How to choose the best SEO company

Search engine optimization is not rocket science, and anyone with the basic knowledge of SEO can do it. People often hire others to do it because it is more convenient for them. The greatest concern, though, is ensuring you find someone who is competent and honest. The typical horror story is that a business pays a lot of money, and then the job is not done right because the person really did not know what they were doing. If you’re outsourcing your SEO for the first time, it’s crucial to pay close attention to how to choose the best SEO company to avoid such pitfalls.

What Is SEO and How It Works

SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s the process of optimizing content to be discovered through a search engine’s organic search results. Now, let’s talk a bit about how they work. If you’re completely new to SEO, then it’s easiest to think of search engines as libraries. But instead of storing books, they store copies of websites and web pages. So, when you search for a query, the search engine will then look through all pages in its index and try to return the most relevant results. And SEO helps demonstrate to search engines that your page is that result.

Why Focus on SEO?

Now you might be thinking, why should I focus on SEO when there are so many other marketing mediums? Well, there are three major things that attract marketers to search engine optimization, and in our opinion, these three things make SEO the best traffic source:

1. Organic traffic is typically consistent once you’re ranking high, whereas other mediums like social media and email marketing often result in traffic spikes that usually end up fading to nothing.
2. You get to tap enormous audiences that you would never reach otherwise. As of October 2024, there were 5.52 billion internet users in the world, which represents 67.5% of the world population. Google Chrome is the most widely used web browser, with over 3.45 billion internet users, accounting for 63.45% of the global browser market share. This widespread internet usage underscores the importance of search engine optimization in digital marketing. The SEO industry has grown significantly, with businesses worldwide investing heavily to enhance their online presence and visibility. Marketers in different industries have been embracing SEO strategies to connect with this extensive online population.

Here’s What You Need to Do to choose the best SEO company:

Hiring the wrong SEO agency is a common problem, and we’ve seen it happen time and time again. So, Viral Omega wants to share some quick tips to help you avoid those pitfalls. These insights will guide you in finding an SEO agency that truly knows its stuff.

1. Clear Communication Matters

The first thing you want to see is how they can explain their work. You don’t have to be an SEO expert—that’s their job—but they should be able to clearly explain what they’re doing and why. Ideally, they should communicate with you through phone or video calls, not just emails.

If they can’t explain their strategy, it’s a red flag. It might mean they don’t have a real plan and expect you to guide them. If you’re new to SEO, this can lead to frustration.

2. Make Them Explain Their Keyword Strategy

Keywords are at the heart of any SEO effort. The agency should take a step back, learn about your business, your target audience, and your goals, and then detail for you, in clear detail, which keywords to target, why, and how.

Ask them this: If I left the keyword selection up to you, what would you choose and why?

Their answers should focus on keywords with strong purchase or lead-generation intent. Beware of agencies that pick keywords with little relevance or search volume just because they’re easy to rank for. It might look good on paper, but it won’t drive meaningful traffic or results.

3. Demand Transparency

Transparency is key in any partnership. Ask the agency for a clear, written list of what they will deliver. This should include:

• Website updates and fixes
• Content creation
• Backlink building
• Regular reporting on keyword rankings and traffic

A trustworthy agency will provide this without hesitation. Avoid those who are vague about what they’ll do or fail to deliver reports without constant follow-ups.

4. Request Detailed Reporting

Ask the agency to walk you through their reporting process. Whether it’s a call or a video update, they should cover website stats, metrics, and how those align with your goals. This helps you decide whether to stay on track or shift direction.

Their reports should include:

• Website metrics and stats
• Keyword performance
• Insights aligned with your goals

While no SEO agency hits every goal 100% of the time, consistent reporting shows they’re actively working. Unfortunately, low-cost agencies often take on too many clients and deliver minimal results, relying on the complexity of SEO to mask their lack of effort.

5. Can They Show Proof of Work?

In our experience, if someone can’t explain their work, show their efforts, or demonstrate results, they probably haven’t done much. This is a common issue in the industry, so always ask for proof.

Here are the key things you need to know:

• What keywords are they targeting, and why are they important?
• What specific tasks are being done to improve rankings?
• Are their efforts driving measurable results?

Whether it’s technical updates, content creation, or backlinks, the goal is to deliver value. Transparency, strategy, and accountability are the hallmarks for how to choose the best SEO company.