SEO may sometimes prove to be too much for us to handle. Although the basics are not difficult to understand, there are certain tricks that only a specialist knows. Nevertheless, it can be very difficult to chose that specialists. There are many options. First you have freelancers which are cost-effective and extremely dedicated, and then you have SEO agencies.

When it comes to SEO agencies there are a lot of different strategies. Some focus on shortcuts that will temporarily boost your rankings, and others invest in long term tactics that will prove effective on the long run. Here are a few questions that will help you decide what kind of firm to hire.

Are You Up to Date With the Recent Google Updates?

Google’s algorithms are constantly changing, and a respectable company should have knowledge of them. Obviously, the will know about Panda and Penguin, but there are many more smaller algorithms that can greatly impact your business. First of all there are Result SERPs, DMCA Penalties and Link Warnings. Moreover, they should also be familiar with the Knowledge Graph tool and Exact Match Domain update.

What is Your Technical Experience and Rate of Success?

The two deciding factors when hiring a SEO AGENCY should be experience and rate of success. SEO is not only knowledge and technical exercise, it is also experience and technique. A knowledgeable SEO specialist will agree that the rate of success says a lot about the company. Experience like site architecture, proper handling of server codes, optimized coding and server level redirection are a must. By choosing a company to work for you, you can ensure that all areas will be covered, because it is highly likely for the team members to have knowledge of every important aspect.

Do You Employ Social Media Optimization?

Social Media has had a great impact on search engine optimization in the past few years. Now, more than ever, search engines are changing their algorithms and giving more importance to it. In other words, pages like facebook, tweeter, Google+ and Pinterest directly influence rankings and credibility. A modern SEO team should know how to build strong relationships with other social media users, expose content and share activity.

Do you Guarantee Results in SERP?

The hones answer would be „no”. A capable SEO firm will never promise the impossible  Truth be told, no agency can know for sure if their strategies will bring any results. Howeverm what good companies can guarantee is long-term ROI.

What is Your Link Building Strategy?

Another excellent question, which can tell you a lot about the knowledge of a SEO firm, has to do with link building strategy. Any company that will give you a short or concrete answer definitely doesn’t know anything about the subject. This is because there are a lot of advanced link building strategies which depend on the algorithms of Google and the niche that you are writing for. You should avoid companies which promote links on obscure blogs.

Anna Robeson believes that the best seo agencies should have no difficulty answering these five questions. She is also a SEO specialists with lots of experience in the field, so her advice is invaluable.