Are you sick of not getting the right results from your SEO agency?
As an experienced marketer, I know that there’s the odd SEO agency out there that just doesn’t make the cut anymore, using outdated and highly questionable techniques. Other SEO agencies, on the other hand, can be brilliant. In fact, some are just as good as any other digital marketing agency when it comes to getting you results!
The difference? They’ve learned to adapt.
Below, I’m going to tell you five ways to tell if it’s time to get rid of your SEO agency, and look for pastures new.
1. Their services lack transparency
In other words, you can’t see what they’re doing, and they won’t tell you. Or they’re extremely vague about it. Look at it this way; in this digital age, where you can look up just about anything at the click of a button, your SEO agency shouldn’t feel the need to keep their activities secret from you.
It’s actually quite worrying. It even means they could be using highly ill-advised link-building tactics that could get you penalised by Google. Or, they might just be doing a whole lot of nothing much!
2. They aren’t providing trackable results
This is sort of related to point 1. But if your SEO agency isn’t telling you what they’re doing, they should at least be able to provide you with some trackable results so you can see the progress they’re making. If they’re hiding one or both of those things from you, it’s time to jump ship.
Ideally, your SEO agency should be generating a report for you each month, and answering any questions you have, so you can see exactly what results you’re getting.
3. They aren’t using a holistic strategy
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; there’s no point in attracting lots of traffic to your website, if your site isn’t set up to convert that traffic into leads and sales. And surely that’s why you’re investing in an SEO agency in the first place, isn’t it? That’s why SEO doesn’t work on its own.
These days, SEO should be implemented as part of a wider strategy, that should include elements such as:
- Content marketing – publishing regular monthly content, and premium content, on your website
- Conversion optimisation – ensuring your website is set up to convert visitors into leads
- Email marketing – this can include setting up email workflows to nurture your leads
- Tracking and A/B testing – their efforts should be constantly tracked and optimised for best results
4. They don’t communicate enough
If you’re struggling to find anyone from your SEO agency to talk to, or they just aren’t answering your calls or emails, it may be time to reconsider your options. After all, it’s about respecting your time and investment as a client, and communication should be of utmost importance to any agency. Otherwise, you simply won’t feel valued.
Depending on your relationship, and the results you’ve experienced so far, you may want to give them one last chance. However, if I were you, I’d seriously be looking elsewhere.
5. They aren’t helping you grow your business
If you’re not seeing an improvement in your leads and sales, you have to ask why. This is because when it comes down to it, you aren’t paying someone to simply get more people to your website – or at least, you shouldn’t be. You should be paying for results that will help you grow your business in the long-term.
Don’t get me wrong, most holistic digital marketing strategies won’t provide instant results. However, if you’ve been with your agency for a number of months, or even years, and you’re still not seeing an improvement, it’s time to start asking yourself some tough questions.
Next steps
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading, but if you’re experiencing the problems above, please don’t go away from this article without taking any action. You need to address these problems with your SEO agency, and you need to do it now. Indecision will continue to cost your business money, and that’s the last thing you need.
TIP: To help you out, here are 7 vital questions you should be asking any SEO agency. (This might also come in handy if you decide to go elsewhere!)
If you need any further advice, or want to let me know how you got on, I’d love to hear from you in the comments’ section!