The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right SEO Agency for Your Business

The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right SEO Agency for Your Business

Are you a Colorado business owner looking for the right SEO agency to help you grow your online presence? With so many agencies claiming to be experts in SEO, it can be overwhelming to decide which one to choose. As a highly skilled SEO expert with over 25 years of experience, I’m here to guide you through the process of finding the right SEO agency for your business. In this Ultimate Guide, I’ll provide you with many helpful tips to make the process of choosing the right SEO agency easier. My company, DaGama Digital Marketing Agency, is located in Greeley, Colorado, and has been helping business owners across the USA grow revenue by doing their SEO for over 25 years now. With over 30 5-star reviews, DaGama Digital Marketing Agency is a top-rated company that can help your business grow its online presence. Here is The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right SEO Agency for Your Business:

The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right SEO Agency for Your Business

  1. First, let’s get an understanding of what an SEO Agency can do for your business before we dive into finding the right SEO agency for your business. SEO agencies specialize in improving your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is done by using a variety of techniques, tools and best practices. These include:  white-hat SEO, keyword research, technical SEO audits, using the Google Search Console and Google Analytics – to name just a few things.  A good SEO agency will help your website rank higher in search engines, which can lead to increased traffic and revenue for your business.
  2. The Importance of Choosing the Right SEO Agency: Choosing the right SEO agency for your business is crucial. An inexperienced or “bad” SEO agency can do more harm than good, potentially damaging your website’s reputation and leading to penalties from search engines. On the other hand, a highly experienced, good SEO agency can help your business thrive by improving your online visibility and bringing in more customers. Remember: if they can’t find you with keywords on Google or Bing or with Siri and Alexa: your business is basically invisible.
  3. Look for a Reputable SEO Agency with Proven Results When choosing an SEO agency: it’s important to look for a company with an excellent reputation and proven results. Look for agencies with positive reviews and case studies that demonstrate their ability to help businesses like yours improve their online presence. DaGama Digital Marketing Agency, for example, has over 30 5-star reviews and a track record of success for 28 years.
  4. White-Hat SEO Techniques: When evaluating potential SEO agencies, it’s important to ensure that they use white-hat SEO techniques. White-hat SEO refers to ethical practices that adhere to search engine guidelines. This is important because using black-hat SEO techniques, such as keyword stuffing or buying backlinks, can lead to penalties from search engines. Look for an agency that emphasizes the importance of ethical SEO practices.
  5. Keyword Research Keyword research is a crucial part of any SEO strategy. A good SEO agency will conduct keyword research to identify the best keywords to target for your business. This involves identifying high-traffic, relevant keywords that your potential customers are searching for. A good SEO agency will also analyze your competition and look for gaps in the market to target.
  6. Local SEO: If your business serves customers in a specific geographic area, it’s important to choose an SEO agency that specializes in local SEO. Local SEO involves optimizing your website for local search results, which can help your business appear in Google’s local pack and map results. This is crucial for businesses with a physical location, such as restaurants or retail stores.
  7. Helpful Content Creation: Creating helpful content is a crucial part of any SEO strategy. A good SEO agency will work with you to create content that is useful and relevant to your target audience. This can include blog posts, infographics, and videos. By creating helpful content, you can improve your website’s visibility and establish your business as an authority in your industry.
  8. Customized SEO Strategies: Every business is different, which is why it’s important to choose an SEO agencythat can create a customized SEO strategy tailored to your specific needs. Look for an agency that takes the time to understand your business, target audience, and goals. They should be able to create a strategy that is designed to help you achieve your specific objectives.
  9. Transparency and Communication: When working with an SEO agency, it’s important to choose one that values transparency and communication. Look for an agency that is upfront about their processes and strategies, and that is willing to provide regular updates and reports on your website’s progress. This will help you stay informed and ensure that you’re getting the results you need.
  10. Price and Value: Price is an important consideration when choosing an SEO agency, but it shouldn’t be the only factor. Look for an agency that offers a good balance of price and value. A cheaper agency may not provide the same level of expertise or results as a more expensive one. Consider the agency’s experience, reputation, and track record, and make sure you’re getting the best value for your money.
  11. Ongoing Support and Maintenance: SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Look for an agency that provides ongoing support and maintenance to ensure that your website continues to rank well in search engine results. This can include regular updates to your website, monitoring your site’s performance, and making adjustments as needed.

