Choosing the right SEO agency is just the beginning of your journey to online success. The real challenge comes in building a strong, productive relationship with your agency that lasts long term. When both sides work together seamlessly, it can lead to exceptional results. Here’s how you can foster a positive and mutually beneficial partnership that sets the stage for long-term success.
Set Clear Expectations from the Start
One of the most important steps in building a strong relationship with your SEO agency is setting clear expectations right from the beginning. Before the project kicks off, make sure to outline:
- Your goals: What do you hope to achieve with SEO? Whether it’s increasing organic traffic, improving keyword rankings, or boosting conversions, make sure these goals are clearly communicated.
- Timelines: Establish realistic timelines for achieving milestones and results. SEO takes time, but it’s important to set expectations for when you should start seeing improvements.
- Budget: Be upfront about your budget so that the agency can tailor a strategy within your means.
- Communication style: Decide how often and in what format you prefer updates (weekly, monthly, etc.), and agree on the point of contact.
By setting clear expectations, both you and your SEO agency can avoid misunderstandings and ensure you’re aligned in your objectives. Learn more about the process on the link.
Foster Open and Honest Communication
Communication is key to any strong relationship, and it’s no different when working with an SEO agency. For the partnership to thrive, it’s essential that both parties communicate openly and honestly. Be transparent about any concerns you have and provide feedback in a constructive way. At the same time, expect the agency to be equally transparent with you.
Regularly checking in with your agency—whether via phone calls, meetings, or emails—ensures you stay informed about progress and can address any concerns promptly. Keep the lines of communication open by being responsive to their messages and asking questions when you don’t understand something. The more you communicate, the stronger your working relationship will be.
Respect Their Expertise and Trust the Process
SEO is a complex, ever-evolving field, and your agency’s expertise is one of the reasons you hired them in the first place. While it’s important to stay involved and ask questions, it’s also essential that you trust your agency’s expertise and allow them to do what they do best. Trust that they know the most effective SEO strategies and techniques to help you achieve your goals.
If the agency suggests a strategy or tactic you don’t fully understand, take the time to ask for an explanation. This will help you trust the process even more. Remember, SEO results take time, and sometimes the best approach may not yield instant results. Be patient and give your agency the space to execute their strategy.
What You Should Know Before Hiring an SEO Agency
Their Experience
You always want to hire a team that has relevant experience. SEO is crucial for your business and the industry out there is competitive. You need to ensure that you’re hiring experts who know exactly what they’re doing and have helped other similar companies. This way, you’ll get a good headstart and the campaign can have lasting and long-term effects. Therefore, always read about their experience before hiring them. You can ask for more details about this in a discovery call.
The Cost
Every SEO agency sets its own prices. You want to ensure that you’re getting a competitive deal and one that works for your business budgets. The only way to know for sure is to get a personalised quote. Ask every SEO agency you’re interested in for a quote outlining the services they’ll give you, as well as what they will charge you.
This way, you can weigh up whether you’re getting value for money and if you can afford to take on this arrangement. Just remember that the cheapest isn’t always the best. You have to compare the price with the services you’re getting, as well as consider elements like experience and reputation.
The Reporting
You must know how you’re going to communicate with the SEO agency. In particular, you need to track progress and make sure that your money is being spent wisely. So, you need a team that’s going to regularly report to you on updates and the progress they’re making. Generally, you want to get reports every month. This could also be followed up by more detail bi-annual reports.
Conclusion
Building a strong relationship with your SEO agency takes effort from both sides. By setting clear expectations, maintaining open communication, and being actively involved, you’ll create a partnership that can lead to long-term success. Trust the process, celebrate milestones, and always focus on the bigger picture. When both you and your agency are aligned, there’s no limit to what you can achieve together.
