How Do I Know If My SEO Agency Is Getting Results?

SEO is a challenging game and a complex theory for many businesses to understand, regardless of their operating size. As search engine optimisation is not a tangible product, it can be hard to set clear goals and implement winning strategies.  

However, it doesn’t have to be that way.  

You don’t need to be an SEO expert to keep track of your agency’s performance. We’re here to give you the tools to ensure they’re working hard to achieve your goals. 

So, is your agency getting results? And what should you do if you discover that they’re falling short on their promises? 

Let’s find out! 

Here’s what we’ll cover… 

• Are You Getting The SEO Results You Paid For? 
• Common Lies 
• Resolving the Situation 
• Run a Site Audit 
• Good SEO Should Look Like This 
• Changing SEO Agencies 
• SEO – An Excellent Investment 
• Be Discovered with SEO 

Are You Getting The SEO Results You Paid For? 

A tailor-made SEO package is unique to your needs and wants. It will always differ from other businesses that employ specialist SEO agencies to assist them with their digital marketing efforts. 

And with all these varying parts, it is no wonder there is shared scepticism when the word “SEO” is thrown around boardroom meetings!  

However, with several ranking factors to implement, regularly changing algorithms and a high number of competitors online, a robust search engine optimisation strategy is essential for any business wanting to stay relevant. 

With so many agencies touting themselves as the best, the dream is to find one that will align itself with what you want for your business. This includes timely results, winning content and serious backlinking prowess – that is the hope! 

You will know when the agency you have employed is doing it right when they:   

• Set clearly defined deliverables   
• Always communicate with you and readily answer questions   
• Provide weekly or monthly reporting (that is easy for you to understand)   
• Regularly recommend and implement improvements   
• Boost your rankings   
• Increase your company’s revenue through SEO strategies 
• Deliver new enquiries for your services/products 

But… what happens when you have finally settled with an SEO agency only to be left questioning if it is working for you. Are they following good SEO practices and delivering results?  

Rest assured, there are several remarkable SEO agencies out there that can provide you with transparency regarding their processes and abilities, plus deliver what you’ve paid for. 

Let’s sift through the long list of digital marketing taboos to help you find an SEO company you can trust to elevate your search ranking. 

What to be suspicious of   

A lack of industry regulations means it’s easy for some SEO agencies to come up with excuses if a client is disappointed with their results. 

Technical issues?  

Google updates?  

… Sound familiar?  

Here are a few more false claims: 

Promising Results   

Marketing budgets are all about maximising return on investment. Some SEO firms are quick to guarantee outcomes, making false claims about securing the top spot on search engine platforms in a short space of time. They want to assure any sceptics in the room; we get it. But this is an audacious promise to make, let alone keep.   

The truth is, it’s impossible to promise results when each client presents varying challenges, outcomes, competitors, and budgets. Sustainable results take time, and they will always be unique to each client.    

One Pathway To Success   

SEO encompasses several strategies to achieve results, including on-site and off-site tactics, link building, social media, local SEO, and optimisation. You don’t have to employ an agency that provides all the services – though it can be helpful but remember that a single approach will not provide you with the outcomes you are after. 

One-Size-Fits-All Strategy 

SEO packages that promise business results irrespective of industry and size are marketed as a ‘quick fix’ that works for everyone. This is not true. A good SEO strategy is tailored to each client’s brand and desired outcomes, with constant adjustments and varied targeting over time. 

SEO Is Only For The Experts   

Basic SEO can be done yourself, provided you have enough time, tools, and resources. Due to the time involved, and the amount of learning and implementation required, it makes sense to seek support from an agency. 

Blaming Search Engines   

Google’s algorithms are in a constant state of flux, which is often why rankings are affected. It cannot be blamed for the overall poor health of your SEO metrics. If any significant changes are planned by Google, this is communicated well before being applied. The marketing firm’s responsibility is to stay ahead of these fluctuations and amend content when needed.  

Resolving The Situation   

Your SEO should be seen as an extension of your marketing plan, so asking the right questions matters in achieving business goals that align with the rest of your company. 

Here are some queries to put to your existing SEO company:    

• Can you provide preferred transactional keywords? 

• What are our rankings on these (keywords), and how can we improve the results?  
• Can we anticipate a return if we rank among the top three keywords?   
• What are our informational keywords?  
• If we place in the top three for them, will there be a return?  
• What steps are you taking to obtain backlinks for my business?   

Meeting Expectations   

Set clear variables and expected timeframes for results. Maybe you know of a few keywords or phrases that you would like to rank for if you want to see a gradual rise in your organic traffic. 