Choosing the Right SEO Agency for Your Business

Choosing the right SEO agency for your business is crucial for improving your online visibility and bringing in more customers. Look for a reputable agency with proven results, that uses ethical SEO practices, conducts keyword research, specializes in local SEO, creates helpful content, offers customized strategies, values transparency and communication, provides good value for your money, and provides ongoing support and maintenance. By following these guidelines, you can find the right SEO agency to help your business thrive. At DaGama Digital Marketing Agency, we specialize in providing top-notch SEO services to businesses in Colorado and beyond. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business grow its online presence.

A person and/or SEO team who possesses decades of SEO knowledge is your best choice to do the search engine optimization work for you. I’ve been doing SEO since 1998 and have continually kept up my SEO knowledge since then, of course. Most importantly, my clients get found on the local pack (top map results); the top 3 positions; the top 10 positions and get more and more relevant keywords indexed into Google every week. Wait: there’s more to: The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right SEO Agency for Your Business. Read on…

The world of SEO continually changes. Why? Because the search engines (mainly: Google) want to provide the most valuable search results to users. Ask your SEO agency or SEO expert to explain the following things:

  1. Google’s Helpful Content Update: Google’s Helpful Content Update is a major algorithm update that focuses on providing users with more useful and informative content. This update rewards websites that create high-quality, relevant, and helpful content for users while penalizing those that provide thin or low-quality content. The update was rolled out in 2013 and has since been refined to ensure that users are getting the best possible search results. The Helpful Content Update emphasizes the importance of creating content that serves the user’s needs and provides value to them, rather than simply creating content for the sake of ranking in search results.
  2. E-E-A-T (Experience – Expertise – Authority – Trustworthiness): E-E-A-T is a concept that Google uses to evaluate the quality and credibility of content and websites. E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness, and it is used to assess the overall reputation of a website and the expertise of its authors. Google has stated that E-E-A-T is particularly important for websites that provide health, finance, or other types of sensitive information. Websites that demonstrate high levels of E-E-A-T are more likely to rank well in search results.
  3. The Penguin Update: The Penguin Update is a Google algorithm update that was launched in 2012 to combat websites that were using spammy link-building techniques to manipulate search rankings. The update penalized websites that engaged in link schemes, paid links, or other black-hat SEO techniques. The Penguin Update was designed to reward websites that focused on building high-quality, relevant, and natural links. Since the update was launched, it has been periodically refreshed to ensure that websites that violate Google’s guidelines are penalized.
  4. Hummingbird Algorithm: The Hummingbird Algorithm is a Google algorithm update that was launched in 2013 to improve the accuracy and relevance of search results. The update was designed to better understand the intent behind a user’s search query and provide more relevant results. The Hummingbird Algorithm uses natural language processing and semantic search to better understand the meaning behind a user’s search query. The update also places a greater emphasis on conversational search and long-tail keywords.
  5. PageRank Algorithm: The PageRank Algorithm is one of the original algorithms that Google used to determine the relevance and authority of web pages. The algorithm was named after Google’s co-founder, Larry Page. PageRank measures the importance of a webpage based on the number and quality of links pointing to it. The more high-quality links a webpage has, the higher its PageRank will be. PageRank was a major factor in Google’s search algorithm for many years, but it has since been refined and is no longer the primary factor in search rankings.
  6. RankBrain Algorithm: RankBrain is a Google algorithm update that was launched in 2015 to improve the accuracy and relevance of search results. The update uses machine learning to better understand the meaning behind a user’s search query and provide more relevant results. RankBrain is particularly effective at understanding the intent behind long-tail keywords and providing results that match the user’s needs. The update also places a greater emphasis on context and content quality. RankBrain is now one of the most important factors in Google’s search algorithm.

Choosing the best SEO agency requires careful consideration and research. Here are some factors to keep in mind when selecting an SEO agency:

  1. Experience: Look for an agency with a proven track record of success in SEO. Check their portfolio and client testimonials to see what results they have achieved for other businesses.
  2. Expertise: Check whether the agency has expertise in your industry or niche. They should have a good understanding of your target audience and the keywords they use to search for your products or services.
  3. Transparency: Look for an agency that is transparent about their SEO strategies and practices. They should be able to explain their approach and provide regular reports on their progress.
  4. Communication: Choose an agency that communicates clearly and frequently with you. They should be responsive to your questions and concerns and keep you informed of any changes or updates. We meet once a month and are available by phone, email and text message in between monthly meetings. We meet in person or via Zoom.
  5. Customized approach: Look for an agency that offers a customized SEO strategy tailored to your business needs and goals. They should be able to provide a detailed plan that aligns with your objectives. Does your SEO agency include managing your Google Business Profile? Do they track results and report to you consistently?
  6. Results-driven: Choose an agency that focuses on delivering results and achieving your business objectives. They should be able to provide measurable results and demonstrate their impact on your bottom line. Like this “share of voice” from Ahrefs for one of our clients:
    The ultimate guide to finding the right SEO agency for your business - Share of voice - SEO agency
  7. Price: Look for an agency that offers transparent pricing and fits within your budget. However, don’t choose an agency solely based on price. Instead, consider the value they can provide to your business.

