Search engine optimization investment is like buying a brand new sports car. A Ferrari will cost more but is a lot luxurious and faster than an ordinary family car that costs way less.
It's the same with SEO services, you get what you pay for. Bigger packages have more features but are quite expensive; lower packages cost less.
Small business owners don't have the same budget as large businesses do. Every penny counts for small budget companies which is why it is crucial to get the maximum return on investment for every marketing campaign that you spend for.
It's vital to know how to choose the right SEO package for your small business.
You should ask your SEO provider the inclusions of the package that they are offering. Even their most affordable package should ensure that you get the best results.
Here are suggestions on what to look for in a small business package for SEO:
Content Marketing
Content marketing is an essential component of your marketing strategy. Your web pages, blog articles, images and videos should provide relevant content. The quality of your content is also a premium factor in search engine signals. Keywords should be targeted and not spammy.
Giving information and value to your readers is of prime importance. If you are in the real estate business, you can look for an SEO company that specializes and is experienced in writing real estate content. This applies to any industry.
Local SEO
If you want local targeting, local citations will give a boost to your SEO success. The major search engines use NAP citations from major directories on the web as signals in local search rankings.
Here are additional local SEO optimizations that you can add to local SEO citations:
Use local phone numbers
Have a local address, office, store or warehouse
Create a local website to target customers in your location
Get backlinks from local directories
Get backlinks from other local businesses
It's a lot to handle on your own so it would be best to look for a provider who can handle local SEO work.
Website Reporting
Every SEO package for small business should include keyword tracking and website reporting. As an owner, you need to know how your website is performing based on the SEO being done by your chosen provider.
It is the responsibility of an SEO company to inform clients about their site's performance by giving reports and keyword tracking. Companies have a right to know if their site is doing well plus the ROI on their investment in SEO.
Look for an SEO company that can provide comprehensive reports and keyword tracking that is easy to understand. Some companies would give lots of graphs, charts, and figures that you can't comprehend.
Details in reports should include organic web visits, leads generated and total leads generated. Keyword tracking of your competitors should also be provided to give you further insights on how to improve your keywords.
Choose SEO Companies With Real Employees
Many small business SEO companies offer low prices because they have low overhead expenses.
This means that work is being outsourced. The downside to this practice is that work is being done possibly a thousand miles away in a foreign country where the people don't even know anything about your industry and the local setting of your business.
The possibility of low quality work and inefficiency abounds in these kinds of set up. It's better to choose an SEO company that has a team that you can talk to and interact with. Go for companies that have real employees who do the SEO work themselves.
In-house workers like account managers, writers, editors, web developers, SEO managers are a good mix for a team in an SEO company.