SEO-optimization is a set of works aimed at increasing the site’s position in the search engine. This is just how a window production company or an online store can determine how faithfully a specialist performs his duties? What KPI indicators should be present in the reports, does the promotion strategy affect the increase in sales, how long does SEO optimization take? We will talk about this in the article.

Who to order SEO promotion from?

You can contact a specialized agency, use the services of freelancers or hire a full-fledged specialist. It all depends on the company’s turnover, budget and personal expectations.

Each option has its own nuances. Let’s analyze in more detail.

On the modern market, there are many companies that provide services for the promotion of sites on the Internet. It is difficult to choose a decent SEO agency among so many. Most of them do not have a specific positioning, they provide services in the same price range (some take more, some take less). However, contractors have a different approach to work.

In order not to make a mistake with the choice, you will have to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the company’s activities, review their case studies, customer reviews, terms of cooperation, tariffs, etc. It takes a lot of time.

The cost of services from agencies is often higher than from freelancers. But at the same time, you sign an official agreement that gives certain guarantees. Yes, you pay more, but the quality of the result will be higher.

A significant disadvantage of cooperation with the company is the lack of direct interaction with the performer. Therefore, any changes to the promotion strategy, amendments and coordination take some time.

Also, agencies rarely take on small jobs, it is more profitable for them to provide comprehensive services (with tariffs).

Freelancers have a lower price tag for services, you communicate directly with a specialist, which allows you to quickly adjust small tasks. Most often, the terms of cooperation are stipulated by the contractor verbally, but it is possible to draw up a DPP contract if the contractor has the status of self-employed.

If you start working with a freelancer “on your word of honor”, be prepared for certain risks. According to statistics, “free sailing” specialists can disrupt your deadlines, do poor quality work, or even throw money away (if an advance payment is made).

It is also far from a fact that the performer will be on call during working hours. Long answers, incorrect communication, eternal excuses – no one is immune from this. However, not every SEO specialist is a competent manager.

It is appropriate to create an entire staff for SEO specialists if the company has large turnover or several sites at once (for example, a landing page and an online store). The only nuance: in addition to SEO, you will have to hire other performers – copywriters, developers, designers and project managers who will do their work. In this case, it is cheaper to contact a specialized agency, which will achieve the required results faster.

How to choose a contractor?

The qualifications of specialists and the quality of their work are the most important criteria for the globalization of your profit. The competence of the performer can be assessed according to the following criteria:

1. Study the activity of a specialist – experience, image, cases. Look at reviews of the work, you can even contact his clients and ask them a few questions. If the performer has been providing SEO services on the market for a long time and has a good reputation, then he is more likely to be reliable and responsible.

2. The future contractor must be well versed in your niche and understand how the business model works. This is a guarantee that he will be able to develop an effective strategy and close the priority needs.

3. A bona fide SEO specialist will be open to communication. He will easily talk about his work methods and tools used, answer your questions and send detailed reports on the work done every month.

4. SEO optimization is not about instant sales. Promotion works for the long term. However, a good specialist will analyze key performance indicators – organic traffic, search engine keyword positions, conversions and ROI. Again, by collecting all this in a report, you can evaluate the results of the promotion.

5. Check what tools and techniques the performer uses in the course of his work, whether he complies with the requirements of search engines. “Black” SEO promotion will only harm your site, and it can take years to eliminate the consequences.

6. Make sure that the contractor regularly uses analytical tools such as Google Analytics, Serpstat, etc. With their help, you can evaluate the performance of the resource and the results achieved by the advertising campaign.

7. The specialist keeps up with the times. Approaches to SEO promotion are constantly being improved. New search engine tools and algorithms are emerging. A competent seoshnik must adapt to modern trends and perform the work qualitatively.

8. Don’t drive low cost. “Free cheese is only in the mousetrap”, so save wisely. First of all, evaluate the quality of services in relation to the price. Ask the specialist what time frame he will be able to complete the work, and how plausible they are.

