 42 percent more than non-personalized ones.

Gathering and studying data is a great way to find topics that matter to your audience. You can track their spending habits, follow their journey, and learn their general interests. Utilize personal data to see how they enter your site, where they go after your site, and when they actually become a customer.

Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Agents

Technological and customer demands are quickly outperforming human marketers. The amount of data may reach 40,000 exabytes by 2020 but the human brain can only hold about 1 million gigabytes. Today’s technology can help uncover information about user behavior but the key to using that information will be artificial intelligence.

Although AI can never take the place of marketers – and their human creativity – it can help optimize and streamline the process. AI will make it easier for brands to create digital strategies and analyzing data.

Find areas where AI can help – like triggering e-mail campaigns – but don’t use it too much or it will turn customers off.

SEO and Content Convergence

Content and SEO go hand in hand. They need to work together in order to boost rankings and be seen. To utilize this to get you ahead of the curve, make sure to remember that customers recall experiences more than words. Use specific SEO insights – like trending topics or keywords – to find relevant topics. Then, create amazing content based around that.

Analyze your customers and watch how they interact with your material, including what they read it on. And, be consistent! Regularly posting outstanding SEO content will help your brand stand out.

Utilize Native Advertisements

Native advertising is already extremely popular and it’s not slowing down. Native advertising fits better into the user experience. Rather than customers having to respond to pop-ups or other ads, they’re able to see ads specifically tailored to them. And, these ads are often seamlessly integrated into their social feeds.

To use native advertisements successfully, make sure to research your audience and target site’s content to select the platform that best aligns with your target audience. Make sure you create content that attracts readers and makes a strong impression. Since you have a better ability to target a particular audience, you’re able to not only track what content works best but also what platform works best.

Connected Devices: The New King

It’s no secret mobile is dominating search. And while many brands have already optimized everything for mobile, there are new devices on the rise, like fitness trackers and smart watches. Customers use these to get information – often on the go – so brands need to make sure their content is optimized for those devices.

Although digital marketing is constantly changing, use these tips to help you get stay ahead of the curve and gain an edge over the competition.

Get ahead of the marketing game even quicker with Retaliate1st. We are a full service marketing team that specializes in everything from content marketing to social media to search engine optimization. Learn more about our services here.

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7 Tips For Effective Email Marketing

marketing-ahead-of-curve

marketing-ahead-of-curve

thebalance.com

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that email marketing is a necessity when it comes to connecting with your audience and keeping them in the loop. But not all businesses are successful when it comes to email marketing. So, we’ve rounded up seven tips to help you make the most of your email marketing.

Treat Your Customers Like Friends

How do you greet your friends and family in an e-mail? You probably personally acknowledge them or give them a warm greeting. Well, why not treat your customers like that? Customers don’t want to be just another face in the crowd – they want to be seen as human beings. Simply including personalization in your e-mails – and rather than send out one mass e-mail, set up segments based on feedback or customer preferences.

Follow Their Journey

Similar to segmenting based on customer preferences, following their journey is just as important. Customer’s behavior will tell you what they’re looking for. For example, do they open particular e-mails more than others? Do they click through to your website on certain e-mails? Combine this with demographics and you can customize a sales funnel based on your customer type.

Always Optimize

Never let your e-mail campaigns get stagnant. Always split test your campaigns to see how efficiently they’re running and what you can do better. You can constantly tweak and refine future campaigns to ensure they are working for your business, not against it.

Give Them Space

While it’s true that if customers sign up for your e-mail list they probably want to hear from you – but that doesn’t necessarily mean all the time. Just because you ran a successful campaign doesn’t mean you should immediate follow with another campaign. Allow time between campaigns to give your customers a break. They don’t want to be hounded by promotional e-mails all the time.

Based on customer feedback, define a schedule and stick to it. If you said you’ll only e-mail your customers once a week, don’t e-mail them four times a week or you’ll risk losing subscribers.

Keep An Eye On Automation

Although email automation is essential for an effective email campaign, it shouldn’t be relied on. Use it to eliminate tedious processes but it shouldn’t replace you.

Offer ‘Opt Down’ Not ‘Opt Out’

It’s becoming increasingly easier to opt out of email campaigns. Rather than only offer an unsubscribe option why not offer them a “break”. Offer an ‘opt down’ option as a way for customers to choose to receive fewer e-mails from you. That way, they’re still your subscribers, they just won’t receives as many e-mails.

Get Mobile Ready

Now more than ever customers are using their mobiles for, well, everything. Making sure your e-mails are mobile friendly will go a long way when it comes to click-through rates and engagement.

