Finding a good SEM agency that both understands your objectives and that can then deliver results is vital if you’re going to achieve your online aspirations. But what sets a good Search Engine Marketing Agency apart from the rest?
Here are 6 things to think about when deciding on the agency that’s right for you...
1. Are they a UK agency with all their departments and functions based in the UK?
Plenty of Search Engine Marketing Companies have UK phone numbers but conduct their business from abroad. While this doesn’t always mean they provide a lower quality service, it does have a severe impact in terms of time difference and business culture. But basic practicalities aside, by far the biggest cause for concern is the fact that your company’s sensitive information can be passed between any number of sub-contractors in countries with poor or non-existent data protection laws and appalling reputations for abusing customer confidentiality. When making a decision on which agency to use, ask yourself if you can really be certain about exactly who’s working on your behalf.
2. High quality inbound links are vital to any Search strategy. Poor links can be catastrophic.
A good inbound link network is one of the main factors that will help your website rank high in search engine results listings - but it’s not all about quantity. The likes of Google look for high quality, relevant links when they’re deciding on how high to rank a website, so you need to be certain that your Search Engine Marketing Agency isn’t prepared to cut corners by plumping for cheap, easy links. Many agencies employ automated link-harvesting software or set up reciprocal links, both of which can result in your site losing favour with the search engines. It’s not uncommon to be kicked out of search engine indexes altogether if your link network is based on quantity, at the expense of quality and relevance. Make no mistake – links can be the making or breaking of your website, and your fate lies squarely in the hands of your Search Engine Marketing Agency.
3. ‘Content is king’ – the biggest cliché in Search Engine Marketing. But it’s true.
Content is your website’s most powerful magnet. Use it well and you’ll be drawing in traffic from all sections of your audience, as opposed to the narrow section most websites focus on through a misguided obsession with the big ‘buzz’ phrases in their market (we call them ‘vanity phrases’). Long tail phrases – the many, many longer and more specific phrases that users type into search engines – are the key to drawing much more traffic to your website. Long tail keyword-enriched content will take your website to the masses, so your Search Engine Marketing Agency needs to employ skilled SEO copywriters (preferably in-house and unquestionably native English speakers) who can create high quality, informative and engaging content. Accept anything less than great content, and you’re missing a serious trick.
What’s more, as of mid-March 2009 Google has moved into the semantic age, meaning it now understands words and their meanings a lot better than it used to, making high quality, relevant and readable content even more of a priority than ever before. The new content rule: lessen the isolated keyword obsession, and place more emphasis on the long tail, quality and context.
4. Find a Search Engine Marketing Agency that offers rock solid guarantees. Then avoid them like the plague.
If there’s one thing no Search Engine Marketing Agency can offer - no matter how good they are - it’s guarantees. And contrary to popular belief in some quarters, not even PPC offers the certainty it’s often touted as having. There’s nothing wrong with a Search Engine Marketing Agency offering guarantees on response times or customer service standards, but the minute they start making guarantees on things like Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and timeframes, then it’s time to step back and move away.
Search Engine Marketing boasts unparalleled transparency, flexibility and control, and while it’s true that things like PPC can swiftly bring about increases in traffic to a website, there’s no guarantees. There’s a very high probability that it will work if done right, but guarantees? The answer’s still no. To find out if your Search Engine Marketing Agency will make your future bright, look to their past – get them to tell you about their record of success. Results are everything in SEM.
5. Look for customer service that goes the extra mile.
Contact is vital for effective SEM, and your Search Engine Marketing Agency needs to keep you regularly updated on the progress of your strategy or campaign. There’s no escaping accountability in this industry - everything is measurable in detail - meaning that there can be absolutely no excuse for not keeping you informed on the finer points of how things are going. Any Search Marketing Agency that wants to shroud the process in secrecy should be avoided, simply because they shouldn’t feel the need to hide anything from you. If you’re not being kept in the loop, then you need to ask yourself why.
Don’t even be fooled into thinking it’s OK to be kept in the dark as long as the strategy seems to be generating good results. Why? Because putting you in the picture might expose unethical practices, which although could well be getting good results in the short-term, may be damaging your website and reputation in the long-term. Always insist on transparency and look for a Search Engine Marketing Agency that will appoint an Account Manager to oversee your requirements. Account Managers represent the pinnacle of good client relations.
6. ‘You get what you pay for’ - the old adage that still holds true in the digital age.
Cost is often the biggest factor that many small and medium sized businesses consider when deciding on a Search Engine Marketing Agency. SEM services vary wildly in price from agency to agency, but so does quality, so it’s important to find a agency that walks the fine line between high quality services and cost-effectiveness. If you really insist on paying bottom rates for copy that’s outsourced to far-away lands, then be prepared to receive low quality content that’s written in broken English, devoid of domestic cultural influences and bereft of the ever-changing principles of good SEO copywriting practice (such as the type that disregards the critical importance of Google’s recent move into semantics that we mentioned earlier).
The fact of the matter is that true quality comes from synchronicity, where all elements of your SEM strategy are created and executed in a joined-up process in which all parties involved work in close company with each other. A SEM agency sourcing content writing services from central Asia and link building teams from the Philippines may be cheaper (although not always), but the quality offered won’t stand up when compared to a UK based Search Engine Marketing Agency offering all services in-house and lead by a dedicated Account Manager. Quality and cost-effectiveness go hand-in-hand – make sure your agency offers you the best of both worlds.
The Web Marketing Group – the UK’s leading Search Engine Marketing Agency
We’ve been making the web work for our clients for nearly a decade, and today over 500 companies turn to us to maximise their online potential. Our proven techniques have helped us grow into a full-service digital agency that can offer you the full-breadth of SEM services from under one roof at our head office in Harrogate. Quality, cost-effectiveness, and a friendly account managed approach – we practice what we preach.
To find out how we can help your business grow, request your FREE comprehensive website analysis and proposal – click here
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