Be Patient   

Want to harness the power of SEO? Remember, SEO is a long-term process. It will take time to see results. If you are worried about your strategy’s progress and it has only been a few weeks, check in with your agency. If they keep in contact with you and follow best practices, trust you are in good hands. 

Read The Contract   

If you are not convinced of your results and are well into your relationship with a firm, review your contract and any previous forms of communication with them. Can you exit before the contract ends? Are there penalties? 

Be Upfront   

Still not convinced? Make your voice heard by an account manager or someone in charge. SEO agencies should welcome conversations about how to know if your SEO is working.  

Run An Audit   

Confidentially run a review and check your online performance by conducting an SEO audit with Found. Don’t worry, we won’t tip off your current agency. Rest assured that your current agency won’t catch on to your investigation! 

An audit is an excellent way to gauge if the work you are paying for is being done. You’ll either have peace of mind that everything is on track, or evidence that it’s time to shop around for another agency.  

Are you seeing the following trends in your SEO and partnership? 

• The agency is unwilling to share its tools and techniques in how they conduct their SEO   
• They provide no comment regarding improvements  
• There is a lack of reporting and audits 
• They have not requested access to any crucial accounts relevant to SEO  
• You’ve seen a drop in ranking   
• There’s a decline in traffic   
• Your website is ranking for the incorrect keywords and search phrases 

Good SEO Should Look Like This  

Have you ever wondered what good SEO should look like and if your current agency delivers on the points mentioned in its strategy document?   

Here are a few pointers to know your agency is doing the work:  

Improved Website Health  

If reports show an improvement in score, that’s a positive sign that SEO efforts are working. You can check your site health with tools such as Site Checker (free), SEMRush, and Ahrefs. These valuable sources display various performance factors, such as broken links and crawlability.  

Organic Traffic Increase  

Many websites receive no Google traffic. If your organic traffic increases, your agency is putting in the hard work. Remember, fluctuation in results is expected. What’s important is that your average still shows an increase.  

Higher Page Rankings  

If your organic traffic is flourishing, it’s partly thanks to your agency generating fresh content on your behalf. If older pages on your site also rank, that indicates that SEO practices are being used to your benefit.  

Conversion Rates Are Climbing  

More traffic typically equates to higher conversions. This may be due to better keyword targeting focusing on buyer intent, educational and engaging content, and streamlined website functionality.  

Referring Domains & Backlinks 

If the number of quality websites linking to you rises, your search engine optimisation is working. Backlinking (a link on a page from one website to your website) is a method of increasing the number of high-quality domains that link back to you, which helps to boost rankings.   

Domain Authority  

Domain Authority is typically an assessment of the strength of your backlink profile, with scores ranging from 0-100. It is important to note that it is not used by Google and is not a ranking factor. Instead, it is a figured calculated by SEO software companies, such as Ahrefs or Moz. 

Whilst it is not a ranking factor, it remains a useful tool is assessing the strength of your backlink profile. If an SEO agency doesn’t improve it over time, then the backlink work they’ve done (or not done) needs looking at. Quality backlinks are important to a website’s SEO success, hence why Domain Authority is a really useful measurement tool for an SEO agency. 

You can check your current site score by using Moz Link Explorer.   

Is your current SEO agency letting you down? 

…Our team has your back. 

The best method to determine whether your present provider is genuinely producing results is through one of our audits. There are no agreements, obligations, or need for a login or special access. A one-time audit will provide you with the responses your agency might be reluctant to give. 

When All Else Fails   

Suppose the above attempts to open a friendly, constructive conversation about outcomes have not been heard or inspired visible results. Well then, it’s time to start shopping around for an SEO agency that can deliver a plan of action that supports you and see you thrive!  

Feel free to define what went wrong with the previous or current company and clarify that you do not want it to happen again.  

Tip:   

Agencies should provide you with the following reasonably early in the partnership:    

• Audit of your website    
• Content optimisation    
• Link profile analysis    
• Spreadsheets of your website link appear in articles and are posted to other websites   

Final Thoughts: SEO – An Excellent Investment That Takes Time   

Your business success relies on how impactful your SEO efforts are. Lousy SEO and black hat tactics will only negatively affect your business further, and that is not something any owner wants to hear or see. Investing in doing as much research as possible before signing with an agency is essential. 

If you are serious about your business, you should incorporate SEO into your action plan and not discredit the staggering changes it can have on your revenue streams. It is a worthwhile investment that takes time.  

See your business venture flourish with the right SEO company by your side! 

IT’S TIME TO BE DISCOVERED 

AMPLIFY YOUR SEO WITH RESULTS THAT LAST 

Contact us to see how we can expand your company and use search marketing to increase the number of customers, leads, and sales.