Though not necessarily “groundbreaking”, these tips will help you create – and keep – and effective email marketing campaign.

And if you’re feeling stuck, let Retailiate1st help. We’re a full service marketing team that offer services such as business strategy, performance marketing, social media, and more. Learn more about our services here.

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Why Your Business Needs A YouTube Channel

why-brands-need-youtube

why-brands-need-youtube

marketwatch.com

Have you ever caught yourself on a YouTube binge? They’re similar to Netflix binges, but instead of watching the same series for hours, you hop on YouTube to look up one thing and end up somewhere completely different. While personal binges can be a sign of procrastination, those binges can be an instrumental marketing tool for your business.

If your business isn’t on YouTube or if you simply aren’t utilizing the platform, it’s time to start. Here’s why your business needs a YouTube channel.

It Establishes Authority

Did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine? If you’re not using this social channel, you’re missing out on gaining viewers and followers. When used efficiently, video marketing helps build trust and establish authority. Consumers are bored with static or physical ads – they want more. Uploading video content – like tips and tricks or strategies specific to your industry or brand – builds authority and trust with your audience. How-tos and quick tips are the perfect way to help your brand be seen as an expert on the topic.

It’s More Engaging

If the popularity of Netflix binges is any indication, people love watching videos now more than ever. Videos are a way to provide a more personal feel than traditional print marketing. Like other social channels, YouTube lets users comment on videos, allowing them to communicate directly with the brand or company. Businesses are then able to reply to comments, ask questions, and generally engage with their consumers.

YouTube essentially humanizes a business and makes them more approachable and helpful.

It Builds Trust and Credibility

Trust is absolutely everything when it comes to gaining – and keeping – customers. Customers that don’t trust you won’t buy from you. Uploading quality content to YouTube helps build a relationship with your customer and allows them to visually see your product or services. Even a simple 30 second video can be more engaging than a full sales page.

One way to build credibility and trust is to upload videos of reviews or actual customers. Consumers trust reviews and showing how your product or service worked for someone else can certainly help. Other types of videos you can upload to gain trust and credibility are how-tos, behind-the-scenes, personal stories (such as why you started your business), and more. Try out a few different types and see which one works best with your customers.

You may be thinking YouTube videos are hard to make, but they’re actually relatively simple. There are several different types of video editing software available that make video editing a breeze. And don’t get intimidated! Start with short, small videos – you can even take them on your smartphone – and build from there. You’ll be a YouTube pro in no time.

Still feeling lost when it comes to YouTube marketing – or just marketing in general? Let Retaliate1st help. We’re a full-service marketing team here to help you grow your business in whatever area you need – from social media to website and mobile development. Learn more about our services here.

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Why Reviews Are So Important For Your Business

reviews-are-important

reviews-are-important

mercatornet.com

If you’re like most online shoppers, you’ve probably read at least one review before clicking that “add to cart” button. While product descriptions are great for telling you what the item is and what it does, reviews tell what it actually is and what is actually does. If you aren’t already utilizing reviews on your website, now is the time to start – and we’re here to tell you why.

Whether you are a service-based or product-based business, reviews are critical and help provide shoppers with the security they need to make a purchase. And while it’s no fun to get a negative review, both negative and positive reviews give your website instant credibility.

The Facts

According to a recent study, nearly 75 percent of shoppers trusted a local business more if they read positive reviews. And, 90 percent of consumers said that positive online influenced their decision to purchase – and nearly 90 percent weren’t discouraged by a past negative review.

Helping Your Business

While reviews are beneficial to customers, they also help online retailers or businesses. With all the information out there on the internet, your brand must stand out. Visual reviews – such as those that feature stars and colors – are more eye catching than plain ones.

Feedback from customers also help retailers and brand owners’ insight into how their products or services are working. Maybe the stitching is off on an article of clothing or a product isn’t working within a service package. Take that feedback into account – even negative feedback – and use them to constantly improve your product.

Enlist the Help of Experts

While feedback from customers is a great way to influencer potential customers’ decisions, reviews from experts will also help. Feedback from experts helps give consumers another perspective and will certainly boost trust. Try using a mixture from both customers and experts for the perfect blend.

Engage With Customers

If you get a negative review, take it with a grain of salt – unless it has to do with the quality of your product or service – and focus on the positive ones! Respond to customers questions and say thank you if they give you a compliment. You’ll show other potential customers you are in tune with and respect your audience!

