There is an argument to be made that the internet is now the best way to market your business. Despite the internet establishing itself fully in our society, business owners can still struggle with digital marketing and understanding to make their mark on the web. SEO companies are here to help. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of using search engines to increase the number of visitors to a website or web page. SEO companies tackle the headache of digital marketing for businesses. Even though it may sound like an easy job, businesses should not take finding an SEO company lightly. This is no different for Los Angeles, where local competition can be extreme.
Despite the temptation to handling your marketing on your own, it may be best to look for an SEO Company. The digital world is always changing and growing. SEO companies know how to adapt to the evolving world wide web and are better suited at keeping businesses at the top of the search page. While you focus on running your business and keeping your clients happy, your chosen SEO Company will keep up with your digital footprint. Working with the right SEO agency will remove stress from you and increase your business’s online presence.
Like with any hiring, you should interview multiple companies to find the one that best suits your needs. In your search for the best SEO companies Los Angeles, there are key strategies you should implement. First and foremost, be sure to have clear goals in mind when interviewing. The more specific you are in your needs, the easier finding the right SEO company will be.
The agency should have a solid plan for marketing your business. Many business owners encounter agencies that have a pre-set roadmap to use with their clients. The promise of a “scalable and repeatable” marketing strategy, more often than not, means not sitting down with you -the business owner- to tailor a strategic approach that suits you and your business needs.
The “scalable and repeatable” pitch is highly deceiving. Agencies that promote this approach are not to be trusted. The recipe is applied to many clients in a one-size-fits-all model. Your business is unique and your time is money. Keep that thought always in mind.
Simple questions to ask yourself when engaging a marketing agency are:
- Who am I speaking to?
- Is this a sales representative?
- Is it a marketing consultant?
- Do I get a meeting with a marketing strategist?
- Will this marketing strategist know about my business?
- Is this marketing agency developing a long term marketing plan for my business?
- Are my business goals at the center of the marketing plan?
- What percentage of the business gross revenue I am willing to spend in marketing?
If you are a local business owner or a multi-location business, you ought to know if the marketing agencies you are interested in know your local target audience. Do these agencies understand the complexities of local marketing, local competition, and local vs. national competition?
Highly dense markets, such as Los Angeles give a perfect example of the importance of a sound marketing strategy that is very local-focus almost down to the zip code. Why? Let’s look at a quick example of differences between Los Angeles and other nearby towns – a business that is located at any of Los Angeles beaches may be targeting a more touristic segment.
Tourists that come to Los Angeles, drop by the boardwalks to enjoy a fun game of beach volleyball. However, surfers are less likely to go to an L.A. beach as the thrill of very tall waves is basically nonexistent. Surfers may prefer the beaches of Orange County, there’s a whole offering of websites and guides dedicated to surfers in Orange County. If you are an artisan state-of-the-art surfboard manufacturer, what segment are you targeting? The Los Angeles beaches and crowds? Or the Orange County beach towns? Then again, is your marketing agency in-tune with the nuances of the local market?
Now, that was the strategic scope, how about the operational one?
When advertising to people in your city, it’s essential to appear in Google Map’s local pack of relevant terms. There are many strategies to increase visitors to a website. Besides the Local 3-pack method, there is also the chance to use voice searches, mobile strategy, and backlink strategies. An SEO company should have multiple plans to help you grow your business’s search results.
Questions! Always as questions.
Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews, recommendations from past clients, or their case studies. These can help you determine how well the company does its job. You wouldn’t hire an employee if they had a bad work history, and the same should go with your hunt for an SEO company.
A good indicator that you are dealing with the right marketing agency is employee turnover. Big red lights should start flashing if an agency has been in business for ten years, and not one staff member has been there for more than two. Your account is at risk of being passed down from manager to manager. Your project may be interrupted due to the stop-and-go in the agency. Happy and engaged employees mean stability and continuity. Your view when hiring an SEO agency should be “committing to a long term partnership” as results do not come quick. You need accountability.
Talking about accountability, make sure they are showing you results that deal with local SEO. A company could have amazing SEO results on a national scale, but when you are focusing on expanding your local business, so should they. Specifics can be everything during an interviewing process.
Transparency in any business relationship. When you find an SEO company you like, make sure that they are going to stay in communication with you throughout your time together. Ghosting is bad in the dating AND marketing world. A good SEO company should want to keep in contact with you, and you should expect them to be prepared to set up regular conferences.
The business world is a tough one. An online presence can make or break a business. By utilizing a good SEO strategy, you can place your business ahead of the curve. You don’t have to do it alone. A good SEO company can be the most significant ally in your online marketing efforts. Having a gorgeous webpage is not enough if your potential clients can’t find it.
When tracking down the best SEO companies Los Angeles, or anywhere for that matter, you should use these strategies. It’s your business, and it deserves the best you can give it.
