An SEO business involves improving organisations’ online presence and performance through the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) process.
Professional companies that offer this SEO service are called SEO agencies or companies and their business model is known as SEO business.
In this Innocams article, I’ll explain what exactly an SEO agency does and how to choose one that fits your business goal and needs best.
Let’s carry on.
What is an SEO Business?
Simply put, an SEO agency will optimise your website’s content, technical structure, links and design so they align with the target audience’s search intent.
Importance of SEO Business
Suppose someone Googles a specific product or service that you deal in. In return, Google will show them thousands of pages (which are called Search Engine Results Pages or SERPs) containing relevant information.
You, naturally want that man to know you sell what he is looking for so he may turn into a customer.
The problem is that no one will go through thousands of pages to find your name. Far from it, most people won’t go further than the first couple of results on the first page of the SERP.
You will have to be there. But how will you beat thousands of your competitors to it?
Here lies the importance of an SEO business.
By optimising your pages for search results, it will help you get in the first few slots of the first page of the SERP.
Can You Do It Yourself?
Theoretically, yes, but practically, very difficult. Look, SEO is a multidisciplinary affair. This is no job for DIY enthusiasts.
You can do it yourself if you have enormous resources to keep dedicated teams of experts on your payroll. You need time to concentrate on other important business activities, which SEO will never give you.
It is a full-time job for experts with different industry-specific SEO experiences.
This is the reason why most businesses outsource their SEO needs to professional SEO business houses.
How Search Engines Work
To make you understand the gravity of the situation, I’ll have to tell you in brief how search engines work. Here is the deal.
- You publish something on your site.
- Google bots crawl your content and evaluate it for SERP ranking.
- Google indexes your page.
- Someone wants something related to that content of yours and Googles it.
- If your content is the best match for that search query, Google will show him your content as the first entry on the SERP.
The keyword here is ‘best match’.
Remember, there’ll be thousands of pages containing answers to that search query and you’ll have to beat them all and snatch the first prize.
If you ask me, winning an Oscar seems easier to me.
How SEO Business Works
As I said, SEO is a multidisciplinary synergism that aims to bolster a webpage’s chances of ranking higher on the SERPs.
An SEO business owner will have to tear his hair over the following key components of his business.
Local SEO
This is a complicated process of optimising a webpage for higher local search results. It is important because it helps businesses mobilise local customers for enhanced business growth.
Mobile SEO
Asking someone if he has a smartphone is probably one of the stupidest questions one can come up with today.
One of the key jobs of an SEO agency is to optimise the content of a website for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
Mobile compatibility is one of the key ranking metrics for search engines nowadays. No matter how good your site’s content is, if it isn’t compatible with mobile devices, search engines will probably not give it a high SERP ranking.
Technical SEO
Another key SEO component that makes many SEO business owners scream with frustration. This is the process of optimising technical aspects of a website like its structure.
Content SEO
Content SEO involves optimising the content of a website for higher search results.
The idea here is to create and develop the best content for a target audience so they get attracted, satisfied and finally turn into customers.
Benefits of SEO Business
An effective SEO campaign yields several noteworthy benefits. Here are some of the major advantages one can get if they hire an efficient SEO company.
Helps People Find Your Website
The first outcome of an effective SEO campaign is that more people will find your site and know about your business.
SEO will help your pages rank higher in search results for your target audience. This will increase the visibility of your brand’s online presence.
Saves You Some Money
SEO primarily targets people who come to you from unpaid sources like a search engine.
Compared with other marketing methods like paid advertisements, turning to an SEO business is a much more cost-effective marketing process.
Of course, a reputed and efficient SEO business owner will charge you for services rendered. However, in the long run, this will prove to be a good, high-ROI investment.
Improves Brand Awareness
An SEO agency will improve your page ranks in search results through an effective SEO campaign. As more people notice you, your brand’s awareness will spread among your target audience.
You Can See the Results
The effectiveness of an SEO campaign is easily measurable.
If your pages don’t rank higher than they did before you launched the campaign, you’ll know it is not effective and can take appropriate measures immediately.
Yields an Advantage over Competitors
An efficient SEO business house will make your pages rank higher than your competitors’ in the SERPs. As a result, people will notice you before they notice your competitors.
This is one of the key benefits of a successful SEO campaign.
How to Choose an SEO Agency
A sorry fact of life is, there are many fraudulent and inefficient SEO agencies doing the rounds this time around. So you can’t be too cautious while selecting your agency.
Here are some time-tested methods of choosing the right SEO company.
Read, read and read
Learn at least the basics of SEO theories.
Reading articles like this will equip you with knowledge that will prevent frauds from taking you for a ride.
Set Your SEO Goal
First, clarify to yourself what exactly you want from an SEO campaign. This clarity of vision will help you have meaningful talks with your chosen SEO company.
Verify the Reputation and Efficiency
Verify the reputation of the agency. Read customer reviews and case studies. An honest and efficient SEO business house usually has a string of happy customers.
Ask For Referrals
If possible, find out some businesses that have worked with the agency before you and ask for referrals from them.
Verify Track Record
There are many types of SEO techniques and there is no one-size-fits-all process here. Find out whether your selected SEO company has experience working for your particular industry or not.
Look Out for Smooth Talkers
If someone makes unbelievable promises like the promise of a specific SERP ranking or lightning-fast result, be on guard.
Remember, no honest SEO business house will promise a specific SERP ranking because it is an impossible proposition.
And don’t expect fast results from your SEO campaign. SEO takes some time to yield results.
Think About Your Budget
Budgeting your proposed SEO spending will help you select the right agency whose price structure aligns with your financial strength.
SEO campaigns take time to bear fruit and stopping it in the middle due to financial constraints is meaningless.
Conclusion
To conclude, hiring an efficient and honest SEO business house to rank higher in search results can yield unbelievably good results for your business.
By optimising your pages for high SERP ranking, an SEO agency can provide your business with an enhanced online visibility that has the potential to convert many of your target audience into your customers.
But you’ll have to be careful while choosing the right agency for your business as there are many fraudulent and inefficient SEO companies.
FAQs.
Q. What is an SEO business?
A. An SEO business or agency is a professional service provider that optimises websites so they can rank high in search results.
Q. Can I do SEO myself?
A. Yes provided you have the necessary resources and technical know-how, which may prove difficult to have.
Q. Are SEO businesses a scam?
A. The answer is yes and no. There are many frauds in this business, but there are many honest and efficient SEO agencies as well.
Q. How do I know my SEO agency is doing well?
A. If your chosen SEO company is doing its job properly, your page’s SERP ranking will go up.