Even though feedback isn’t always positive, it’s crucial for the success of your business. They are an integral part of any online business – whether service-based or product-based. Make sure your reviews can be found easily on your site – they don’t have to be front and center, but they do have to easily accessible – and watch your business grow!

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, let Retaliate1st help. We are a full-service marketing company and can help with everything from website and mobile development to business strategy. Learn more about our services here.

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The Top Instagram Marketing Hacks

instagram-marketing-hacks

instagram-marketing-hacks

entrepreneur.com

We all know Instagram is imperative to growing – and maintaining – a business. But some business owners aren’t as savvy when it comes to Instagram marketing. So, we’ve rounded up some of the best marketing hacks to help you grow your business using Instagram!

Hashtags are KEY

Chances are, you’ve seen hashtags on an Instagram post. But how many are you supposed to use? Which ones are the most effective? Hashtags are used in addition to your caption in order for those not already following you to find your page. Users search for relevant, industry-related hashtags and you want to make sure your posts show up.

When choosing and using hashtags, use a mix of both popular hashtags and less popular hashtag, yet extremely relevant hashtags. With this mix, you’ll attract those searching for popular hashtags while also attracting those who are interested in your specific industry.

Try to use at least one hashtag per post. You can even put them in a separate comment if you don’t want to clutter your caption.

Join the Instagram Community

Like any other social network, Instagram is most effective when you use it as a way to form relationships with other users. It’s not just a platform to post snapshots of your own life, it’s a way to form a community with others.

To build lasting relationships, use the appropriate hashtags as well as like and comment on other users photos. It’ll show that you are supportive of other people and put you in front of people who may not have otherwise found your page.

Keep Images & Profile on Brand

A super important Instagram marketing hack is to keep your images on brand. That means ensuring your images are cohesive and closely related to your brand. For example, if your brand is bright and colorful, don’t post dull, lifeless photos. Make sure you keep fonts consistent (or at least in the same font family), too.

Furthermore, optimizing your profile as a whole will ensure you stay on brand. Include a backlink to your website in your bio – it doesn’t have to be static, you can change it if you are running a promotion or campaign.

Use your logo – typically as your profile picture – so users know it’s your brand and include your physical location (or at least city and state), especially if you have a physical location. Use your bio to articulate exactly what your brand is to help users know exactly who you are.

Post Efficiently

While it is ultimately up to you how many times you want to post on Instagram, there is some research behind optimal posting frequency. According to one study, out of 55 brands, most post 1.5 times per day. Interestingly enough, they found that brands who most more than 1.5 times per day didn’t have decreased engagement.

So, don’t be afraid to post more than once or twice a day. Begin with one per day and if that works, try experimenting with two to three and go from there!

Enlist the Help of Apps

While you don’t necessarily need an outside app to be a successful Instagram marketer, it certainly helps. Iconosquare, for example, allows you to access your Instagram account from your computer.

There are also a number of apps that allow you schedule out posts as well as some that help you connect with the right audience and find engaging posts to share.

Use Instagram Ads

If you’re really looking to really rev up your business, consider Instagram ads. Similar to Facebook or Google ads, Instagram ads allows you promote a specific service or product using an advertisement. You can do an Instagram photo ad, video ad, carousel ad, or Instagram stories ad.

You need to have a Facebook page in order to run an Instagram ad but it’s fairly easy! Then, you can choose the type of ad you’d like and set your budget and choose how long you’d like to run it for. Try different types of ads to see which one works best for your business.

Grow Your Following

The best – and most loyal – followers are those that genuinely care about your brand. Sure there are ways to buy followers, but growing your audience organically will have a lasting effect.

One way to organically grow your audience is to post regularly and consistently, use quality photos and content, include relevant captions and hashtags, and engage with your followers!

Use these tips and you’ll be a pro Instagram marketer in no time! And if you’re looking for a little extra help when it comes to content marketing, let Retaliate1st help you! We offer services in social media, performance marketing, content marketing, and search engine optimization to help you take your business to the next level. Learn more about our services here.

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How To Utilize Micro-Moments & Increase Your Content Campaign

micro-moments-one

micro-moments-one

huffingtonpost.com

Where’s your phone? If you’re like most people, it’s probably already in your hand or sitting right next to you. Now more than ever, people rely on their smartphone for just about everything – from checking social sites to asking Google where the nearest gas station is. And Google has a name for those moments: “micro-moments.”

Micro-moments are “split seconds of time where consumers use their devices to act on a need.”

And these moments can be huge for your brand.