9. Do not choose a contractor who guarantees results “here and now”. As we have already said, SEO optimization is a long and painstaking process. The success of the strategy depends on a number of factors, so no specialist can promise you sky-high traffic and positions in the first months. A competent executor develops a strategy immediately for a long-term period in order to achieve a set goal.

How to analyze the SEO optimization of the site?

To evaluate the results of site promotion, it is not necessary to understand SEO. As a customer, this is of no use to you. But you need to understand what seoshniks do there and how to analyze the “numbers” in the report (to find out if you are being led by the nose).

Analysis of sales volume

In each report, specialists must indicate all the details of the work performed, KPI (results), traffic and site positions for certain requests. Seoshnyk is also obliged to monitor the number of orders placed on the web resource. To do this, it is necessary to implement Google Analytics counters on the site and set specific goals. The technical report includes data on the achievement of set indicators – information on the number of registrations, filling out applications or feedback forms, etc.

Filling the site

When the site is constantly supplemented with new content (categories, products, articles, etc.), search engines begin to actively check it, which positively affects the resource’s ranking. Therefore, it is better to add at least 3-5 new pages per month to the site. If it is not possible to update the directory, you can simply post content on a business blog. Quality articles will increase the loyalty of potential customers and brand image.

The primary task of an SEO specialist is to delve into the company’s activities and analyze the current state of the site. A thorough audit will reveal technical problems of the resource that need to be eliminated. If the seoshnik gets in touch once a month to remind about the payment of services and reset the report, this is a bad sign, especially at the initial stage of cooperation.

Traffic quality

Each client has different requirements for SEO promotion. It is important for one to raise the position of the site in the output, for the other – to attract targeted traffic. Hackers can easily drive traffic to pages to show how they work. Your task is to analyze the sources and dynamics of visits, as well as the time users spend on the page.

If the visit time has decreased, and suspicious links are missing in the traffic sources, then there is a high probability that the specialist was cheating. The only point: the reference mass with high behavioral factors, which was purposefully purchased, is not taken into account.

Work with search queries

To increase the volume of sales, the specialist uses search queries that sell with the keywords “buy”, “order”, “checkout”, “subscribe”, etc. Often, the conversion of low- and ultra-low-frequency keys is higher than that of high- and medium-frequency keys. That is why this strategy gives a better result.

Budget for SEO optimization

In addition to SEO promotion, it is necessary to take care of technical work – the time of programmers and copywriters, the purchase of reference mass, etc. A good specialist will develop an appropriate strategy for the client, taking into account the company’s field of activity and competitors. This will allow to achieve effective results within the allocated budget.

Important: The costs of the following months of work are agreed upon by both parties in advance.

Indicators of promotion efficiency

Even a super-experienced SEO specialist will not be able to provide you with the expected results in the first month of optimization. This does not mean that it does not work well. Everything depends on the indexing of search engines and other parameters. It is worth sounding the alarm if after 3-5 months there is no growth in traffic, positions and the number of leads. You can check the work of the current contractor through a third-party agency. It will conduct a detailed technical audit and identify errors or shortcomings on the site.

Contents of monthly reports

A competent SEO specialist will be able to convey even the most complicated things to the client in an understandable language, this is his job. The report does not necessarily have to be the size of a diploma, with a bunch of tables and graphs. Infographics are necessary, but it is more effective to supplement them with comments from the artist in an accessible language.

Believe me, it is better to have 7 pages of a clear and visual report than 30-40 sheets with loaded tables, diagrams and graphs, accompanied by unfamiliar terms and formulations.

Let’s summarize

You should choose a contractor based on the agreed budget, feedback from customers and your own goals. It is safest to contact a specialized agency that provides services under a contract that specifies the deadlines, tasks, and required results. Thanks to our recommendations, you will be able to easily analyze the diligence of specialists and the results of SEO optimization.