How to Pick from All the SEO Experts Out There

​Search Engine Optimization is a long-term investment, and it can make your website grow as well as break or bury your website’s presence. It all depends on the strategy your SEO team utilizes. An SEO team or expert works diligently in the background to make sure your website lands on the first page of results for Google, Yahoo, or Bing, so any potential customers know you exist. This requires a good deal of time and effort, which many business owners are too busy to handle. This guide will share four tips to help you pick the best SEO expert in Houston.

1.  Your SEO Goals

It’s hard to know what to look for if you don’t know what you want. Before you can go out and interview SEO experts in Houston, you need to define your goals clearly. What areas of your online presence do you want to improve? Do you have a one year plan? Numbers or markers you would like to achieve by a specific date? All of these questions can be a little overwhelming, and if you aren’t entirely sure, then have a digital marketing analysis done first. You might require a whole new website before you can embark on finding the best SEO expert in Houston.

2.  Your Options

Know what your options are by starting with your network before outsourcing for SEO. Search your social media accounts — LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter — to see if any of your contacts have SEO experience listed in their profiles. If you have friends, family, or colleagues that run a business, ask if they have any recommendations. Forums, such as Reddit, and blogs can also help direct you to the best SEO experts in Houston. Be sure to read as many examples and references as possible, as these are testimonies of whether or not the job was done well. Make a list of your top picks.

3.  Your Budget

It can be a little difficult to determine the average cost of hiring an SEO expert in Houston. It depends on several factors: is this a one-time project? Do you need an individual or a team? How large is your audience? The best thing you can do to set a budget is to decide what you can afford, and which action items you want to prioritize. Then, you can begin calling your list of top picks and asking for quotes or scheduling consultations. Just be aware that you may have to pay for consultations, but some firms or individuals may offer free consultations.

4.  Ask Questions

There are a few ways to prepare for your consultation with an SEO expert. First, make a list of questions that you want to ask them. You will want to ask for a list of past and current clients so that you have some context. These references will help you gauge how effective the candidate’s skills are, especially for what you want. Be sure to leave with a solid understanding of how the candidate works — what is their process? What do they charge? What are their ideas? And finally, you want to ensure they are ethical and adhere to webmaster guidelines.