For many business owners, SEO is a confusing topic that they know very little about. They know it’s important to their company and want the best, but how do you get started? What questions should you ask an SEO company? The following are some insightful questions to ask a Miami SEO company so you can find one that is perfect for your needs.

Question #1: What is your experience in the industry?

What’s the best way to judge an SEO company? Experience. No two companies are created equal, and more importantly, no two companies have tackled the same challenges. If a company has been around for a while they have most likely worked on a case of a “similar” nature to yours. Asking an SEO company about their experience, or seeing if they have references will best help you determine how to gauge their abilities.

Question #2: How will hiring your company affect my business?

This is one of the most crucial questions any client should ask an SEO company. It’s important to understand that while search engine optimization can be extremely powerful, it’s not the only marketing vehicle at your disposal. An SEO company may have a great deal of experience and a rock star team, but if they’re unfamiliar with the product or service you offer chances are they won’t be able to provide optimal results. It’s also important for any company to be honest about what expectations should be set. If hiring an SEO company means you must hire additional staff to manage the process, make sure that is clearly outlined in your contract.

Question #3: How often should I expect rankings to change?

This is another important question any client should ask an SEO company. There’s no such thing as a static ranking report for keywords. SEO is a process, and if a company doesn’t treat it as such search engine optimization efforts will be useless. Rankings change on a daily basis depending on many different variables, so make sure you ask this question before hiring an SEO company.

Question #4: How do I determine the ROI of your work?

ROI (return on investment) is a very important part of search engine optimization. While changing a few words on a page might not cost much, it’s vital to see if those changes pay off in terms of rankings and revenue. The best way to determine ROI is through competitive analysis, so this question is extremely important when hiring an SEO company. It may be worth paying a little bit more for experienced professionals who will be able to determine how your revenue measures up against the competition.

Question #5: What are some examples of successful campaigns?

Every client is different, so it’s important to have an SEO company that takes the time to get to know your business before making any recommendations. Different businesses have different goals and different internal resources, so an SEO company that has experience working in a similar industry would be best. A great way to vet an SEO company is by asking for examples of successful search engine optimization campaigns they’ve completed in the past.

Question #6: What are your strategy and timeline?

A lot goes into building a website that ranks high on Google and other search engines. It’s important to know that SEO is a long-term play, not a short-term solution. If you’re hiring an SEO company, it’s vital to ask what processes they will use for optimization and how long you can expect those campaigns to take.

It’s also important to see the timeline from the perspective of the company you’re hiring. While getting top rankings as soon as possible is important, it’s also very valuable to see if an SEO company can abide by a reasonable timeline and work within your business model.

Question #7: What kind of reporting can I expect?

Reporting is one of the most important parts of search engine optimization. According to a recent survey, 32% of marketers are using some form of analytics for measuring results. Any company you hire needs to provide detailed reports on how SEO campaigns are doing at any given time.

Question #8: How can I measure success?

The final question to ask an SEO company is how you will determine whether or not the campaigns they’re running are successful. Some companies will use analytics and reports, while others may still rely on keyword rankings. Asking this question will ensure that there’s no confusion in the future about what needs to be done for your website to see results.

It’s important to remember that search engine optimization isn’t something that can be “tacked on” to existing marketing campaigns; it’s a holistic process that requires a great deal of planning and foresight. When hiring an SEO company, it’s best to see if they will work as a partner. However, asking the right questions can help you avoid pitfalls and gain optimal results from search engine optimization.