Seventy percent of mobile searches lead to instant action. If you make sure your content is easily found, relevant, and accessible, your brand can capitalize immensely on the micro-moments. Here are four ways to do so.

Understand The Customer

As with any content campaign, you have to really understand who your customer is – what do they like to do? What do they look like? What are their habits? Getting a good sense of who your customer is will help you attract the right ones.

What types of questions are they asking before purchasing a service or product? By creating content with the answers to those questions, consumers are more likely to turn to you during those micro-moments.

Make Sure You’re Relevant

Although following best search-engine optimization practices will help your brand stay relevant, content is still king when it comes to relevancy. Your brand not only needs to answer the right questions through your content, it also needs to be easily readable and digestible. Consumers shouldn’t have to go searching for answers. Making sure your content is educational and not overly promotional will also help.

If you can’t provide the answers our customers are looking for, they’ll have no problem turning to another brand. Fifty-one percent of smartphone users actually purchased from a different brand or company they intended to because the competitor’s information was more relevant and useful.

Distribution is also important when it comes to content. You could create the most beautiful piece of content but if no one can find it, it’s utterly useless. Make sure you share your content on all the appropriate channels.

Anticipate The Micro-Moments

Companies that anticipate micro-moments have a higher ROI in mobile and marketing investment. To be micro-moment-ready, understand the when, where, and why of the moments and how your brand fits into that.

The anticipation correlates to the questions consumers ask prior to making a purchase. If a customer is searching for the best sushi restaurant in Los Angeles, sushi restaurants located in that area need to be ready to make sure customers choose their restaurant.

Create An Experience

Creating relevant and useful content is, of course, necessary but creating an experience is just as important. Focus on creating and implementing a positive experience with your brand to ensure the customer keeps coming back to you – even after those micro-moments.

Eliminate any unnecessary steps or filler to help make the experience as smooth as possible. If they have to fill out long forms to get what they want, they’ll lose interest pretty quickly and move right over to your competitor.

With a little preparation and some killer content, you’ll be micro-moment ready in no time.

If you’re looking for help creating an effective content campaign, let Retaliate 1st help you. We offer everything from help with content marketing to social media to business strategy. Learn more about our services here.

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4 Places to Generate Ideas for Content Marketing

Marekting has many trends that rise and fall. The current trend that many marketers are focusing on is content marketing. Content marketing requires that a company creates content to power an inbound engine and drive leads or sales via their website. However, there is a flaw with content marketing. How do you come up with ideas for content? Especially as you start to scale the content up. Retaliate1st has pioneered content marketing for many companies, including start-ups in the pet, tech, wearable and app world. Here we make our 4 recommendations on how you can continually come up with content to power your content marketing and inbound strategy.

4 Places to Generate Ideas for Content Marketing

  1. Google Auto-Suggest

Google’s autosuggest feature is a treasure trove for content creators. Google suggests the actual phrases or questions that people are searching for, so you know that these autosuggests will make great page and blog titles.

Google makes these suggestions based on real searches. The most popular get placed in the auto-suggest categories. If you click on one, you’ll notice at the bottom of the page there are even more suggested links.

How do you use this data to your advantage?

If you have a food deliver service in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse neighborhood, start by typing in “food delivery”

You’ll see results like:

  • Food delivery near me
  • Food delivery near me open
  • Food delivery Rittenhouse
  • Food deliveries near here

content-marketing-2

You just found at least 4 article titles that will carry a ton of SEO value if they’re written and optimized well.

Customer Centric Content Marketing

The idea is to get into the mind of your customer. Play around with questions you’ve been asked.

A basic search for “can I order food” returns these suggestions:

  • Can I order food with paypal
  • Can I order food with a check
  • Can I order food to a hotel
  • Can I order food near here

Again, you have 4 SEO-rich titles and topics that people are actually searching for.

content-marketing-strategy

  1. Trade Magazines

If you’re selling B2B services or products, trade magazines are loaded with ideas. Just because something has been written about doesn’t mean that you can’t offer a fresh perspective on the issue.

Plus, every magazine has a letters to the editor section. Again, what better place to address questions than those coming directly from your potential customers.

content-marketing

Check the back of the magazine. If you’ve been reading it for a few months, you’ll notice a few advertisers that are listed consistently. This is because whatever they’re selling, readers are buying. Study the ads, the products, and services they sell and address these things on your site, in your newsletter, and in your content strategy.

Lead Generation Through Content Marketing

  1. Lead Forms

If your lead form has a text box with “how can we help you,” or if you have a help page on your site, the questions and concerns of your customers can not only help you create new content, but it will also help you from dealing with redundant issues.

