17 Oct How to Hire an SEO Consultant and Avoid These Common Pitfalls

Picture this, you’ve just launched your online business, and now you need some help getting that business seen. Naturally, this is when you’d enlist the help of someone like myself. Hiring an SEO consultant is a great way to grow your website’s organic visibility, whilst freeing up your time to focus on other aspects of your business. 

However, it isn’t always as straightforward as picking an SEO consultant and then hiring them. I see it time and time again, businesses of all sizes not getting full value for money because they weren’t sure what to look for when hiring their consultant. As an SEO Consultant based in Cornwall, I know a thing or two when it comes to spotting those red flags. Join me in this blog as I outline the key aspects of hiring an SEO consultant for your business.

Is It Worth Hiring Someone for SEO?

The short answer is yes. If you’re completely new to the world of search engines, then a consultant will be able to guide you through the maze that we call the Google Algorithm. A good consultant with years of experience navigating all sorts of updates is worth their weight in gold, so be sure to do your due diligence. 

What to Expect from your SEO Consultant

Over the years I’ve had many clients get in touch after experiencing poor service from other consultants, purely because they didn’t know what their SEO help should look like. There are multiple things you should expect as standard from your SEO service, in fact, they are some great points to bring up in preparation for hiring your consultant.

They should be good communicators first and foremost. Regular check-ins, whether over the phone, in person or online, should be the bare minimum. This allows you to be fully aware of how your SEO effort is progressing, along with identifying anything you could be doing to improve your site. 

Common SEO Consultant Red Flags

Now, if you’re completely new to SEO, this is the part to pay close attention to. Following these points like scripture will mean you’ve done all you can to get the best SEO consultant for your business.

The SEO specialist Don’t Ask for Google Analytics or Search Console Access.

The very basis on which a lot of SEO is tracked on is accessible through Google Analytics and Search Console. The latter of the two can send you updates when there are issues with your site, such as problems indexing pages, which is vital for being found on the SERPs. 

They both offer invaluable insights of which should be used in part to form your strategy. If your prospective consultant doesn’t ask for access, or offer to set it up for that matter, then you should proceed with caution.

They Insist on Buying Links in Bulk & Use Black Hat SEO Tactics

To put it simply, buying hundreds or thousands of backlinks in bulk is a bad thing. This is just one example of black hat SEO tactics that will ultimately negatively affect your website. Whilst it is debated how much influence backlinks have on improving a site’s search ranking, there is no denying that buying thousands of links from low-quality, irrelevant sites will not increase your ranking. Any consultant suggesting you do so should be avoided, this is a big red flag.

What is Black Hat SEO?

Black hat SEO tactics are a collection of tactics that go against Google’s guidelines, all in an attempt to improve a site’s search ranking. These tactics include keyword stuffing, link farming, cloaking, and article spinning among many other things.

A good SEO consultant adopts White Hat SEO tactics that mean your site is viewed positively by Google’s crawlers.

The SEO Consultant Doesn’t Send Monthly Reports or Offer Productive Next Steps

Not every month is going to beat the last, there are natural peaks and troughs in SEO, especially if your site is one that is subject to seasonality. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be receiving productive next steps on how your SEO is going to adapt to less desirable results from your consultant. Of course, it is worth mentioning you should be receiving monthly reports.

Reports supplemented with commentary are designed to make them easier to understand, but this is undone if your consultant is using unnecessary marketing jargon. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you don’t understand the phrasing of something in your report.

Looking for an SEO Consultant Based in Cornwall? Get in touch

Finding SEO help in Cornwall doesn’t have to be difficult. Hopefully, now you know the telltale signs, you should be able to successfully find an SEO consultant you can trust. If not, why not get in touch with me? With over 10 years of experience working with clients up and down the country growing their online businesses, I look forward to finding out about your project.