By considering these factors, you can select the best SEO agency that can help you grow your business with SEO.

Before hiring a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) agency, there are three critical things a business owner should ask to ensure that they are hiring the right agency for their needs:

  1. Can you provide examples of past success? A reputable SEO agency should be able to provide examples of past and current successes and case studies that demonstrate their ability to help businesses achieve their goals. Ask the agency to provide specific examples of businesses they have helped and what results they achieved. This will help you gauge the agency’s level of expertise and determine if they are the right fit for your business.
  2. What is your SEO strategy? A good SEO agency should be able to provide a clear and customized SEO strategy tailored to your specific business needs. Ask the agency to explain their approach to SEO, the techniques they use, SOPs, SAAS they use for tracking results and how they plan to improve your website’s search engine rankings. The agency should be able to provide you with a clear plan of action and explain how their techniques will help your business achieve its goals.
  3. How do you measure success? A reputable SEO agency should be able to provide you with clear metrics for measuring the success of your SEO campaign. Ask the agency how they measure success and what metrics they use to track progress. The agency should be able to provide you with regular reports that show how your website’s search engine rankings are improving, how traffic is increasing, and how your business is benefiting from their services. This will help you stay informed and ensure that you are getting the results you need.

There are several negative practices that SEO agencies may engage in that should give you pause and make you think twice about hiring them. To round out The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right SEO Agency for Your Business: here are three examples of negative practices that should raise red flags:

  1. Using Black-Hat SEO Techniques: Black-hat SEO techniques are unethical practices that violate Google’s guidelines and can result in penalties or even a complete ban from search results. Techniques like keyword stuffing, cloaking, and link buying can damage your website’s reputation and hinder its ability to rank well in search results. If an SEO agency suggests or engages in these types of practices, it’s a clear sign that they are not a trustworthy agency and you should not hire them.
  2. Promising Overnight Results SEO is a long-term strategy that requires patience and consistency: If an SEO agency promises you instant results or guarantees that your website will rank #1 in search results in a short amount of time, it’s a red flag. SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, and no agency can guarantee specific rankings or overnight results. A good agency will provide you with a realistic timeline and work with you to create a customized strategy that will help your business achieve long-term success.
  3. Lack of Transparency and Communication: If an SEO agency is not transparent about their processes, practices, or results, it’s a warning sign that they may be engaging in unethical practices or not delivering the results they promised. A reputable agency will be upfront about their techniques and provide regular updates and reports on your website’s progress. If an agency is not responsive to your inquiries or is difficult to reach, it’s a sign that they may not prioritize communication and may not be the right agency for your business.

This tip is for business owners whose customers come from the city and region they live and work within: were you able to find the SEO agency with keywords related to your city or region? If you found my Greeley SEO agency but you live in Fort Collins or Denver and are searching for a Fort Collins SEO agency or a Denver SEO agency, then that’s good. That means that, though my location is in Greeley, Colorado I have the skills and knowledge of how to get found in other cities. Does YOUR SEO agency or SEO expert know how to do that? If not, how are they going to get your business found beyond just one city?

I hope you’ve found The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right SEO Agency for Your Business very helpful.

Contact Lori Gama, owner of DaGama Digital Marketing Agency, if you’re interested in finding out how we can grow your business with SEO, social media marketing, a new website, pay-per-click Google ads and other digital marketing strategies. Fill out our contact form here.

About the Author: Lori Gama

Lori Gama

Lori Gama is a digital marketing pioneer who founded her company: DaGama Web Studio (now called: DaGama Digital Marketing Agency) in 1995. Growing from a one-woman web studio to a 14-person digital marketing team that manages SEO, social media and Google ads for locally-owned businesses, Lori Gama innovates and increases growth for her clients, some of whom have been with her from 8 years to 27 years. Located in Greeley, Colorado, serving companies across the U.S., this Greeley marketing company gets results quickly; communicates with clients regularly and evolves marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve.