How to Choose the Best SEO Expert for Your Business
Choosing the best SEO expert can help your business improve online visibility, attract relevant visitors and generate leads. Before hiring, evaluate their experience, previous results, SEO strategy, communication and performance measurement approach.
Google recommends asking SEO professionals about their past projects, success stories, expected results and timelines. At LATASEO, we help business owners understand what to consider before choosing an SEO expert to support their business goals.
Check the SEO Expert's Profile, Case Studies and Testimonials
Before hiring an SEO expert, review their professional profile, relevant work samples and client feedback. These resources can help you understand the professional’s experience, the types of businesses they have worked with and how they approach SEO challenges.
Google recommends asking potential SEO professionals to share examples of previous work and success stories. It also advises checking business references by speaking with past clients about their experience.
Review Case Studies Relevant to Your Business
Ask the SEO expert whether they have worked with businesses similar to yours in terms of industry, target audience, location or business model. For example, a local service provider may need a different SEO approach from an e-commerce store targeting customers across several countries. When reviewing a case study, look for the original business challenge, the SEO activities performed, the period covered and the outcomes reported. Where possible, ask how the results were measured and whether the professional can provide supporting evidence. A relevant case study can help you assess an SEO expert's problem-solving approach. However, results achieved for one website do not guarantee identical outcomes for another business.
Evaluate Previous SEO Projects and Success Stories
Ask the SEO expert to explain the challenges they encountered in previous projects and how they addressed them. These might include technical website issues, weak organic visibility, content gaps or difficulties attracting relevant visitors. Do not assess a project solely by its ranking improvements. Ask which business objectives the work supported and what performance indicators were used to evaluate progress. Depending on your business, useful indicators may include organic clicks, relevant website traffic, qualified enquiries and conversions. The appropriate measures depend on your starting position and business objectives. Google recommends discussing expected results, the timeframe for achieving them and how success will be measured before hiring an SEO professional.
Check Client Testimonials and References
Client testimonials can help you understand how an SEO professional communicates, handles responsibilities and works with businesses. However, testimonials should be considered alongside other evidence rather than as the only basis for your decision. Ask whether the SEO expert can provide references from previous clients. If references are available, ask those clients whether the professional communicated clearly, provided useful recommendations, completed agreed work and helped them make progress towards their objectives. You can also review publicly available client feedback and compare it with the services and experience described on the professional's website.
Arrange a Meeting or Consultation With the SEO Expert
A consultation gives you an opportunity to explain your business requirements and understand whether the SEO expert’s proposed services are appropriate for your needs. You can arrange an online meeting or an in-person meeting, depending on your location and the professional’s working arrangements.
Use this discussion to explain your target audience, services, competitors and current marketing challenges. A suitable SEO professional should be willing to understand your business before recommending activities.
Discuss Your Business Goals, Expected Results and Timeline
Before beginning an SEO project, explain what you want to achieve. Your objectives might include improving organic visibility, attracting relevant visitors, generating more enquiries or increasing online sales. Ask the SEO expert how they would approach these objectives, which activities they would prioritise and how they would measure progress. You should also discuss the expected timeframe, the work involved and any dependencies, such as website development or content creation. SEO outcomes cannot be guaranteed, and the time required to see changes varies. Google explains that some changes may take effect within hours, while others can take several months to be reflected in search results. Be cautious of professionals who guarantee the number-one position on Google or promise specific results without understanding your website and competition.
Ask for Work Samples Relevant to Your Business or Services
Request relevant work samples that demonstrate the SEO expert's skills. Depending on the services you need, these could include an SEO audit, keyword research, a content plan, an on-page optimisation example or a technical SEO recommendation. Ask the expert to explain the purpose of each recommendation and how it relates to your website's requirements. For example, if your website has indexing issues, you should understand what needs to be investigated and why the proposed changes may help. The purpose of reviewing work samples is to evaluate the quality of the professional's reasoning and approach, not simply the appearance of a report or the number of recommendations it contains.