When you want to increase your website’s visibility, hiring an SEO consultant can seem like a good idea. However, you must be careful about whom you hire because some SEO companies are scammers who don’t actually do anything for your site. If you don’t hire the right professional, your website won’t see the improvement it needs from an SEO standpoint. The following factors will help you identify a legitimate SEO company before you commit time and money to their services:

Ask for a report and audit

When you hire an SEO consultant, the first thing they will do is audit your website. They will examine every aspect of your website from design to content to keywords. This audit is important because it gives the SEO consultant an opportunity to point out any problems you may have that are holding you back. A good SEO consultant will also provide you with a report that details the findings of their audit and recommendations for improvement. This report is extremely helpful because it shows you exactly what your website needs to rank higher in search engines. It also gives you a roadmap for the rest of the process so you can easily stay on track. After the audit is complete, the SEO consultant should be able to provide you with a report showing what needs to be fixed in the website’s code, content, and URL structure in order for it to rank higher in search engines.

Ask for case studies

Another way to identify a good SEO consultant is to ask for case studies. A case study is a report that details the successes of another company. You are essentially asking the SEO consultant to show you what they have done for other businesses in your industry and how they did it. The best SEO companies will be able to provide you with case studies that show them improving websites in the same industry as yours. If the SEO company can’t provide you with case studies, that could be a red flag. You definitely don’t want to hire someone who can’t show you past successes. You can also ask for references from previous clients. These are the people you will actually be working with if you hire this person.

Ask for a proposal

Lastly, you can request a proposal from an SEO consultant. In this proposal, the SEO consultant should list out their services, estimate the cost, and also provide you with a timeline for the project. If you receive a proposal that meets all of these requirements, it’s a good sign that the SEO consultant is legitimate. You can use the services of a SEO company to determine the cost of the project beforehand. You can also ask for various quotes so you can compare prices and find the best deal.

Check their skills and certifications

One of the ways to tell if an SEO consultant is legit is to check their skills and certifications. You can do this by looking on their website or finding a list of SEO consultants in your area. You can search for SEO consultants in your area using Google or another search engine. Once you have a list, you can click on the name of each SEO consultant and check their website. You can also find out what certifications they have earned by visiting the website of the SEO industry organizations. These organizations include the SEO professional societies and the Internet marketing professional societies. The SEO consultants in these organizations are certified and have proven their skills through exams.

Ask to see their website content and SEO strategy

You can also ask to see the SEO strategy that the SEO consultant will use to improve your website. This is a crucial part of the hiring process because it will let you know exactly what the SEO consultant is expecting from you. If the SEO consultant has unrealistic expectations, you should move on. You don’t want to waste your time or money on a consultant who expects you to do things that you don’t have time or money to do. If you find a consultant who is willing to work with you, you should ask them to walk you through their strategy. This will help you understand what they expect from you and what you need to do for your site.

Conclusion

These are just some of the ways you can identify a good SEO consultant. Be wary of any company that won’t show you their work or won’t provide you with a proposal. You don’t want to hire a company that is just out to make a quick buck at your expense. Instead, you want to hire someone who is going to help you out and provide you with a long-term solution to your website problems.