SEO Consultant
When you need more visibilty in the SERPS | You need an SEO specialist
Have you been trying to improve your rankings on your own with little to show for it? Then you should consider using the services of a professional SEO consultant. Even if you have a good grasp of the basics of SEO, it can still be difficult to get the results you are looking for on your own.
A professional SEO consultant could be the right choice for you. These SEO experts will be able to provide you with a wide range of services and resources that will help boost your website’s & search rankings in no time.
Your SEO consultant will utilize a wide variety of different skills and work independently to ultimately help your website rank and achieve the desired results for your brand.
SEO optimization can be complex but this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about SEO and finding the right consultants including what they do, why you need one, and why they are a better option than an agency.
What Exactly Is SEO and Why Is It Important?
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of increasing the online visibility of your website or brand. Maximum exposure is key when it comes to a successful website and ranking high can help drive more traffic to your site.
The SEO process can be quite complex and it may involve several approaches to achieve the desired results. The basic process involves considering three main factors including keyword analysis, backlink building, and content creation and editing.
Each of these factors plays a key role in a successful SEO optimization process. I’ll explain each of these factors in more detail in the sections below.
Keyword Analysis
The words you use for your website copy and content matter more than you might think. Using trending and relevant keywords can help give you more control over your rankings online. The keywords you choose to use should be carefully chosen based on your ideal audience.
Once the relevant keywords have been identified, they will need to be strategically placed throughout the content while not diminishing the quality of the content. Identifying trending and relevant keywords on your own can be difficult, which is I recommend an SEO consultant to handle it for you.
Your audience will use certain words and phrases to search for the products and services they are looking for. If your content contains these words and phrases in a healthy amount, your overall visibility will increase. This is why it is so important that the proper keywords are researched and placed into the content in a thoughtful way.
Backlink Building
Backlinks are another important part of increasing your ranking online. Backlinks are elements of your website that provide links to other relevant and high-quality websites. Using backlinks helps to improve your overall credibility by citing sources that are not only relevant but credible.
Building your backlinks should be done in a strategic manner to ensure that your relevant content does not get lost in a sea of information. Ensuring that you are implementing backlinks in an optimal and ethical manner is extremely important and another great reason to consider using an SEO consultant to get you set up properly.
Content Creation and Editing
Content creation is the backbone of SEO optimization. The content that you create and publish is your way of communicating directly with your key demographic and audience of existing and potential customers.
Using keywords in the content you create for your website will begin to build trust and engagement with your audience. Having solid and engaging content will optimize your online presence and allow you to interact with your audience more directly.
The content you generate can be anything from blogs, videos, social media posts, and even webpage text. Ensuring that you have the proper content for your audience and that it is optimized for SEO is arguably the most important part of the SEO process.
How An SEO Consultant Can Benefit You
SEO consultants are capable of providing a vast range of different services to clients that help increase their rankings and optimize their content for maximum exposure. They will map out a strategy tailored to your brand or business and take the steps necessary to achieve the results you desire. Some of the services you can expect your SEO consultant to provide include:
SEO Audits
An SEO audit will provide you with a deep analysis of your website’s current ranking capabilities and highlight areas that can be optimized for improvement. The audit will cover your site’s content, current SEO quality, backlink quality, competitor content, and much more.
Once your SEO consultant has highlighted areas of improvement, they will outline a strategy for implementing those improvements to increase your search engine rankings.
Keyword Research
As previously mentioned, keyword research is a vital part of the SEO optimization process. Proper keyword research will ensure that relevant keywords are used that match the audience you want to rank with.
It is common for brands and businesses who have little experience with SEO to not use any targeting keywords at all. What they don’t know is that this could severely hinder their overall web ranking. An SEO consultant will handle all of the research and implementation of relevant keywords for you.
On-Page SEO
In addition to keywords and content, on-page SEO is another important aspect of a high-ranking website. On-page SEO describes the process of optimizing all of the technical aspects of your website to meet the current Google standards.
Typically this will include editing and improving site content, optimizing metadata and taglines, and improving site speed and performance. Sometimes extra security measures will be implemented as well. This service highlights the wide variety of skills you can expect your SEO consultant to utilize to ensure your website rank improves.
Backlink Building
The better your backlinks are, the better your website will perform. Having the proper backlinks in place will raise your chances of ranking high amongst the competition based on content and keywords. If a site is not well established yet, your SEO consultant may begin a link-building campaign to improve your backlink network and overall credibility.
Monthly Reporting
You can also expect monthly updates on your rankings and the current work being completed. You will be in close contact with your SEO consultant during this time so you are always in the know when it comes to how your website is doing and the progress of the improvements being made.
Warning Signs You Need An SEO Consultant
Your Web Traffic Is Low
Your web traffic is the biggest indicator that you may need an SEO consultant to overhaul your SEO strategy. If your traffic is not steadily increasing over time, or if it is decreasing, this is an indicator that your current plan is not working and you should consider reaching out to an SEO consultant.
You Are Facing Google Penalties
If you have noticed a serious decrease in your rankings after a recent Google core update, it is likely that you have been penalized for breaking the new standard for best practices. Google penalties can be extremely frustrating, especially if you are unsure of what the issue is or how you can fix it.
An SEO consultant can help you navigate your Google penalties and get your website back on track. Trying to fix the problem yourself could lead to more issues down the line. An SEO consultant will outline a plan to recover from the penalties and avoid them in the future.
