How to choose a SEO agency?

If you don’t do SEO at all, that’s something we don’t understand.

Organic traffic is a source of revenue on the long term, that’s a must for every online retail.

If you are selling on Amazon, you might need to read our guide to hire an Amazon agency.

How can a SEO agency help your online shop?

An SEO (Search Engine Optimization) agency can significantly enhance your online shop’s visibility, traffic, and ultimately sales. Here are several ways an SEO agency can help your online shop:

1. Improve Search Engine Rankings

• Keyword Research: Identifying relevant keywords that potential customers use to search for products similar to yours.
• On-Page Optimization: Optimizing product pages, category pages, and other content with targeted keywords to improve search engine rankings.
• Technical SEO: Ensuring your website’s technical aspects, such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, and URL structure, are optimized for search engines.

2. Increase Organic Traffic

• Content Creation: Developing high-quality, engaging content such as blog posts, product descriptions, and guides that attract and retain visitors.
• Backlink Building: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sites to increase your site’s authority and improve rankings.

3. Enhance User Experience

• Website Structure: Organizing your website in a way that makes it easy for users to navigate and find products.
• Mobile Optimization: Ensuring your online shop is fully optimized for mobile users, as mobile shopping continues to grow.
• Site Speed: Improving load times to provide a better user experience and reduce bounce rates.

4. Optimize Product Pages

• Meta Tags and Descriptions: Writing compelling meta titles and descriptions that improve click-through rates from search results.
• Schema Markup: Implementing schema markup to enhance search engine results with rich snippets, such as product reviews and pricing information.

5. Local SEO

• Local Listings: Optimizing your online shop for local searches if you have a physical presence or want to target local customers.
• Google My Business: Setting up and optimizing your Google My Business profile to increase visibility in local search results.

6. Increase Conversion Rates

• A/B Testing: Running tests on different elements of your site, such as product pages and checkout processes, to determine the most effective strategies for increasing conversions.
• User Behavior Analysis: Using tools to analyze user behavior on your site and making data-driven improvements to enhance the shopping experience.

While this service is found more often in other type of agencies, that offer specific conversion rate services, a SEO agency can also help with this, based on their experience.

7. Stay Updated with SEO Trends

• Algorithm Updates: Keeping your site compliant with the latest search engine algorithm changes to avoid penalties and maintain rankings.
• Ongoing Optimization: Continuously monitoring and optimizing your site based on performance data and changing trends in SEO.

8. Content Marketing

• Blogging: Creating a blog with valuable content related to your products to attract organic traffic and establish your site as an authority.
• Video and Multimedia Content: Producing videos, infographics, and other multimedia content to engage users and enhance SEO.

9. Data Analytics and Reporting

• Performance Tracking: Monitoring key metrics such as organic traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates to measure the success of SEO strategies.
• Regular Reporting: Providing detailed reports on SEO performance and insights for continual improvement.

10. Competitor Analysis

• Competitive Research: Analyzing competitors’ SEO strategies to identify opportunities and gaps that your online shop can exploit.
• Benchmarking: Using competitor data to set realistic goals and benchmarks for your own SEO performance.

Steps to hire a SEO agency for your online shop

Hiring an SEO agency involves several steps to ensure you select the right partner for your business.

Here’s a comprehensive guide:

1. Define Your Goals

• Identify Objectives: Determine what you want to achieve with SEO (e.g., increase organic traffic, improve search rankings, generate leads).
• Set Clear KPIs: Establish key performance indicators to measure success (e.g., keyword rankings, organic traffic growth, conversion rates).

Goals are needed for any external provider you want to work with. Without setting goals beforehand, you can not measure results, the other party won’t understand what you want and so on.

2. Conduct Research

• Seek Recommendations: Ask colleagues, industry peers, and professional networks for referrals.
• Online Search: Look for reputable SEO agencies through search engines, online directories, and review platforms.
• Case Studies and Testimonials: Review case studies and client testimonials on the agency’s website and third-party sites.

3. Evaluate Potential Agencies

• Experience and Expertise: Check the agency’s experience, areas of expertise, and industries they’ve worked with.
• Portfolio: Review their past work and case studies to assess their capability and success stories.
• Certifications and Awards: Look for industry certifications and awards that indicate credibility and expertise.

4. Request Proposals

• Detailed Proposals: Ask shortlisted agencies for detailed proposals outlining their approach, strategies, and pricing.
• Scope of Services: Ensure the proposal covers all aspects of SEO, including on-page, off-page, technical SEO, and content strategy.
• Customization: Look for tailored strategies specific to your business needs, rather than generic solutions.

5. Conduct Interviews

• Initial Consultation: Schedule meetings with the agencies to discuss your goals, challenges, and expectations.
• Questions to Ask:
  • What is your approach to SEO and how do you tailor strategies for different businesses?
  • Can you provide examples of successful campaigns in my industry?
  • How do you stay updated with the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes?
  • What tools and techniques do you use for keyword research, link building, and performance tracking?
  • How do you report progress and what metrics do you use to measure success?

6. Assess Communication and Transparency

• Communication Channels: Ensure the agency offers clear communication channels and regular updates.
• Reporting: Ask about the frequency and format of reports. Look for transparency in sharing progress, challenges, and results.

7. Check References

• Client References: Request references from current or past clients to get insights into their experience with the agency.
• Feedback: Ask about the agency’s strengths, areas for improvement, and overall satisfaction.

Checking references is important. Follow these steps:

• ask for the websites they worked on and contact information from the business
• check their websites position for search terms by searching in google/bing
• call the references and ask how the collaboration went, what were the result and if they would go back to use their services.

8. Discuss Pricing and Contracts

• Pricing Structure: Understand the pricing model (hourly, monthly retainer, project-based) and ensure it fits your budget.
• Contracts: Review the contract terms, including the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and exit clauses.

9. Make a Decision

• Compare Options: Weigh the pros and cons of each agency based on their proposals, interviews, and references.
• Final Selection: Choose the agency that best aligns with your goals, offers a transparent and effective approach, and fits your budget.

10. Onboarding

• Kickoff Meeting: Schedule a kickoff meeting to introduce teams, align on goals, and establish timelines.
• Access and Tools: Provide necessary access to your website, analytics tools, and other relevant platforms.
• Collaboration: Establish a collaborative process for ongoing communication, feedback, and adjustment