BEST PROCESS TO FOLLOW TO HIRE A SEO SPECIALIST

Search engine optimization experts improve the quality and quantity of website traffic you receive from search engines. They ensure that your website pops up on the search result page when customers use search engines. Outsourcing search engine optimization improves conversion rates, brand awareness, increases sales, etc., all while saving you time and money. The value obtained from hiring SEO experts is exponentially higher than the cost of such hiring.

Read on to know what the best process is to hire dedicated SEO experts as you outsource SEO services.

Know what you’re looking for

The first step in the process of hiring SEO specialists is to know exactly what you are looking for from your SEO efforts. Identify what your specific goals are – website traffic, sales conversions, brand awareness, etc. It also helps to take stock of what SEO efforts are currently being made. This can be presented to potential SEO virtual assistants to know how they would improve the efforts being made.

Have a two-way conversation

In order to truly assess the potential of the professional SEO expert being hired, it is important to have a two-way conversation during the interview. Encourage short-listed candidates to pose questions to the recruiters. The quality of the questions being asked by the search engine optimization experts will help assess the depth of their knowledge. Some of the questions that reflect such knowledge are as given below:

• How does the business make money?
• What are the business objectives/goals?
• What is the current traffic and conversion rates through search engines?
• Where does the maximum sales currently arise from?
• Who are your competitors and in what areas do they perform better?

Evaluate the CV of the candidate

It goes without saying that the CV of the potential SEO virtual assistant should be evaluated with a fine-tooth comb. While there is no specific educational qualification for SEO specialization, white label SEO outsourcing professionals with degrees in science, mathematics, technology and engineering are good choices as they are trained to work with data and numbers.

It is also important that the SEO professional hired has a basic understanding of digital marketing including content marketing, PR, inbound online sales, paid marketing, etc. In addition to these qualifications, when you outsource SEO services look for specialists that are good team players, good with communications, and show adaptability in dynamic work environments.

Look for specific specializations

SEO efforts can be of different kinds – local SEO, onsite SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO, etc. While hiring SEO specialists opt for those who have experience in the specific type of SEO efforts you are looking for. For example:

For brick-and-mortar businesses – If you are looking for SEO efforts to be applied at your physical stores, choose a candidate who has experience in local SEO efforts.

For digital stores/spaces – If you are looking to improve the performance of marketing campaigns in a digital space, choose candidates or SEO outsourcing companies that have experience in building links and off-page SEO efforts.

For mobile spaces – If your target audience is predominantly using mobile phones to access your website, hire SEO experts who have technical SEO experience.

Verify work portfolio and history

The next step in the process of hiring SEO professionals is the verification of the work portfolio and history of the candidates. Check whether they have worked with companies in the same industry, with similar business goals, and similar in size.

Also, look into the outcomes of previous virtual SEO services offered by the candidate. It is important to note that statistics like the conversion rates, traffic, ranking, etc. be looked into while considering such outcomes.

Furthermore, verify whether the candidate has worked with SEO tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Page Speed, Google Keyword Planner, etc.  It is also wise to ask candidates for references, so you can verify their experience of working with the candidate.

Evaluate their search and technical audits

Following the verification, put the potential professional SEO expert hires to test by asking them to conduct a search and technical audit on your current campaign account. This will provide you with first-hand knowledge of how good the virtual SEO services being offered are. A good audit report will have the following points:

• A list of the issues with your current campaign account.
• A strategy/plan to rectify the issues and improve performance.
• An estimate of the money and resources required for the plan to take effect.
• An estimate of how long it will take for the plan to be successful.
• A list of positive outcomes/results that can be expected from the plan.

Watch out for these red flags

The final step in the process of hiring the best specialists to outsource search engine optimization is, to watch out for the following red flags:

Promise of top-ranking keywords in a month’s time – The criteria for keyword ranking by Google cannot be controlled by any white label SEO outsourcing company/agency.

Black Hat practices – If the SEO outsourcing agency you are looking to employ seems inclined to indulge in Black Hat practices, or unethical practices like buying links, content automation, spamming, etc., do not hire them. Such practices can negatively affect your ranking and could even lead to your removal from the search engines.

Lack of transparency – No SEO outsourcing agency is worth your dime if they are not transparent about their work process. The SEO efforts made under your name will directly affect the reputation of your brand, and therefore, utmost transparency should be the norm.

What to expect after hiring?

Following the steps detailed above will help you hire dedicated SEO experts from the best SEO outsourcing companies, and you can expect the following results from such hires:

• Regular discussions about business and marketing objectives.
• Site audits to identify technical opportunities and gaps in content.
• Information gathering and analysis of your website.
• Use of this information to create web assets and effective content.
• Creation of content that improves visibility and builds links.

It is a proven fact that companies that outsource SEO efforts have shown tremendous results in just a fraction of the cost it would take to set up and in-house SEO team. So, wait no further, outsource SEO to companies with the best experts in the world today!