No matter how talented your digital marketing team is, getting outside support can be invaluable. Hiring an SEO expert can offer several benefits, such as improving the performance of a website and saving the time that can be spent on other efforts. However, when considering hiring an SEO consultant for law firms, it is essential to work with a highly qualified and credible resource. Google has just released a video detailing tips for hiring SEO professionals, and we’ve detailed it here.
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A Three-Step Process for Hiring an SEO Consultant for Law Firms
Google has suggested a few steps to test an SEO resource before choosing one. Here’s a little bit of each step.
1. An In-depth Interview
It is essential not to skip or shorten the interview process. Take the time to conduct live, face-to-face interviews (either via Zoom or in person). When doing so, make sure that the company or individual is focusing on the right areas. Google says it’s a red flag for SEO experts to focus too much on particular rankings or where a site appears in search rankings. Instead, let’s talk about the general ways in which they can help your business improve in search results. Look for “how” descriptions instead of just classification promises. In order to discuss this information correctly, you should be asked questions such as:
If during the interview, the SEO resource doesn’t seem interested in your business from a holistic point of view, it’s a red flag. You also want to keep certain promises based on classification or unrealistic guarantees. The search is constantly changing and only Google developers know the algorithm – so it is impossible to make such statements.
2. Checking References
The second biggest step is to get referrals from potential organizations or individuals. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions about performance. Try to find out how resource management has affected your SEO efforts. You should also look for information on whether the results are sustainable or not. If the client worked with the SEO expert some time ago, are they still exploiting the strategies put in place? Are the improvements maintained? Google shares that a truly valuable SEO partner will help make SEO an integral part of your company’s overall marketing efforts. Look for testimonials that point to long-term results, not just quick fixes.
3. A Technical Audit
Once you’ve conducted interviews and called referrals, you should be able to narrow down your list to a few possibilities. At this time, you should ask potential partners for a technical audit. This means that they will review your site and come back to you with a list of priority actions to make your website more search engine friendly. Suggestions should not be general best practices, but based on specific data and insights gathered from the audit. They should also include tactics to make your website more effective for visitors (human users, not just search engines). At that time, they should be able to provide an estimate for doing the work noted in the audit, as well as the results that can be expected.
Once You’ve Hired an SEO Partner
In its video, Google also provides some tips on what to do after hiring an SEO expert. Before any work begins, it is important to put in place and agree on specific goals and metrics, and methods of follow-up. It is critical to know what you get from the arrangement from the beginning, and to be on the same page as how those results are determined.
Since this advice comes from Google, it’s probably worth listening to. An SEO consultant can be invaluable for companies starting out in SEO, hoping to improve their search strategy, or with digital marketing teams that are stretched too thin.
