You’re ready to invest in SEO and start building a stronger online presence, but you don’t know where to start. Before you jump into interviewing marketing agencies, use this guide to prepare with confidence and make the most out of your investment.
Most businesses know they need SEO, but many don’t have dedicated marketing teams who understand the depths of search engine optimization efforts. And if you jump in without a clear plan, you may end up throwing money at an agency with high price tags and zero tangible results.
While you aren’t an SEO expert (and don’t need to be one!), you should still take ownership of your SEO journey.
When you understand what you want to achieve, who you’re trying to reach, and how SEO can bridge that gap, you’ll feel empowered to make the right moves to climb Google ranks and build real digital credibility behind your brand name.
This guide is your blueprint for SEO marketing success. Use it to get your business ready, align your goals, and set the stage for the best relationship possible with an agency you can trust.
First thing first…
Does SEO Actually Help?
Google processes billions of searches daily. That’s billions of opportunities for people to find your website. Organic Google search results are a major source of traffic for most of us.
SEO is an investment, for sure. It requires effort, expertise, and money to build a strategy that works. But unlike paid advertising, every click from organic search is free – the potential return is massive.
How much does SEO cost?
Costs really depend on the depth of your efforts. We have plenty of small clients spending a few hundred every month on SEO-driven content creation and on-page SEO, but there’s also the potential to scale efforts into the thousands. Big enterprises likely spend tens of thousands of dollars monthly because they’re targeting a much larger audience and more competitive industries.
5 Things to Do Before Starting SEO on Your Website
1. Designate Your SEO Point of Contact
SEO is a collaborative effort, even if you outsource the bulk of the work because your needs, preferences, and brand image guide our efforts. Pick a point person within your team who will be the primary contact for any SEO agency you work with. Ideally, they understand your business goals, other marketing strategies, and site infrastructure.
Your SEO champion should be organized, communicative, and able to effectively relay information between the agency and your internal teams for seamless back-and-forths. They also need the authority to make the right decisions and approve changes along the way.
Having a dedicated point person streamlines communication and ensures accountability so tasks don’t fall through the cracks. It also allows the agency to focus on what they do best – optimizing your website for search engines.
2. Grant Website Access & Track Permissions
For SEO agencies to work their magic, they need access to your website and related tools.
Make sure the agency will have the necessary permissions and access to:
- Your Website’s CMS. Whether your website is built on WordPress, Shopify, or another platform, the agency needs access to your website’s content management system to make on-page optimizations, update content, and implement technical changes.
- Google Analytics and Search Console. These tools help us understand where your site performance is at today so we can map out a plan to improve them – and then monitor metrics on your website’s performance, user behaviour, and search visibility as our work starts to produce real results.
- Other Relevant Tools. Depending on the scope of work, the agency may also need access to tools like social media accounts, email marketing platforms, or CRM systems. If you want us to work through your project management platform or team Slack, for example, we’ll need our accounts given permissions.
3. Loop in Your Web Developer
SEO often involves technical changes to your website, so let your web developer know about your plans and see if they’re available to collaborate with your agency. If a partnership isn’t possible, some agencies, like ours, offer web design services so we can build Google SEO best practices directly into the design – that solid foundation helps us build stronger from the ground up.
The agency may need the developer’s assistance to implement technical SEO recommendations, such as fixing broken links, improving site speed, or implementing schema markups.
Encourage open communication between the agency and your developer so you aren’t facing delays or major issues implementing the agency’s recommended technical SEO changes. They can do all the work and planning in the world, but if there’s little follow-through on the web developer’s end, it becomes impossible to see good results.
4. Set SEO Goals & KPIs
SEO is a massive field. It’s not just about keywords and links but figuring out how people search for information online and then positioning your website to be found by the right people. Don’t just say you want “more traffic” – that’s too broad, especially for small businesses. Set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timebound (SMART) goals for your SEO campaign so you can find direction with an agency that gets it.
Instead of setting a goal for more traffic, you can say, “I want to increase organic traffic by 20% in the next six months,” “Generate 10 qualified leads per week through organic search,” or “Rank in the top 5 for ‘best coffee shop in Hamilton’ within three months.” The more you can drill down into what matters to you, the easier it will be for SEO efforts to be targeted to deliver.
Once you have your SMART goals, connect them to the right KPIs. An SEO agency can help you set these metrics, though it helps to have a basic understanding of them so you can confidently engage in these conversations.
5. Prepare for the Long Haul
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, taking weeks and months to see real results – and years to solidify your thought leadership and brand authority. Prepare to be patient and realistic about the timeline for achieving your SEO goals because great efforts tend to compound over time. If you stop SEO early, you could be losing out on exponential growth potential.
The timeline for SEO results can vary depending on factors like how competitive your industry is, the current state of your website, and the scope of the SEO campaign you want to run.
Remember that SEO is an ongoing process rather than a quick, one-time fix. Be prepared to invest in ongoing optimization efforts to maintain and seriously improve your search rankings over time.
EB Media—Marketing & SEO Agency in Brantford
Before you jump into any agency interviews, take the time to prepare yourself and learn all the SEO tips for beginners. Define your SMART goals, set solid KPIs, assign a point person you can trust, and understand your audience. Get all your ducks in a row so you can ensure you’re getting the most out of your SEO investment.
At EB Media, we believe in empowering our clients. As a leading web design and SEO studio in Hamilton for over a decade, we have the expertise and experience to help you succeed.
If you’re ready for a free quote or want to discuss your next project, contact us today.