If 15-people are writing in to ask where they can buy your widget in Green instead of red, then either make the answer clearer on your website, or address it in an FAQ. Either way, you have new content plus you won’t have to answer another 15-emails about the green vs red conundrum.

  1. Social Media

Searching hashtags, trends, or simply following brands that offer similar, or related, services to yours can help you get into the mind of potential customers. Is there a need out there not being filled? More importantly, is there a want going unsatisfied?

content marketing

Content Marketing –> SEO and Social Media

Can your business step in with the solution? Are a lot of Facebookers asking where they can find a product similar to yours? Or, are they confused about how a new app works? Find the questions, craft a response, post it to your website and social media channels. It will help your business climb in the Google rankings, and it will help your customers see why they should buy from you.

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6 Key Questions to Ask an SEO Firm

Despite the insider blogs that proclaim that SEO is Dead, the reality is that as long as Google exists and dominates the market, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will be a huge part of the success of your business. Most people cannot perform SEO elements themselves and the key decision is which SEO firm they should hire. Here Retaliate1st list the questions you should ask any SEO form you are considering hiring.

Offsite SEO Factors

Offsite SEO Factors

6 Key Questions to Ask an SEO Firm Before Hiring Them

Even those who scream that paid traffic is superior miss the fact that unless your site is optimized, you’ll pay more for clicks and lose visitors, leads, and sales because your site is confusing to use, doesn’t have good content, or is poorly written. At its base SEO is taking great copywriting and optimizing it slightly for the search engines.

It is an art and a science, and should be done by a professional. But, the SEO field is rich with scammers, fly-by-night companies, and fraudulent freelancers.

Before you make the wise decision to invest in professional services, ask the SEO firm these questions:

  1. What’s Your Method?

How an SEO firm plans to get your business to the top of the rankings heap can tell you a lot about how successful they are.

Everyone has their own methods, and some are better suited for your business than others, but some are just plain terrible.

The SEO Firm Should Have a Method

For example, link building is still a key to getting your site ranked. It’s old-school, time-consuming, and requires an investment of cash. But, it works.

However, if you do a quick search and find that most links in your industry cost between 20 and 50-dollars, and the firm is pitching you on getting 10,000 links for $19.99, you can be sure they’re involved with spam tactics.

2. How Good is Your Content?

Content --> SEO and Social Media

Content –> SEO and Social Media

Not all SEO firms will provide content, but they should. Content is the future of digital marketing. Without relevant, useful, well-written content, your site (and yoru sales) will suffer.

The easiest way tot get a handle on their skills is to ask for samples. Even if they’re new, they can mock up an article or two for you.

If the text reads like it was written by a foreigner, or by a computer program, they’re trying to scam you. Google hates garbage content and will penalize your business.

  1. Who Have Your Worked With?

It doesn’t matter if they’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies, or a mom-and-pop shoe store, everyone outside of a complete newbie will have reviews. If not, don’t be shy about asking for references from past clients.

Don’t neglect this step! It can tell you a lot about the service you’re about to invest in. Even if they’re inexperienced, every SEO expert has done some free work to build their portfolio, so they should absolutely have a handful of references and reviews.

Is Your SEO Firm Producing Results

  1. How Will I Know It’s Working?

If your business site is new, it can take a while to show up on Page 1. Sometimes you’ll see your site climb slowly, going from page 25 to 20 to 16 to 15 to 8, and so on until it reaches number one. Sometimes, it will be lost in space then suddenly pop up on the top of page 2 before climbing to the first page.

In between, there are several ways to measure progress. Ask them what analytics they’ll share with you so that you can track progress together. If they’re unwilling to share data, or give you vague answers rife with meaningless buzzwords, don’t do business with them.

  1. Which Type of SEO Do Your Perform?

SEO can be broken down into:

  • On-page – optimizing text, photos, video, landing pages, and all content for your search terms. If they provide content, this should be done along with content creation as well as helping you optimize any self-generated content.
  • Off-Page – Link building either through paid links or building links by creating articles, guest postings, and blogs. Both should be used for best results.
  • Internal – Working on coding so that Google’s bots can “Crawl” your site.

Your best bet is to hire a firm that does all three.

on-page-seo

  1. Do You Guarantee Your Work

Few SEO firms guarantee their work. IF they don’t, they’re probably not very good. Yes, SEO is mercurial, but the best firms keep in step with Google’s temeprmental changes, and keep pushing yoru site to the top no matter what updates hit.

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