What Is An SEO Consultant?: What SEO Consulting Means And How It Can Help Your Business
You’ve come to a plateau in your business’s growth, and you think you may need some outside assistance to maximize your SEO efforts.
You’re thinking it’s time to use some SEO consultant services to kick start a new era in your company’s success.
SEO consultants can help take your company to the next level by working behind the scenes to focus on changes to your website that result in more traffic and higher search engine rankings.
In this article, we’ll give you the insight you need as you consider utilizing an SEO consulting company.
You’ll learn:
- What SEO consulting means
- How SEO consulting can help your business
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Contents
What Does SEO Consulting Entail?
SEO consultants provide a variety of services aimed at helping you grow your business through online visibility and credibility.
But why would you need a consultant in the first place?
The following challenges are positive signs that you could benefit from an SEO consultant:
- Considerable competition – The more competition your company experiences, the more difficulty you will have ranking high on SERPs. Since the majority of searchers never look past the second page of results, your success depends, in part, on appearing on the first page of search engine results.
- Time commitment – You know that winning with SEO takes a lot of time, and time is a precious commodity. You know the time investment that will be required, but you’re not sure you have the time necessary to devote to SEO projects.
- SEO knowledge and expertise – SEO and SEO techniques are varied and expansive, and your personal SEO knowledge and experience is limited.
- Resources – To do SEO yourself, you may need other tools and resources like software and add-ons that you may not even know how to use. Time is a resource, and since doing SEO yourself is time-consuming, it may take you away from your other primary responsibilities.
- ROI – Maybe you’ve already spent money on some SEO resources, and you’re experiencing a low return on investment. SEO consulting can turn that around.
- Website activity – You think you have an impressive website, but you are experiencing low conversions, abundant bouncing from your site, and decreasing sales.
If you’re experiencing any of these challenges, look at some of the advantages of hiring a local SEO consultant:
- Professional experience – SEO consultants specialize in SEO techniques and are extremely versed in practicing them.
- Results – A successful SEO consulting company will produce results, and they will regularly share those results with you.
- Focus – Letting your SEO consultant focus on what they do best allows you to focus on what you do best.
Outstanding SEO consultant services may include the following:
- Keyword research
- Initial website set-up
- Website management
- Link-building
- Maximizing user experience
- Content creation
- Brand awareness
- Buying cycle optimization
- And much more. . .
What Is An SEO Consultant?
An SEO consultant or consulting team uses their SEO expertise to offer services aimed at maximizing a business’s SEO potential.
An effective SEO consultant will meet with their client to determine their needs and then work with them to develop an SEO strategy aimed at meeting their client’s marketing goals. They will also offer continued follow-up and reporting on progress.
If you are searching for a Portland SEO consultant, consider Portland SEO Growth and some of the following services we offer:
- On-page and off-page SEO
- Keyword research
- Link building
- Local SEO
- Content
- Blog posts for SEO
You should know that our consultant services are not limited to Portland businesses. We also serve clients all across the country.
SEO Consulting Services: Job Description
Job descriptions are always helpful to keep us focused and in our own lane. The job description for an SEO consultant is no different.
An SEO consultant’s job description is often varied and extensive.
Among other things, a successful SEO consultant or consulting service should provide the following services:
- Keyword researching and mapping
- Website audit, structure, and optimization
- Link building strategy and implementation
- Title tag and meta description development
- Local SEO
- Content creation and updating of existing content
- Social media presence
- Google My Business listing
- Optimize user experience
- Brand building
What Are 5 Things To Look For In An SEO Consultant?
Choosing the right SEO specialist as your consultant is a major decision. You don’t want to settle for subpar work or pay exorbitant prices.
Merely performing various Google searches like “SEO consultant near me,” “consultant SEO services,” and “consultant SEO” might not give you the information you need to choose the best consultant for you.
You need to do a little research to find a consultant with these 5 specs:
- Proven results
- SEO experience
- Fair pricing
- Good reviews
- A strong strategy
In the end, you need to find a trustworthy professional who meets your needs, fits your budget, and delivers results.
You also want SEO consultants who:
- Know their client’s goals
- Offer SEO strategy recommendations and assistance
- Commit to quality control
- Strive for higher Google rankings
- Communicate clearly and often for follow up and progress reporting
- Have experience in all levels of SEO
- Possess marketing acumen
- Embrace a get-it-done-right attitude
Portland SEO Growth is all this. . . and more.
We are SEO specialists and have a team of over 25 members who are passionate about helping our businesses succeed.
Your goal is our mission.
At Portland SEO Growth:
- We are results-oriented.
- We never take on clients that we can’t help.
- We are transparent and honest.
- We celebrate your success.
#1: Proven Results
Of course, you want results, but what particular results should your potential SEO consultant provide?
Some results to look for include:
- More traffic on your site
- Higher rankings for keywords and long-tail keywords
- Higher Google rankings
- Increased revenue
A word of caution is in order though. . .
Be patient.
Some of the SEO results listed above can take time, maybe up to 3 to 6 months. Be prepared to do a little waiting before you begin to see some of the results you’re hoping for.
However, a good consultant should be able to provide the following results early on:
- Accurate audit of your website
- New content
- Analysis of previous link building
- Clear and accurate communication that shows they are working in partnership with you
- Initial website updates and enhancements
- Ideas for improvement
#2: Wide Range Of SEO Experience
Anyone can learn about SEO and become skilled in SEO tactics, but becoming an experienced SEO specialist takes time. Don’t be afraid to ask a potential consultant specifics about their SEO experience.
You want your SEO consultant to have an in-depth understanding of SEO and how it works, but more importantly, you want a consultant who knows how they can make SEO work for you and your business.
SEO is multi-faceted, so look for a consultant who has varied experience in the following areas:
- Technical knowledge of website structure
- On-page optimization including use of keywords, tags, descriptions, and content
- Off-page optimization by using link-building techniques
In addition, experienced consultants also bring the following abilities with them:
- Knowledge of different SEO tactics
- Ability to analyze each website separately to know which tactics to use
A skilled SEO consultant knows that each client and their website is unique, and they know that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work.
An inexperienced consultant may try the same tactics with each client, while the experienced consultant has the know-how and practical knowledge necessary to construct a strategy particular to each client and their needs.
#3: Fair Pricing
We’ve all heard the saying, “You get what you pay for.”
In many ways, this is true when considering rates for SEO consultants.
Several factors can affect the rates you pay, but you want to make sure the prices are fair and you get what you’re paying for.
SEO Consulting Rates
SEO consulting rates can vary depending on factors like:
- The extent of work necessary to your site
- Your goals and objectives
- Your current visibility, brand awareness, and exposure
- The competition
- Expertise and experience of the consultant
- Location
If you are expecting a total revamp of your website, new content, branding, and skilled link building, you can expect to pay more for those extensive services.
Less extensive or more specific services may have a lower price tag.
Becoming familiar with the different pricing models can also be helpful when considering how you will pay for SEO consultant services.
Some of the most popular ways to charge for consultant services are:
- Hourly
- Monthly by retainer
- By project
On a tight budget?
Consider focusing on these services to fit a limited budget:
- Local SEO
- Content optimization
- Keyword research
- Title tag and meta description creation
- Internal link building
- Monthly reporting
Once you begin seeing some results and experience some increased revenue, you may be in the perfect spot to take advantage of more of your consultant’s services.
#4: Good Reviews From Previous Clientele And Google My Business
Your potential SEO consultant may say the right things, and their website may be impressive, but the proof is in the pudding.
Do they have happy clients?
Any SEO consultant you consider hiring should be able to provide you with several references from current or fairly current clients. Ask the references to share with you how the SEO consulting company has benefited them and helped them succeed.
Google My Business is also an excellent place to read reviews. You should easily be able to find reviews about the consultant you are considering on their GMB listing. Remember to look at the date of the review to gauge how current it is.
#5: A Strong Strategy
At the end of the day, you want your SEO consultant to have a strong strategy aimed at getting results.
What would a strong strategy look like?
That all depends on your goals.
An accomplished SEO consultant will consider the client’s goals and develop an SEO strategy to deliver the results the client is looking for
Some goals that may affect the strategy include:
- Higher rankings
- More conversions
- Increased traffic
- More visibility
- Optimized page speed
- Valuable content
- Decreased bounce rate
If you are a local business focusing on local SEO, your goals may be focused in the following areas:
- Increased foot traffic
- Ranking in the Google local pack
- Brand awareness
- Increased sales
Should You Hire An SEO Consultant?
Maybe you can relate to Sandra.
She’s a small business owner and has achieved some success. Her business is steadily growing, but she feels like she’s come to a halt.
She’s noticed:
- Decreased visits to her website
- Leveling off of sales
- Increased competition
- Less of her own time to devote to SEO development
These realizations have led her to take the plunge and hire a small business SEO consultant to take her to the next level.
If you are ready to take the plunge also, Portland SEO Growth is here to help.
Your goal is our mission.
Are you looking for:
- Higher rankings?
- More high-quality web traffic?
- Increased leads?
- More of your time back?
Our SEO specialists are skilled at growing your digital presence through:
- Keyword research
- Content creation
- On-page and off-page SEO
- Local SEO
- And much more . . .
PSG only works with businesses who:
- Are ambitious about growing their business
- Have the bandwidth for potential growth
- Treat their employees and customers well
If this describes you, then we’d be privileged to partner with you to get you the results you desire.
The first step is to get your free SEO audit by clicking here.
Rona Kirby
Writer