Your Current SEO Team Is Not Cohesive
It is not uncommon for brands and businesses to create their own in-house SEO teams or outsource to a marketing manager that has experience in digital marketing. This strategy is not always optimal and often results in a less-than-stellar SEO plan. An SEO consultant will almost always be more experience than an in-house team and typically cheaper as well.
You Are Too Busy Or Don’t Understand SEO
There are some cases where you may just be too busy or simply do not feel confident implementing your own Search engine optimization plan. Outsourcing your SEO optimization to an SEO consultant can help relieve you of this responsibility and still allow your web rankings to improve. Plus if you are a business owner, you are probably too busy running your business.
Qualities To Look For In An SEO Consultant
There are a few key factors that you want to be on the lookout for when finding the right SEO consultant for your brand or business. We will cover these factors and why they are important in the sections below.
Experience
There are many aspects of SEO optimization that can only be mastered through experience. Finding an SEO consultant with a good amount of experience working towards improving rankings for a variety of demographics will ensure they have the skill set to adjust their tactics to your needs.
Deep Understanding Of SEO
An experience and quality SEO consultant will have a deep understanding of the three levels of SEO including technical optimization, on-page optimization, and off-page optimization. These three levels cover all of the main components necessary for SEO optimization.
Proven Track Record
A proven track record of successful projects, SEO campaigns and satisfied clients is a strong indicator that you have chosen a quality SEO consultant. It is advised that you check at least three fairly recent references when interviewing SEO consultants.
Marketing Experience
SEO and marketing share a lot of fundamentals in common. Your SEO consultant should be able to incorporate those similarities into the content so that the benefits are highlighted and the audience is led to the desired results.
Well Rounded Skillset
A well-rounded skill set and hunger to learn are other good qualities for an SEO consultant to have. Successful SEO plans use aspects of psychology, marketing, web design, content generation, and much more. It is important that your SEO consultant be well-rounded in their knowledge so they have a wider toolset to help you achieve your goals.
SEO Consultants vs. SEO Agencies
SEO agencies or SEO companies such as digital agency’s are another option you can consider to improve your website’s rankings. SEO consultants are typically independent workers who will service your website on their own. An agency has the benefit of utilizing the workforce of several consultants working as a team.
The main difference you will find between the two services is that SEO consultants are much more hands-on with the client. SEO consultants will interact closely with you during the duration of the project and will often need your help to achieve these goals in some capacity.
An SEO agency has the workforce capable to service a website with little to no input from the client at all. This will free you up to worry about other things while the agency handles the optimization process for you.
One thing to keep in mind is that agencies do tend to cost more than an SEO consultant or SEO specialist. An agency has higher overhead costs which also plays a part in increasing the price. If you are looking to save money, an SEO consultant is likely your best option.
Final Thoughts
SEO consultants can bring new life into a website by increasing, organic traffic, overall ranking and audience engagement. While an SEO consultant is not always the right choice for every brand or business, they are generally a cheaper option than an SEO agency.
You should keep in mind the qualities of a good SEO consultant before making your choice and utilize Google and online directories to put you in contact with the best in your area.
Rob Whaley
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FAQS: Answers to Common Questions
If you are on the fence about hiring an SEO consultant, look over these FAQs for some clarity!
The primary job of an SEO consultant is to get your website ranking higher on search engines. This involves competitor research, on-page and off-page SEO, and SEO audits. Local SEO is important for Service Area Businesses, and international SEO is necessary for websites catering to an international audience. An SEO consultant will also help you with keyword research and finding the best keywords to use for your specific niche.
There is a lot that goes into SEO. Once you know how it all works, it’s easy. Learning how it all works is not so easy. That’s why hiring an experienced SEO consultant can save you time, money, and headaches. Our goal is to do what we are good at, so that you can focus on what you are good at – running your business. Regardless of whether you just need a few minor changes like different meta descriptions, or you need an entire makeover of your site’s SEO, we are here to help!
Price is dependent upon your goals. If you are looking to rank for a more obscure business (like “custom cat houses in Brisbane”), it will be much more straightforward, and therefore less costly, than a business looking to rank above a lot of competitors. If a business doesn’t have the resources to invest in a full SEO campaign, a one-time consultation may be a better fit. Let’s talk to learn about your specific needs and how we can help you!
The simplest explanation of SEO is two parts: on-page SEO and off-page SEO. On-page SEO involves anything done on the actual website to optimize it for search engine results. Off-page SEO is the external work that goes into ranking a site (such as a link-building campaign).
This all depends on what your goals are and how your budget reflects those goals. Both can offer most SEO services, but hiring a consultant will ensure that you get a more personalized, tailored experience. Always be sure to check with the company or consultant to make sure they can include all the important services.
Hiring an SEO consultant is easy.
- Find an SEO consultant and have them look over your website.
- After they have reviewed your site, schedule a time to call and discuss what your goals are for the site. Also ask them to suggest some keywords that you could use for the SEO campaign.
- Make sure the suggested keywords fit your vision for your website.
- Decide what your likely ROI will be when ranking for these keywords. Look at search volume and other metrics to make sure it will be worth your investment.
- Sign the contract and make a plan with your consultant for regular updates, so you will always know at what stage the campaign is.
- Expect results!
We specialize in helping clients in the Brisbane area, but can help you wherever you are!
Link building is the process of creating links from other websites to yours. When another site links back to yours, it lends credibility to your site. The bigger and more respectable the other site is, the better it will be to get a link back from them to you. Search engines like backlinks. Having a good system of backlinks will help you rank higher, especially if those links are from highly-respected sources.
